Farmer behavior towards pesticide use for reduction production risk: A Theory of Planned Behavior

Abstract

Agriculture plays a critical role in economic growth, food security, poverty reduction, and rural development; however, it is a volatile business because of inherent production risks. In developing countries, farmers face bad weather, pests and disease outbreaks, and input supply and input–output price changes. We investigated the intentions of 320 rice farmers in Bangladesh with the aim of influencing their actions is as to reduce production risks and the application of pesticides. Descriptive statistics, the Delphi method, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) were used to achieve the research objectives. Pesticides are a vital technology and play an important role in increasing productivity, but have harmful effects on populations’ health and the environment when used in an excessive and widespread manner. Our results showed that three TPB constructs and one psychological construct mediated the relationship between production risk reduction and behavioral intentions regarding pesticide use. The results also showed that Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), Behavioral Goals (BGs), Behavioral Attitude (BA), and Subjective Norms (SN) positively influenced the farmers’ intentions to use pesticides to minimize production risk and maximize profits. Interventions aimed at farmers' behavioral change should concentrate on growing awareness and encouraging farmers to assess their control beliefs and improve their capacity to cope with social expectations and circumstances that compete with pesticide use.