This is in contrast to Diederen et al. (2003)who report that farmsthat are
bigger adopt an innovation earlier. However, in this study, an increasing
farm size is negatively related to adoption — in line with Burton et al.
(1999)—suggesting that farmerswho operate larger farms are less likely
to adopt organic farming. Our finding supports the consensus that small
farms that rely on family labour generally adopt more labour intensive
systems (Hayami and Ruttan, 1985). In the context of organic farming, it
is possible that smaller farms are easier tomanage, for example in terms
of meeting the required organic regulations. The intensity level of the
farmhas been described by LU/ha. A lower livestock density per hectare
appears to be advantageous for early (‘Pioneers’) and medium adoption
(‘Followers’) of organic farming, which is suggested by a relative risk
ratio below one. For the ‘Laggards’, LU/ha does not show a significant
effect on the adoption decision. This may be due to better knowledge of
organic farming in recent years, which implies that organic farmers are
better able to manage higher livestock densities. Similarly, Flaten et al.
(2006) report that late entry organic dairy farmers fed more
concentrates and had higher milk production intensities.