Abstract
As pesticide abuse becomes increasingly serious worldwide, it is necessary to pay attention to the biopesticide adoption behavior of agricultural producers. It is worth verifying whether agricultural cooperatives, as training organizations sharing the same social network with farmers, can promote the adoption of biopesticides through their technology diffusion function. Therefore, based on survey data of 837 citrus producers in Sichuan Province, China, the IV-probit regression model and a mediation effects model were used to empirically test the impact of technical training on farmers’ adoption of biopesticides in addition to its mechanism, considering the farmers’ perception of technology as the mediation variable. The results show that (a) participation in technical training can significantly enhance the probability of the adoption of biopesticides; (b) farmers’ perceptions of biopesticides’ economic and health benefits play a partial mediating role in the relationship; and (c) technical training has more significant effects on biopesticides adoption behavior for a household with higher-educated household heads, lower household total income, and smaller household size, relative to their counterparts. This study provides evidence for establishing relevant policy to encourage the full adoption of the technical training function of agricultural cooperatives and popularize the use of biopesticides.
Highlights
In China, 7% of the world’s arable land is used to feed 22% of the world’s population, due to the usage of pesticides [1]
Our finding is consistent with the results reported by Wu [49], which show that the training in biopesticide technology provided by agricultural cooperatives can significantly improve the tendency of farmers to adopt biopesticides
The results show that the IV had a positive and significant effect on the participation of biopesticide technical training provided by agricultural cooperatives
Summary
In China, 7% of the world’s arable land is used to feed 22% of the world’s population, due to the usage of pesticides [1]. Along with the chronic overuse of pesticides, serious agricultural diffuse pollution is developing, which could damage the ecological environment and threaten food safety [1]. It is reported that pesticide usage by Chinese farmers reached three times the global average [2]. To effectively alleviate the harm caused by the use of traditional pesticides, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has introduced a series of measures, such as the “Action to Achieve Zero Growth of Pesticide Use by 2020” [3]. Biopesticides are considered to be safe for humans and the environment, as well as a sustainable alternative to conventional pesticides due to their lower toxicity than conventional pesticides [4–6]. The use of biopesticides remains low in developing countries [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
