Farmers’ unsustainable behavior: application of the integrative agent-centered (IAC) framework

Pirmoradi, Amirhossein; Rostami, Ali Shokouhi

doi:10.1007/s10668-021-01999-5

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…As a theoretical model, the IAC incorporates: Contextual Factors (i.e., barriers or favorable conditions), Habits (frequency of past behaviors), Expectations (beliefs about outcomes, their likelihood, and their value), Subjective Culture (social norms, roles, values), and Affect (emotions related to action) [34]. Collectively, these components have been used to study farmer behavior related to production intensity in agricultural systems [34] and also to study farmers' unsustainable behaviors in other contexts [78]. We expand IAC framework analysis here to specifically examine unsustainable water use behaviors as shown in Figure 1.…”

Section: The Integrative Agent-centered (Iac) Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Farmers Over-Extract Groundwater Resources? Assessing (Un)sustainable Behaviors Using an Integrated Agent-Centered Framework

Ghoochani,

Eskandari Damaneh,

Eskandari Damaneh

et al. 2023

Environments

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This study uses an Integrated Agent-Centered (IAC) framework to investigate the socio-psychological drivers of Iranian farmers’ unsustainable groundwater management practices. Empirical land use change analysis of US Geological Survey Landsat satellite images of the Jaz-Murian wetland region for 1990, 2010, and 2022, is combined with community surveys conducted with randomly selected farmers in five townships within the region (n = 356). Visual analysis reveals dramatic increases in agricultural land coverage, diminished water bodies, and increased salt lands over the 32-year sampled period. We use survey data to explain the socio-psychological drivers of unsustainable groundwater use that lead to these adverse environmental changes. In the IAC survey analysis, we find that variables for “expectation” and “subjective culture” have a negative influence on pro-environmental “intention”. “Intention” and “habit” have a positive influence and “contextual factors” have a negative influence on the drivers of “unsustainable water use behavior”. We conclude that situational influences, habitual process, intentional process, and normative processes must be considered together to alleviate pressure on wetland ecosystems. Policy makers must provide effective agricultural extension training, deliberative dialogue amongst farmer networks, well-governed local water markets and financial support to shift farmer short-termist economic gain-thinking towards socially-supported pro-environmental habits over the longer term.

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Section: The Integrative Agent-centered (Iac) Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Farmers Over-Extract Groundwater Resources? Assessing (Un)sustainable Behaviors Using an Integrated Agent-Centered Framework

Ghoochani,

Eskandari Damaneh,

Eskandari Damaneh

et al. 2023

Environments

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Adaptation constraints and prospects for future research priorities in lowland rice-based farming systems: learning experiences from Northwest Cambodia

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Grünbühel

et al. 2023

Environ Dev Sustain

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Sustainable agricultural development not only addresses global food insecurity but may also alleviate poverty by enriching the lives of millions of smallholder farmers. Improving the sustainability and profitability of agriculture where smallholders are dominant creates profound impacts because small landholding farmers produce approximately 70–80% of the global food. The need for a thorough understanding of the factors affecting farmers’ adoption of agricultural technologies and practices has been identified from extant literature as an important research gap. Responding to the research gap and need, this study examined the challenges that prevent farm households from adopting improved farming practices and/or technologies in Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces in Northwest Cambodia. A total of 524 rice producing farm household representatives were randomly selected from a household database maintained by the local government authorities. A mixed methods approach was used in the study including semi-structured interviews followed by in-depth interviews, field observations, and literature review. Farmers were found to be confronted with a range of challenges and concerns, including soil degradation, weeds, diseases, insect pests, high production costs, flooding, droughts, changing rainfall pattern, and unreliable rainfall distribution. The research findings demonstrate that improved crop production practices (e.g., adopting mechanised direct seeding methods of crop establishment, maintaining and improving soil health through crop residue retention, growing cover crops, etc.) and better resource use efficiency (e.g., reducing seeding rates to less than 100 kg/ha, being more strategic in the use of integrated nutrient, weed, and pest management strategies, etc.) can be a starting point for sustainable intensification of rice production. This transition towards intensifying paddy production sustainably may become even more effective through a clear understanding of local contexts, farm household characteristics, available resources, and the farm management practices and constraints. We observed that farmers and their associations have yet to be fully recognised as partners and actors in Cambodia. Instead, they tend to be viewed as beneficiaries and recipients of improved practices and technologies. We, therefore, propose that farmers and their associations be acknowledged and included in a process of co-creation of knowledge-practices. Such partnerships will enable the inclusion of factors (e.g., production costs, production risks, complexity and practicability of implementations, product market and prices, etc.) shown to influence farmers’ adoption of innovative farming practices and technologies. The original contribution of this article is a real-world account of the constraints and limitations experienced by smallholder rice farmers in Cambodia, which are connected to future research and development priorities in the region.

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Farmers’ unsustainable behavior: application of the integrative agent-centered (IAC) framework

Cited by 2 publications

References 40 publications

Why Do Farmers Over-Extract Groundwater Resources? Assessing (Un)sustainable Behaviors Using an Integrated Agent-Centered Framework

Why Do Farmers Over-Extract Groundwater Resources? Assessing (Un)sustainable Behaviors Using an Integrated Agent-Centered Framework

Adaptation constraints and prospects for future research priorities in lowland rice-based farming systems: learning experiences from Northwest Cambodia

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