Pesticide Use and Risk Perceptions among Small-Scale Farmers in Anqiu County, China

Jianjun Jin, Wenyu Wang, Rui He and Haozhou Gong
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Jianjun Jin: College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Wenyu Wang: College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Rui He: College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Haozhou Gong: College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: The unsafe use and misuse of pesticides in China are major threats to farmers’ health and the environment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate small-scale farmers’ practices with regard to pesticide use and identify the determinants of their behavior in Anqiu County, China. The results show that the frequency of pesticide application by local farmers is high and that the improper disposal of pesticides after use is common in the study area. Although most farmers felt that they were at some degree of risk when using pesticides, farmers were found to overuse pesticides in the study area. The probability of pesticide overuse significantly decreased with farmers’ risk perceptions, willingness to reduce pesticide use, better social relationships, and strict government monitoring. The perception of risk can thus be an important element in education and communication efforts.

Keywords: pesticide use; risk perception; pesticide overuse; small-scale farmer; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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