The Influencing Factors of Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Farmer Households Participating in Understory Economy: Evidence from China

Yaru Chen, Xiao Han (), Siyao Lv, Boyao Song, Xinye Zhang and Hongxun Li
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Yaru Chen: Development Research Center, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100714, China
Xiao Han: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Siyao Lv: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Boyao Song: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Xinye Zhang: Development Research Center, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100714, China
Hongxun Li: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: To promote the sustainable development of agriculture and forestry economy, it is of great significance to guide farmers to consciously pursue pro-environmental behaviors in the development of the understory economy. Based on field survey data from Yong’an city of Fujian Province and Luoshan County of Henan Province, factor analysis and Oprobit models were mainly used to analyze the influencing factors and influencing the degree of the pro-environmental behaviors of farmer households participating in the understory economy. Quantitative data showed that individual characteristics of farmers (i.e., gender, education, career, feasibility evaluation, and the proportion of farming labor to household labor) and forest land management status (i.e., forest land transfer, the working time in understory economy, and proportion of understory economic income) have an obvious effect on the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors. Findings also revealed three key variables (i.e., the farmers’ environmental perception, social constraints, and government incentives) that are associated with the willingness to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. The contribution ratios of the influencing factors were environmental perception, social constraints, and government incentives. In addition to economic benefits, perceptual factors and informal institutions also play an important role in driving farmers to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. Based on the findings, it is necessary to strengthen the publicity and the education of farmers, increase environmental responsibility, accelerate the establishment and improvement of ecological reward-and-punishment mechanisms, and enhance the training of green production techniques.

Keywords: understory economy; sustainable development; pro-environmental behavior; influencing factors; influencing degree (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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