Ecological Engineering for Rice Insect Pest Management: The Need to Communicate Widely, Improve Farmers’ Ecological Literacy and Policy Reforms to Sustain Adoption

Kong-Luen Heong,Zhong-Xian Lu,Jia-An Cheng,Zeng-Rong Zhu,Josef Settele,Monina Escalada,Ho-Van Chien

doi:10.3390/agronomy11112208

Kong-Luen Heong, Zhong-Xian Lu + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112208

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Abstract

Ecological engineering (EE) involves the design and management of human systems based on ecological principles to maximize ecosystem services and minimize external inputs. Pest management strategies have been developed but farmer adoption is lacking and unsustainable. EE practices need to be socially acceptable and it requires shifts in social norms of rice farmers. In many countries where pesticides are being marketed as “fast moving consumer goods” (FMCG) it is a big challenge to shift farmers’ loss-averse attitudes. Reforms in pesticide marketing policies are required. An entertainment education TV series was able to reach wider audience to improve farmers’ ecological literacy, shifting beliefs and practices. To sustain adoption of ecologically based practices organizational structures, incentives systems and communication strategies to support the new norms and practices are needed.

Highlights

Rice is the staple food for the largest number of people on Earth [1]
EE practices have been shown to be ecologically and economically viable, but they need to be socially acceptable, which calls for shifts in social norms of rice farmers from the
It will be a big challenge to initiate and sustain such norm shifts in the region where pesticides are still marketed as fast moving consumer goods” (FMCG) and pesticide marketing regulations are weak

Summary

Introduction

Rice is the staple food for the largest number of people on Earth [1]. In Asia rice is grown on more than 200 million small holder farms, producing more than 600 million tons annually. Insects have long been perceived to be constraints to rice production citing annual losses of between 11 to 14% [2]. Recent research has shown that the rice ecosystem has abundance of insects, only a few species are of economic importance. Insect control using insecticides has been shown to provide little or no productivity gains for farmers [3]. Resistant varieties have been developed [4] but they were seldom adopted and farmers’ heavy reliance on insecticides had continued [5].

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