Role of Social Learning in the Diffusion of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Technology in China

Qi Li,Wanjiang Yang,Kai Li

doi:10.3390/su10051527

Qi Li, Wanjiang Yang + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051527

Copy DOI

Abstract

Reducing the use of chemical inputs is an urgent and challenging task in the transformation toward environmentally-friendly agriculture in China, especially when the efficacy of alternative control measures is not yet fully understood. Based on the data from 601 rice farmer households regarding their adoption of fertilizer- and pesticide-reducing technologies in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces, this study investigated whether social learning can promote the diffusion of fertilizer- and pesticide-reducing technologies, and whether the role of social learning varies when the technologies differ. Empirical analysis using the spatial error model (SEM) showed that social learning positively affects the diffusion of ecological technologies, but the role of social learning varies when the technology characteristics differ. Learning from neighbors promotes the adoption of labor-intensive and high-skilled technologies, but this strategy does not work well in capital-intensive technologies. However, learning from demonstration significantly affected the diffusion of capital-intensive and high-skilled technologies, but did not work well for labor-intensive technologies.

Highlights

To address the problems of food and clothing scarcity, public concern has been increasing about the importance of avoiding environmental problems related to farming activities
The amount of fertilizer used per hectare was almost three times higher than the world average, and the average amount of chemical pesticides used was 2.5–5 times higher than that of developed countries
An ecological footprint analysis in China showed that the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides has aggravated the depletion of resources, which revealed the unsustainable nature of the Chinese agriculture ecological system [8]

Summary

Introduction

To address the problems of food and clothing scarcity, public concern has been increasing about the importance of avoiding environmental problems related to farming activities. This concern is one of the main forces driving the transformation toward environmentally-friendly agriculture in developing countries. The amount of fertilizer used per hectare was almost three times higher than the world average, and the average amount of chemical pesticides used was 2.5–5 times higher than that of developed countries. An ecological footprint analysis in China showed that the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides has aggravated the depletion of resources, which revealed the unsustainable nature of the Chinese agriculture ecological system [8]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion