How Does Improve Farmers’ Attitudes toward Ecosystem Services to Support Sustainable Development of Agriculture? Based on Environmental Kuznets Curve Theory

Yaofeng Yang, Yajuan Chen, Zhenrong Yu, Pengyao Li and Xuedong Li
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Yaofeng Yang: School of Economics and Management, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China
Yajuan Chen: School of Economics and Management, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China
Zhenrong Yu: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Pengyao Li: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Xuedong Li: College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-16

Abstract: Agroecosystems are complex socio-ecological systems that are managed by farmers to achieve desired outcomes, including economic income and environmental benefits contributed by ecosystem services (ES). Therefore, understanding farmers’ attitudes for ES will provide references for targeted agricultural environment management, which is critical to achieving the sustainable development of agriculture. The aim of this study is to identify the attitudes of farmers regarding ES, and to test whether and how annual household income and social demographic characteristics affect farmers’ attitudes toward ES. Using face-to-face interviews to collect data and the hypothesis of environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) to provide an analytical framework, the results reveal that, in general, the perceptions of farmers’ attitudes on ES are highly complex, caused by characteristics of the farmers. Furthermore, the inflection points of the U-shaped curves, where priorities change from increasing income to paying more attention to waste assimilation and biological pest control, are identified at 17,091 and 25,071RMB, respectively. Initiatives that aim to achieve sustainable agricultural development by strengthening ES provisions should be sensitive to farmers’perceptions. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen farmers’ educational attainment, concentrate fragmented cultivation area and create reasonable incentives for preserving and restoring of ES and increasing farmers’ income together, which then can enhance the positive outcomes from income growth.

Keywords: environmental Kuznets curve; annual household income; social demographic characteristics; ecosystem services; payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes; incentive mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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