IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v13y2023i1p150-d1027712.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors Affecting Farmers’ Environment-Friendly Fertilization Behavior in China: Synthesizing the Evidence Using Meta-Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Hao Li

    (School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Huina Liu

    (School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Wei-Yew Chang

    (School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

  • Chun Wang

    (School of Economics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China)

Abstract

Excess fertilization is a major cause of agricultural environmental pollution. However, different studies attribute farmers’ fertilization behavior to different factors, hindering theoretical and empirical development. Using a meta-analysis of 64 empirical studies on Chinese farmers’ fertilization behavior, this study first systematically collects, combines, and analyzes the existing studies to identify the key influencing factors that may affect farmers’ environment-friendly fertilization behavior (FEFB) in China. A meta-regression analysis is further applied to explore how the effects of the factors identified have changed over time. The results showed that the key factors include gender, health status, risk attitude, family size, farm size, environmental concern, social norms, cadre status, and policy propaganda. Over time, the influence of family size, environmental concern, cadre status, and policy propaganda is stable; the influence of social norms gradually strengthens; and the influence of risk attitude weakens. Although household income and the proportion of agricultural income have no significant effect, their influence gradually increases and changes positively and significantly over time; hence, they may become important factors in the future. Our results provide important policy implications for policymakers and agricultural managers to develop appropriate strategies to reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Hao Li & Huina Liu & Wei-Yew Chang & Chun Wang, 2023. "Factors Affecting Farmers’ Environment-Friendly Fertilization Behavior in China: Synthesizing the Evidence Using Meta-Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:1:p:150-:d:1027712
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/1/150/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/1/150/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Junqian Wu & Xin Wen & Xiulin Qi & Shile Fang & Chenxi Xu, 2021. "More Land, Less Pollution? How Land Transfer Affects Fertilizer Application," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Wakeyo, Mekonnen B. & Gardebroek, Cornelis, 2013. "Does water harvesting induce fertilizer use among smallholders? Evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 54-63.
    3. Gong, Maogang & Elahi, Ehsan, 2022. "A nexus between farmland rights, and access, demand, and amount of agricultural loan under the socialist system of China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    4. Wenfeng Zhou & Chen Qing & Shili Guo & Jia He & Xin Deng & Jiahao Song & Dingde Xu, 2022. "Labor Off-Farm Employment and Farmers’ Cooking Clean Energy Use: Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, July.
    5. Zhang, Yingnan & Long, Hualou & Li, Yurui & Ge, Dazhuan & Tu, Shuangshuang, 2020. "How does off-farm work affect chemical fertilizer application? Evidence from China’s mountainous and plain areas," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    6. Manda, Julius & Khonje, Makaiko G. & Alene, Arega D. & Tufa, Adane H & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Mutenje, Munyaradzi & Setimela, Peter & Manyong, Victor, 2020. "Does cooperative membership increase and accelerate agricultural technology adoption? Empirical evidence from Zambia," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    7. Lihua Ma & Jiupai Ni & Luuk Fleskens & Han Wang & Yunqing Xuan, 2021. "Modelling Fertilizer Use in Relation to Farmers’ Household Characteristics in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, May.
    8. HU, Ruifa & YANG, Zhijian & KELLY, Peter & HUANG, Jikun, 2009. "Agricultural extension system reform and agent time allocation in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 303-315, June.
    9. Wanglin Ma & Awudu Abdulai & Chunbo Ma, 2018. "The effects of off†farm work on fertilizer and pesticide expenditures in China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 573-591, May.
    10. Li, Linfei & Khan, Sufyan Ullah & Guo, Chenhao & Huang, Yanfen & Xia, Xianli, 2022. "Non-agricultural labor transfer, factor allocation and farmland yield: Evidence from the part-time peasants in Loess Plateau region of Northwest China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    11. Qingqing Yang & Yanhui Gao & Xinjun Yang & Jian Zhang, 2022. "Rural Transformation Driven by Households’ Adaptation to Climate, Policy, Market, and Urbanization: Perspectives from Livelihoods–Land Use on Chinese Loess Plateau," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-23, July.
    12. Gang Cui & Zhicheng Liu, 2022. "The Impact of Environmental Regulations and Social Norms on Farmers’ Chemical Fertilizer Reduction Behaviors: An Investigation of Citrus Farmers in Southern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, July.
    13. Liang Chi & Shuqing Han & Meili Huan & Yajuan Li & Jifang Liu, 2022. "Land Fragmentation, Technology Adoption and Chemical Fertilizer Application: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-17, July.
    14. Dhruv Grewal & Nancy Puccinelli & Kent B. Monroe, 2018. "Meta-analysis: integrating accumulated knowledge," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 46(1), pages 9-30, January.
    15. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman & Jeffry D. Connor, 2022. "Impact of Agricultural Extension Services on Fertilizer Use and Farmers’ Welfare: Evidence from Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-16, July.
    16. Chitra Pandey & Hema Diwan, 2021. "Assessing fertilizer use behaviour for environmental management and sustainability: a quantitative study in agriculturally intensive regions of Uttar Pradesh, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(4), pages 5822-5845, April.
    17. Ruixin Zhang & Lei Luo & Yuying Liu & Xinhong Fu, 2022. "Impact of Labor Migration on Chemical Fertilizer Application of Citrus Growers: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-14, June.
    18. Xuesong Zhan & Chaofeng Shao & Rong He & Rongguang Shi, 2021. "Evolution and Efficiency Assessment of Pesticide and Fertiliser Inputs to Cultivated Land in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-21, April.
    19. Shao, Shuai & Li, Baoli & Fan, Meiting & Yang, Lili, 2021. "How does labor transfer affect environmental pollution in rural China? Evidence from a survey," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    20. Catherine Ragasa & Antony Chapoto, 2017. "Moving in the right direction? The role of price subsidies in fertilizer use and maize productivity in Ghana," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(2), pages 329-353, April.
    21. Wang, Xiaobing & Huang, Jikun & Zhang, Linxiu & Rozelle, Scott, 2011. "The rise of migration and the fall of self employment in rural China's labor market," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 573-584.
    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. Lin, Yang & Hu, Ruifa & Zhang, Chao & Chen, Kevin, 2022. "The role of public agricultural extension services in driving fertilizer use in rice production in China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    2. Sha Feng & Dandan Fu & Xinru Han & Xiudong Wang, 2022. "Impacts of the Extension of Cassava Soil Conservation and Efficient Technology on the Reduction of Chemical Fertilizer Input in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-13, November.
    3. Junxia Zeng & Dengwang Li & Cuiping Ma & Bin Wang & Liangliang Gao, 2022. "The Impact of Different Uses of the Internet on Farmers′ Adoption of Soil Testing and Formulated Fertilization Technology in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Jin Zhang & Günther Manske & Pi Qi Zhou & Bernhard Tischbein & Mathias Becker & Zhao Hua Li, 2017. "Factors influencing farmers’ decisions on nitrogen fertilizer application in the Liangzihu Lake basin, Central China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 791-805, June.
    5. Ma, Wanglin & Vatsa, Puneet & Zheng, Hongyun & Rahut, Dil Bahadur, 2022. "Nonfarm employment and consumption diversification in rural China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 582-598.
    6. Ruishi Si & Yumeng Yao & Xueqian Zhang & Qian Lu & Noshaba Aziz, 2022. "Exploring the Role of Contiguous Farmland Cultivation and Adoption of No-Tillage Technology in Improving Transferees’ Income Structure: Evidence from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-25, April.
    7. Wenhao Song & Chunhui Ye, 2022. "Impact of the Cultivated-Land-Management Scale on Fertilizer Reduction—Empirical Evidence from the Countryside of China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, July.
    8. Xinhui Peng & Xiaohuan Yan & Hongmei Wang, 2024. "Study on the Effect of Digital Technology Adoption and Farmers’ Cognition on Fertilizer Reduction and Efficiency Improvement Behavior," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, June.
    9. Manda, Julius & Feleke, Shiferaw & Mutungi, Christopher & Tufa, Adane H. & Mateete, Bekunda & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Alene, Arega D., 2024. "Assessing the speed of improved postharvest technology adoption in Tanzania: The role of social learning and agricultural extension services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    10. Shixiong Song & Siyuan Zhao & Ye Zhang & Yongxi Ma, 2023. "Carbon Emissions from Agricultural Inputs in China over the Past Three Decades," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-12, April.
    11. Akpalu, Wisdom & Vondolia, Godwin K. & Adom, Phillip K. & Peprah, Dorcas Asaah, 2023. "Passive Participation in Illegal Fishing and the Welfare of Fishmongers in a Developing Country," EfD Discussion Paper 23-9, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    12. Liyan Yu & Jerker Nilsson & Feng Zhan & Song Cheng, 2023. "Social Capital in Cooperative Memberships and Farmers’ Access to Bank Credit–Evidence from Fujian, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, February.
    13. Weber, Daniela, 2011. "Agri-environmental attitudes of Chinese farmers – The impact of social and cognitive determinants," 85th Annual Conference, April 18-20, 2011, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 108964, Agricultural Economics Society.
    14. Zhongen Niu & Huimin Yan & Fang Liu, 2020. "Decreasing Cropping Intensity Dominated the Negative Trend of Cropland Productivity in Southern China in 2000–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-14, December.
    15. Ashkan Faramarzi & Stefan Worm & Wolfgang Ulaga, 2024. "Service strategy’s effect on firm performance: A meta-analysis of the servitization literature," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1018-1044, July.
    16. Jiamin Liu & Xiaoyu Ma & Bin Zhao & Qi Cui & Sisi Zhang & Jiaoning Zhang, 2023. "Mandatory Environmental Regulation, Enterprise Labor Demand and Green Innovation Transformation: A Quasi-Experiment from China’s New Environmental Protection Law," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-31, July.
    17. Lili Guo & Yuting Song & Mengqian Tang & Jinyang Tang & Bright Senyo Dogbe & Mengying Su & Houjian Li, 2022. "Assessing the Relationship among Land Transfer, Fertilizer Usage, and PM 2.5 Pollution: Evidence from Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-18, July.
    18. Sylvie Démurger & Li Shi, 2012. "Migration, Remittances and Rural Employment Patterns : Evidence from China," Working Papers 1230, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    19. Xuezhen Xu & Fang Wang & Tao Xu & Sufyan Ullah Khan, 2023. "How Does Capital Endowment Impact Farmers’ Green Production Behavior? Perspectives on Ecological Cognition and Environmental Regulation," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-27, August.
    20. Li, Daiyue & Jin, Yanhong & Cheng, Mingwang, 2024. "Unleashing the power of industrial robotics on firm productivity: Evidence from China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 224(C), pages 500-520.

    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:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:1:p:150-:d:1027712. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.