Enhancing Farmer Resilience Through Agricultural Insurance: Evidence from Jiangsu, China

Xinru Chen (), Yuan Jiang, Tianwei Wang, Kexuan Zhou, Jiayi Liu, Huirong Ben and Weidong Wang
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Xinru Chen: Faculty of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Yuan Jiang: Faculty of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Tianwei Wang: School of Mathematical Sciences, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
Kexuan Zhou: School of Mathematical Sciences, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
Jiayi Liu: Faculty of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Huirong Ben: Faculty of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Weidong Wang: Faculty of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xue Fu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 14, 1-30

Abstract: Against the backdrop of evolving global climate patterns, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have increased significantly, posing unprecedented threats to agricultural production. This change has particularly profound impacts on agricultural systems in developing countries, making the enhancement of farmers’ capacity to withstand extreme weather events a crucial component for achieving sustainable agricultural development. As an essential safeguard for agricultural production, agricultural insurance plays an indispensable role in risk management. However, a pronounced gap persists between policy aspirations and actual adoption rates among farmers in developing economies. This study employs the integrated theory of planned behavior (TPB) and protection motivation theory (PMT) to construct an analytical framework incorporating psychological, socio-cultural, and risk-perception factors. Using Jiangsu Province—a representative high-risk agricultural region in China—as a case study, we administered 608 structured questionnaires to farmers. Structural equation modeling was applied to identify determinants influencing insurance adoption decisions. The findings reveal that farmers’ agricultural insurance purchase decisions are influenced by multiple factors. At the individual level, risk perception promotes purchase intention by activating protection motivation, while cost–benefit assessment enables farmers to make rational evaluations. At the social level, subjective norms can significantly enhance farmers’ purchase intention. Further analysis indicates that perceived severity indirectly enhances purchase intention by positively influencing attitude, while response costs negatively affect purchase intention by weakening perceived behavior control. Although challenges such as cognitive gaps and product mismatch exist in the intention-behavior transition, institutional trust can effectively mitigate these issues. It not only strengthens the positive impact of psychological factors on purchase intention, but also significantly facilitates the transformation of purchase intention into actual behavior. To promote targeted policy interventions for agricultural insurance, we propose corresponding policy recommendations from the perspective of public intervention based on the research findings.

Keywords: climate change; agricultural insurance purchase intention; public intervention; institutional trust; theory of planned behavior; protection motivation theory (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: 2025
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