IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v129y2023ics0264837723000856.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Norms triumph over self-interest! The role of perceived values and different norms on sustainable agricultural practices

Author

Listed:
  • Wang, Mingliang
  • Gong, Shunlong
  • Liang, Luyu
  • Bai, Li
  • Weng, Zhenlin
  • Tang, Jin

Abstract

Environmental sustainability and public health are faced with tremendous threat caused by the agri-food system, and it has reached a consensus that the agri-food system must be transformed to be more efficient, healthy, and sustainable. Promoting farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) is a critical path to accelerate this transformation. This study is to understand farmers’ intention to adopt Eco-breeding, a typical SAPs with Chinese characteristics and market potential, based on the perspectives of self-interested, altruistic, and social pressures, and explore how farmers make trade-offs when personal interests and norms conflict. We conducted field surveys on 600 livestock and poultry farmers and proceeded a comprehensive empirical analysis involving direct, indirect, and moderating effects tests. The results show perceived values, personal norms, and subjective norms accounted for 58.5% of the intention variance. Subjective norms are foremost predictors, and perceived values and personal norms has significant positive effects. Personal norms are mainly motivated by the awareness of consequences and ascribed responsibility. Remarkably, the results indicate that personal norms and subjective norms positively moderate the negative effects of perceived risks on intention. When these two norms exceed thresholds, the negative effects of perceived risks disappear. In addition to self-interested motives, this study highlights the importance of norms in shaping farmers’ intention to adopt Eco-breeding and finally provides guidelines for designing effective promotion policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Mingliang & Gong, Shunlong & Liang, Luyu & Bai, Li & Weng, Zhenlin & Tang, Jin, 2023. "Norms triumph over self-interest! The role of perceived values and different norms on sustainable agricultural practices," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:129:y:2023:i:c:s0264837723000856
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106619
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837723000856
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106619?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Qian, Chen & Shao, Liqun & Chen, Haibin, 2022. "Understanding herdsmen's rangeland rent-in behaviour under current rural land tenure system of China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    2. Roh, Taewoo & Seok, Junhee & Kim, Yaeri, 2022. "Unveiling ways to reach organic purchase: Green perceived value, perceived knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, and trust," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    3. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    4. Tongwei Qiu & Biliang Luo & S. T. Boris Choy & Xianlei Ma & Qinying He, 2020. "The demonstration effect of transactions between strangers on those between acquaintances: evidence from land rentals in rural China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(43), pages 4780-4793, September.
    5. Michal Carrington & Benjamin Neville & Gregory Whitwell, 2010. "Why Ethical Consumers Don’t Walk Their Talk: Towards a Framework for Understanding the Gap Between the Ethical Purchase Intentions and Actual Buying Behaviour of Ethically Minded Consumers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 139-158, November.
    6. Xiao-qiang Jiao & Gang He & Zhen-ling Cui & Jian-bo Shen & Fu-suo Zhang, 2018. "Agri-environment policy for grain production in China: toward sustainable intensification," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 78-92, February.
    7. Li Bai & Mingliang Wang & Shunlong Gong, 2019. "Understanding the Antecedents of Organic Food Purchases: The Important Roles of Beliefs, Subjective Norms, and Identity Expressiveness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-18, May.
    8. Liao, Liuwen & Long, Hualou & Gao, Xiaolu & Ma, Enpu, 2019. "Effects of land use transitions and rural aging on agricultural production in China’s farming area: A perspective from changing labor employing quantity in the planting industry," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Adnan, Nadia & Nordin, Shahrina Md & bin Abu Bakar, Zulqarnain, 2017. "Understanding and facilitating sustainable agricultural practice: A comprehensive analysis of adoption behaviour among Malaysian paddy farmers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 372-382.
    10. Faridi, Amir Ali & Kavoosi-Kalashami, Mohammad & Bilali, Hamid El, 2020. "Attitude components affecting adoption of soil and water conservation measures by paddy farmers in Rasht County, Northern Iran," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    11. Naresh K. Malhotra & Sung S. Kim & Ashutosh Patil, 2006. "Common Method Variance in IS Research: A Comparison of Alternative Approaches and a Reanalysis of Past Research," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(12), pages 1865-1883, December.
    12. Yadav, Rambalak, 2016. "Altruistic or egoistic: Which value promotes organic food consumption among young consumers? A study in the context of a developing nation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 92-97.
    13. Xie, Hualin & Huang, Yingqian, 2021. "Influencing factors of farmers' adoption of pro-environmental agricultural technologies in China: Meta-analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    14. Adnan, Nadia & Nordin, Shahrina Md & Ali, Murad, 2018. "A solution for the sunset industry: Adoption of Green Fertiliser Technology amongst Malaysian paddy farmers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 575-584.
    15. Roh, Minjung & Park, Kiwan, 2019. "Adoption of O2O food delivery services in South Korea: The moderating role of moral obligation in meal preparation," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 262-273.
    16. Daxini, Amar & Ryan, Mary & O’Donoghue, Cathal & Barnes, Andrew P., 2019. "Understanding farmers’ intentions to follow a nutrient management plan using the theory of planned behaviour," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 428-437.
    17. Hyland, John J. & Heanue, Kevin & McKillop, Jessica & Micha, Evgenia, 2018. "Factors influencing dairy farmers’ adoption of best management grazing practices," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 562-571.
    18. Naser Valizadeh & Masoud Bijani & Enayat Abbasi, 2021. "Farmers’ participatory-based water conservation behaviors: evidence from Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 4412-4432, March.
    19. Dong, Xuemei & Jiang, Baichen & Zeng, Hui & Kassoh, Fallah Samuel, 2022. "Impact of trust and knowledge in the food chain on motivation-behavior gap in green consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    20. Nong, Yixin & Yin, Changbin & Yi, Xiaoyan & Ren, Jing & Chien, Hsiaoping, 2021. "Smallholder farmer preferences for diversifying farming with cover crops of sustainable farm management: A discrete choice experiment in Northwest China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    21. Montaha Boazar & Abas Abdeshahi & Masoud Yazdanpanah, 2020. "Changing rice cropping patterns among farmers as a preventive policy to protect water resources," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 63(14), pages 2484-2500, December.
    22. Tan, Kun & Zhao, Xiaoqing & Pu, Junwei & Li, Sinan & Li, Yuhao & Miao, Peipei & Wang, Qian, 2021. "Zoning regulation and development model for water and land resources in the Karst Mountainous Region of Southwest China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    23. Liu, Yansui, 2018. "Introduction to land use and rural sustainability in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 1-4.
    24. Louise M. Hassan & Edward Shiu & Deirdre Shaw, 2016. "Who Says There is an Intention–Behaviour Gap? Assessing the Empirical Evidence of an Intention–Behaviour Gap in Ethical Consumption," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(2), pages 219-236, June.
    25. Xiao-qiang Jiao & Gang He & Zhen-ling Cui & Jian-bo Shen & Fu-suo Zhang, 2018. "Agri-environment policy for grain production in China: toward sustainable intensification," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 78-92, February.
    26. Jaap Sok & Joao Rossi Borges & Peter Schmidt & Icek Ajzen, 2021. "Farmer Behaviour as Reasoned Action: A Critical Review of Research with the Theory of Planned Behaviour," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 388-412, June.
    27. Mills, Jane & Gaskell, Peter & Ingram, Julie & Chaplin, Stephen, 2018. "Understanding farmers’ motivations for providing unsubsidised environmental benefits," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 697-707.
    28. Diendéré, Achille & Nguyen, Geneviève & Del Corso, Jean-Pierre & Kephaliacos, Charilaos, 2018. "Modeling the Relationship Between Pesticide Use and Farmers' Beliefs about Water Pollution in Burkina Faso," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 114-121.
    29. Peter, J Paul & Tarpey, Lawrence X, Sr, 1975. "A Comparative Analysis of Three Consumer Decision Strategies," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 2(1), pages 29-37, June.
    30. Bakker, L. & Sok, J. & van der Werf, W. & Bianchi, F.J.J.A., 2021. "Kicking the Habit: What Makes and Breaks Farmers' Intentions to Reduce Pesticide Use?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    31. Bayard, Budry & Jolly, Curtis, 2007. "Environmental behavior structure and socio-economic conditions of hillside farmers: A multiple-group structural equation modeling approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(3-4), pages 433-440, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bao, Haijun & Xu, Yueling & Zhang, Wenyu & Zhang, Shuai, 2020. "Has the monetary resettlement compensation policy hindered the two-way flow of resources between urban and rural areas?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. Chae, Myoung-Jin & Kim, Yanghee & Roh, Taewoo, 2024. "Consumers’ attention, experience, and action to organic consumption: The moderating role of anticipated pride and moral obligation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Daxini, Amar & Ryan, Mary & O’Donoghue, Cathal & Barnes, Andrew P., 2019. "Understanding farmers’ intentions to follow a nutrient management plan using the theory of planned behaviour," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 428-437.
    4. Raza, Syed Ali & Shah, Nida & Nisar, Wasay, 2019. "Consumer Buying Behavior of Organic Food with Respect to Health and Safety Concerns among Adolescents," MPRA Paper 93570, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Daxini, Amar & O’Donoghue, Cathal & Ryan, Mary & Buckley, Cathal & Barnes, Andrew P., 2018. "Factors influencing farmers' intentions to adopt nutrient management planning: accounting for heterogeneity," 166th Seminar, August 30-31, 2018, Galway, West of Ireland 276183, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Lijing Gao & J. Arbuckle, 2022. "Examining farmers’ adoption of nutrient management best management practices: a social cognitive framework," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 535-553, June.
    7. Dirk C. Moosmayer & Yanyan Chen & Susannah M. Davis, 2019. "Deeds Not Words: A Cosmopolitan Perspective on the Influences of Corporate Sustainability and NGO Engagement on the Adoption of Sustainable Products in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 135-154, August.
    8. Murat Okumah & Julia Martin-Ortega & Paula Novo & Pippa J. Chapman, 2020. "Revisiting the Determinants of Pro-Environmental Behaviour to Inform Land Management Policy: A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Model Application," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-33, April.
    9. Andrée Marie López-Fernández, 2020. "Price sensitivity versus ethical consumption: a study of Millennial utilitarian consumer behavior," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(2), pages 57-68, June.
    10. Md. Mahiuddin Sabbir & Khan Md Raziuddin Taufique, 2022. "Sustainable employee green behavior in the workplace: Integrating cognitive and non‐cognitive factors in corporate environmental policy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 110-128, January.
    11. Shah, Sayed Kifayat & Zhongjun, Tang, 2021. "Elaborating on the consumer’s intention–behavior gap regarding 5G technology: The moderating role of the product market-creation ability," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    12. Andrée Marie López-Fernández, 0. "Price sensitivity versus ethical consumption: a study of Millennial utilitarian consumer behavior," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-12.
    13. Qian, Chen & Shao, Liqun & Chen, Haibin, 2022. "Understanding herdsmen's rangeland rent-in behaviour under current rural land tenure system of China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    14. William Sun, 2020. "Toward a theory of ethical consumer intention formation: re-extending the theory of planned behavior," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 10(3), pages 260-278, December.
    15. Ting Zhang & Jia Li & Yan Wang, 2023. "Effects of Livelihood Capital on the Farmers’ Behavioral Intention of Rural Residential Land Development Right Transfer: Evidence from Wujin District, Changzhou City, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-16, June.
    16. Eunjung Lim & Shin Arita & Soonhee Joung, 2019. "Advancing Sustainable Consumption in Korea and Japan—From Re-Orientation of Consumer Behavior to Civic Actions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-22, November.
    17. Marie Schill & Delphine Godefroit-Winkel & Mbaye Fall Diallo & Camilla Barbarossa, 2019. "Consumers’ intentions to purchase smart home objects: Do environmental issues matter?," Post-Print hal-02091348, HAL.
    18. Mao, Hui & Zhou, Li & Ying, RuiYao & Pan, Dan, 2021. "Time Preferences and green agricultural technology adoption: Field evidence from rice farmers in China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    19. Riffat Ara Zannat Tama & Md Mahmudul Hoque & Ying Liu & Mohammad Jahangir Alam & Mark Yu, 2023. "An Application of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to Examining Farmers’ Behavioral Attitude and Intention towards Conservation Agriculture in Bangladesh," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, February.
    20. Li, Fuduo & Zhang, Kangjie & Ren, Jing & Yin, Changbin & Zhang, Yang & Nie, Jun, 2021. "Driving mechanism for farmers to adopt improved agricultural systems in China: The case of rice-green manure crops rotation system," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:129:y:2023:i:c:s0264837723000856. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.