The determinants of the responsible use of pesticides among date farmers in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Ben Mohamed, Ezzeddine; Jarboui, Anis; Garoui, Nassreddine; Ibrahim, Saber; Alsalman, Ahmad M.; Abbassi, Wajih

doi:10.1080/23311932.2024.2314238

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Data was collected in approximately four months, from January to April 2023. According to official statistics, the Qassim region produces 200 thousand Mg of dates annually (Ben Mohamed et al, 2024). This makes the subject of the study particularly important, given the findings of some published studies by Abdallah et al (2018), where the presence of pesticide residues was proven in 18 % of the sample they examined.…”

Section: Study Area Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Drives Farmers to Adopt Pro-Environmental Behavior? Evidence From Date Farms in Saudi Arabia

Ben Mohamed,

Garoui,

Ibrahim

et al. 2024

agro

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Despite widespread knowledge of agriculture’s sustainability challenges, more needs to be known about the factors influencing farmers’ adoption of sustainable practices. This study examines the specific drivers of pro-environmental behavior among date farmers. A variable model was developed, and a questionnaire was used to gather farmers’ perceptions of the factors influencing pro-environmental behavior on date farms. A hierarchical structure of the identified factors was developed using MICMAC analysis on 81 farmers in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our results show that farm size, supply chain pressure, and firm technological capabilities are the most relevant determinants of pro-environmental behavior on date farms. Also, farmers’ experiences, learning from other firms in the sustainability domain, and farm image improvement are critical variables in the system of pro-environmental behavior adoption. Finally, we argue that pressure from environmental regulation and the farmers’ age are excluded variables. It is crucial to consider that relying solely on encouragement and laws to protect the environment cannot achieve sustainability in agriculture. More attention should be devoted to educating farmers about the importance of pro-environmental behavior and how it can improve their image in front of stakeholders. It is also necessary to organize periodic forums to support mimetic pressure and push farmers to learn from each other. Because farmers’ environments in developing countries tend to be similar, it is possible to generalize these results to some extent. This model unveils a fresh perspective on promoting sustainability in agriculture by using novel analytical techniques to map relationships between pro-environmental actions and their influencing factors.

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Section: Study Area Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Drives Farmers to Adopt Pro-Environmental Behavior? Evidence From Date Farms in Saudi Arabia

Ben Mohamed,

Garoui,

Ibrahim

et al. 2024

agro

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Sustainable agriculture and responsible use of pesticides: commercial crop cultivators’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice perspectives regarding pesticide use

Udayanga,

Bellanthudawa,

De Zoysa

2024

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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The excessive use of pesticides has been identified as a main barrier to sustainable agriculture in the developing countries, that can lead to several negative consequences, posing a significant threat to the total environment. Therefore, the present study investigated the informedness of smallholder vegetable farmers on responsible use of pesticides, exploring how their knowledge, attitudes and protective practices (KAP) are associated with the safe use of pesticides. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 206 smallholder farmers in the central highlands of Sri Lanka to identify how KAP are associated with responsible use of pesticides. Secondly, two focus group discussion were conducted to gain insights into the farmers’ awareness of the responsible use of pesticides. The analysis reveals an overall deficiency in informedness about responsible pesticide use, primarily stemming from moderate level of knowledge and perceptions related to protective practices. Furthermore, farmers tend to face constraints due to limited access to information on responsible use of pesticides and a heavy reliance on pesticides, believing pesticides to be a primary means of increasing crops. Results also indicate a significant association between knowledge, practice, and informedness, whereas attitudes did not significantly contribute to informedness. Significant disparities in informedness were identified among different demographic groups, with men and younger farmers exhibiting higher levels of awareness. Thus, we suggest that farmers’ informedness can be improved by targeted efforts to enhance their knowledge and correct misconceptions on the use of pesticides.

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The determinants of the responsible use of pesticides among date farmers in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Cited by 2 publications

References 65 publications

What Drives Farmers to Adopt Pro-Environmental Behavior? Evidence From Date Farms in Saudi Arabia

What Drives Farmers to Adopt Pro-Environmental Behavior? Evidence From Date Farms in Saudi Arabia

Sustainable agriculture and responsible use of pesticides: commercial crop cultivators’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice perspectives regarding pesticide use

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