Relationships between Safe Pesticide Practice and Perceived Benefits and Subjective Norm, and the Moderation Role of Information Acquisition: Evidence from 971 Farmers in China

Jianhua Wang, Yuanyuan Deng and Yuting Ma
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Jianhua Wang: School of Business, Jiangnan University, Lihudadao 1800, Wuxi 214122, China
Yuanyuan Deng: School of Business, Jiangnan University, Lihudadao 1800, Wuxi 214122, China
Yuting Ma: School of Business, Jiangnan University, Lihudadao 1800, Wuxi 214122, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Improper use of pesticides among farmers has caused food safety issues which are serious threats to public health in China. A central question concerns how to motivate farmers to self-regulate their pesticide usage. The paper aims to identify the influence of an internal driving factor, i.e., perceived benefits, and an external driving factor, i.e., subjective norm, on farmers’ safe pesticide behaviors, and whether the two factors are moderated by the exposure to information on government policies and the market, based on a sample of 971 farmers selected from 5 Chinese provinces. The results revealed that farmers’ safe pesticide usage was predominately driven by perceived benefits whereas external pressure or subjective norm did not play much of a role. Interaction effects were found between the exposure to market information and perceived benefits, and also between subjective norm and exposure to government policy. Extensions agencies are recommended to effectively convey to farmers the benefits to follow safe pesticide practices. Meanwhile, surveillance and monitoring systems should be established so that the prices of their agricultural products are reflected by the quality of the products.

Keywords: safe pesticide practice; perceived benefits; subjective norm; policy exposure; market information; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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