What Do Romanian Farmers Think about the Effects of Pesticides? Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Bio-Pesticides

Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag, Ioan Banatean-Dunea, Stefan Cristian Vesa, Sofia Copacinschi and Dacinia Crina Petrescu
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Ruxandra Malina Petrescu-Mag: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University; 30 Fantanele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ioan Banatean-Dunea: Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, The Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Timisoara; 119 Calea Aradului St., 300645 Timisoara, Romania
Stefan Cristian Vesa: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Gheorghe Marinescu St., 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Sofia Copacinschi: Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University; 30 Fantanele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Dacinia Crina Petrescu: Faculty of Business, Babes-Bolyai University, 7 Horea St., 400174 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: Farmers’ knowledge and perception of risks associated with pesticides are core issues in adopting sustainable behavior related to pesticides. This study aimed to find out if Romanian farmers’ perceptions regarding the effects of conventional pesticides on pests, health, and the environment can predict farmers’ willingness to replace conventional pesticides with bio ones and to pay a higher price for the latter. This is the first investigation of Romanian farmers’ perceptions regarding pesticides, thus providing information useful both from the market and environmental protection perspectives. Binary logistic regression was performed to test the relationship between the perceived effect of pesticides, on the one side, and willingness to change conventional with bio-pesticides and willingness to pay for bio-pesticides, on the other side. It was found that the efficiency of conventional pesticides on combating pests and their effects on a farmer’s health can predict farmer willingness to replace conventional approaches with bio-pesticides. Conclusions disclose entry points for interventions aimed at improving communication and information strategies at the country level for raising awareness of the adverse effects of pesticide products, both at the food consumer and farmer levels.

Keywords: bio-pesticides; farmers; perceptions; willingness to pay; willingness to replace (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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