A comparative insight: Tribal Vs. non-tribal rice farmers attitudes on sustainable farming in Wayanad, Kerala

This article summarizes a study on the attitudes of tribal and non-tribal rice farmers towards sustainable rice farming in the Wayanad district of Kerala. The study defines attitude as the positive or negative reactions of these farmers towards sustainability. This measure serves as an effective tool to assess the degree of sustainability among both groups and to identify the challenges they face in adopting sustainable rice production. The scale was developed using Likert’s summated ratings method. A total of 25 statements, balanced between positive and negative, were selected to ensure content validity. Respondents were categorized into three groups: less favorable, favorable, and highly favorable attitudes towards sustainable rice farming, based on mean and standard deviation. The study revealed that over 80% of tribal rice farmers had a highly favorable attitude towards sustainable rice farming, with only 6.67% in the less favorable category. In contrast, 71.11% of non-tribal rice farmers had a favorable attitude towards sustainable practices but tended to prefer conventional or modern farming methods. Factors such as the conservation of indigenous varieties, environmental and biodiversity concerns, cultural acceptance of rice cultivation, and less profit orientation contributed to the more favorable attitude among tribal farmers compared to non-tribal farmers.