How Agricultural Extension Services Improve Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Use in China? The Perspective of Neighborhood Effect and Ecological Cognition

Abstract

Improving farmers’ usage of organic fertilizer is critical for the green and high-quality development of China’s agriculture. Based on 492 mango farmers’ survey data in Hainan Province, this paper uses an endogenous switching regression (ESR)model, empirically analyzes the impact of agricultural extension services on farmers’ willingness to use organic fertilizer, and further investigates the mediating role of ecological cognition and the moderating role of neighborhood effect in the influence mechanism. Results show agricultural extension services have a significant positive effect on farmers’ willingness to use organic fertilizer, ecological cognition has a partial mediating effect in the influence mechanism, which accounts for 17.84% of the total effect. The neighborhood effect has a positive moderating effect in the influence mechanism of ecological cognition on farmers’ willingness to use organic fertilizer. These results imply that agricultural extension services play a significant role in China’s sustainable agricultural development and by improving their awareness and taking advantage of the neighborhood effect, we can stimulate farmers’ willingness to green production. The study also puts forward policy recommendations on further promoting farmers’ use of organic fertilizer.

Can Higher Land Rentals Promote Soil Conservation of Large-Scale Farmers in China?

“…This is a useful addition to the existing literature. (3) The agricultural extension services favor the promotion of soil conservation by large-scale farmers, which is consistent with Qiao et al [ 36 ]. (4) The moderating effect suggests that land rentals promote soil conservation input by large-scale farmers through land lease term, while agricultural extension services can positively adjust the promoting effect of land lease term on large-scale farmers’ soil conservation.…”

“…Therefore, for farmers with limited access to information, these new green agricultural technologies rely heavily on agricultural extension services. Qiao et al [ 36 ] pointed out that agricultural extension services can effectively improve farmers’ ecological cognition and promote farmers’ organic fertilizer investments. Therefore, in studying the influence of land rentals on farmers’ soil conservation, it is logical to consider the moderating effect of agricultural extension services and to study land rentals, land lease term, agricultural extension services and large-scale farmers’ soil conservation in a unified theoretical framework.…”

“…On the other hand, agricultural extension services can improve the cognition level of large-scale farmers. Qiao et al [ 36 ] pointed out that access to agricultural extension services can improve the ecological cognition level of farmers, i.e., it strengthens farmers’ awareness of environmental pollution caused by excessive fertilizer application, which in turn promotes farmers to adopt organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers to improve the environment. In other words, agricultural extension services can enhance soil conservation by raising the ecological cognition level of large-scale farmers.…”

The Effect of Technical Training Provided by Agricultural Cooperatives on Farmers’ Adoption of Organic Fertilizers in China: Based on the Mediation Role of Ability and Perception

“…According to earlier research, the following restrictions may prevent farmers from adopting organic fertilizers [ 21 ]. First, the lack of reliable agricultural extension agencies to promote organic fertilizers technology is the critical reason for the low proportion of organic fertilizers adoption in agriculture [ 28 ]. Technology diffusion theory requires adequate information spread to achieve technology diffusion [ 29 ].…”

Gap between Willingness and Behaviors: Understanding the Consistency of Farmers’ Green Production in Hainan, China

“…Village cadres and civil servants can act as leaders, and are the driving force behind the popularization and diffusion of green production. Therefore, in order to play an exemplary role, they will be more active in adopting green production behaviors, which also reduces the degree of behavior–willingness deviation [ 42 ]. The number of dependents tends to influence farmers’ agricultural inputs [ 43 ]; farmers with more elderly dependents have less capital, human and material resources to invest in, which will prevent the farmers’ willingness regarding green production from being translated into actual behavior, such that it has a significant positive impact on farmers’ behavior–willingness deviation.…”