Evaluation of Farmers’ Ecological Cognition in Responses to Specialty Orchard Fruit Planting Behavior: Evidence in Shaanxi and Ningxia, China

Zhe Chen, Apurbo Sarkar, Ahmed Khairul Hasan, Xiaojing Li and Xianli Xia
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Zhe Chen: College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Apurbo Sarkar: College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Ahmed Khairul Hasan: Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Xiaojing Li: College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Xianli Xia: College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Developing specialties in orchard fruits productions with ecological and economic benefits is a practical and effective way to guarantee eco-friendliness and increase farmers’ income in the Loess Plateau area. Therefore, to understand these factors, the study constructs an agriculture ecological cognition index from three dimensions of eco-agriculture cognitions (increase income cognition, water conservation cognition and eco-product price cognition). Our analysis was based on micro survey data from 416 farmers in Shaanxi and Ningxia, China. The study used two main econometric models, double-hurdle and Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM), to examine the relationship and influence pathways between cognition of ecological agriculture and farmers’ specialty orchard fruit planting behavior. The results show that: (i) the cognition of eco-agriculture affects whether farmers plant specialty fruits (participation decision). The cognition of eco-agriculture increases income and the cognition of eco-product price significantly affect the scale of specialty orchard fruits planting (quantity decision). (ii) Household resource endowments influence specialty orchard fruit planting responses through ecological farming cognitions. (iii) The factors influencing the participation and quantity decisions of orchard fruit planting are significantly different. Therefore, when the government actively encourages farmers to participate in specialty orchard planting, it should fully consider the cognitive factors of ecological agriculture of the growers and develop targeted training strategies.

Keywords: ecological agriculture; water conservation; double-hurdle model; interpretative structural modeling; adoptions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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