The establishment, in 2006, of a local Farmers' Association in Oman
provides a contextual backdrop to analyse how membership of a collective
organisation might be able to ameliorate behaviour towards pesticide
use. The Al-Batinah Farmers' Association in Oman was the first grouping
of farmers to be officially sanctioned in the country. Members of the Association
pay a minimal annual fee based on farmland area; they hold regular
meetings to share experiences but do not conduct farmer field
schools or similar direct-action collective practical training sessions.
Membership of the Association is open to any farmer and the benefits derived
by individuals include cost reduction through collective purchasing
of equipment and consumables, increased produce marketing efficiency
and knowledge sharing. Al Zadjali et al. (2013) have indicated that the Association
appears to be acting as a conduit for knowledge diffusion alongside,
or even in preference to the existing state extension servic