IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v13y2023i7p1301-d1179303.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Do Pesticide Retailers’ Recommendations Aggravate Pesticide Overuse? Evidence from Rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Shengyang Sun

    (Department of Economics Teaching and Research, Party School of the Central Committee of C.P.C (National Academy of Governance), Beijing 100091, China)

  • Chao Zhang

    (School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 102488, China)

  • Ruifa Hu

    (Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Weifang 261325, China)

  • Jian Liu

    (Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies, 06120 Halle, Saale, Germany)

Abstract

In rural China, pesticide retailers are often accused of recommending farmers apply more pesticides than the scientifically recommended rate, while playing an important role in providing technical information regarding pesticide use to farmers. However, there is little empirical evidence on the relationship between pesticide retailers’ recommendations and farmers’ pesticide overuse. Using survey data from 1084 rice farmers in four provinces, this study utilized an endogenous switching probit model to examine the impact of pesticide retailers’ recommendations on the overuse of pesticides at the level of pest-control observation, accounting for potential self-selectivity bias. Results show that the proportion of pesticide overuse at the level of pest-control observation for controlling major pests, secondary pests, and weeds is 58.5, 55, and 40.6%, respectively. Pesticide retailers’ recommendations are found to increase the probability of pesticide overuse at the level of pest-control observation for controlling major pests, secondary pests, and weeds by 62.1, 59.3, and 58.3%, respectively. The robustness check using a conditional mixed process model provided consistent findings. Accordingly, this study proposes that more efforts should be made to provide additional technology training activities for pesticide retailers, strengthen regulations on pesticide retailers’ information recommendations, and further improve socialized agricultural technology services.

Suggested Citation

  • Shengyang Sun & Chao Zhang & Ruifa Hu & Jian Liu, 2023. "Do Pesticide Retailers’ Recommendations Aggravate Pesticide Overuse? Evidence from Rural China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:7:p:1301-:d:1179303
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/7/1301/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/7/1301/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Haile, Kaleab K. & Nillesen, Eleonora & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2020. "Impact of formal climate risk transfer mechanisms on risk-aversion: Empirical evidence from rural Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Li, Changsheng & Ma, Wanglin & Mishra, Ashok K. & Gao, Liangliang, 2020. "Access to credit and farmland rental market participation: Evidence from rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    3. David Roodman, 2011. "Fitting fully observed recursive mixed-process models with cmp," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 11(2), pages 159-206, June.
    4. Wanglin Ma & Hongyun Zheng, 2022. "Heterogeneous impacts of information technology adoption on pesticide and fertiliser expenditures: Evidence from wheat farmers in China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 66(1), pages 72-92, January.
    5. Dingqiang Sun & Michael Rickaille & Zhigang Xu, 2018. "Determinants and impacts of outsourcing pest and disease management," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(3), pages 443-461, August.
    6. Renwick, A. & Ma, W. & Nie, P. & Tang, J., 2018. "The Joint Effects of Off-farm Work and Smartphone Use on Household Income in Rural China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277304, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Ullah, Ayat & Arshad, Muhammad & Kächele, Harald & Khan, Ayesha & Mahmood, Nasir & Müller, Klaus, 2020. "Information asymmetry, input markets, adoption of innovations and agricultural land use in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    8. Alam, Shamma Adeeb & Wolff, Hendrik, 2016. "Do Pesticide Sellers Make Farmers Sick? Health, Information, and Adoption of Technology in Bangladesh," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 41(1), pages 1-34, January.
    9. Ayuya, Oscar I. & Gido, Eric O. & Bett, Hillary K. & Lagat, Job K. & Kahi, Alexander K. & Bauer, Siegfried, 2015. "Effect of Certified Organic Production Systems on Poverty among Smallholder Farmers: Empirical Evidence from Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 27-37.
    10. Zhu, Xiaoke & Hu, Ruifa & Zhang, Chao & Shi, Guanming, 2021. "Does Internet use improve technical efficiency? Evidence from apple production in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    11. Pan, Dan & Zhang, Ning & Kong, Fanbin, 2021. "Does it matter who gives information? The impact of information sources on farmers’ pesticide use in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    12. Hao, Jinghui & Bijman, Jos & Gardebroek, Cornelis & Heerink, Nico & Heijman, Wim & Huo, Xuexi, 2018. "Cooperative membership and farmers’ choice of marketing channels – Evidence from apple farmers in Shaanxi and Shandong Provinces, China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 53-64.
    13. Shiferaw, Bekele & Kassie, Menale & Jaleta, Moti & Yirga, Chilot, 2014. "Adoption of improved wheat varieties and impacts on household food security in Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 272-284.
    14. Chen, Ruijian & Huang, Jikun & Qiao, Fangbin, 2013. "Farmers' knowledge on pest management and pesticide use in Bt cotton production in china," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 15-24.
    15. Tang, Lin & Luo, Xiaofeng, 2021. "Can agricultural insurance encourage farmers to apply biological pesticides? Evidence from rural China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    16. Michael Lokshin & Zurab Sajaia, 2011. "Impact of interventions on discrete outcomes: Maximum likelihood estimation of the binary choice models with binary endogenous regressors," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 11(3), pages 368-385, September.
    17. Han, Sukjin & Vytlacil, Edward J., 2017. "Identification in a generalization of bivariate probit models with dummy endogenous regressors," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 199(1), pages 63-73.
    18. Liu, Elaine M. & Huang, JiKun, 2013. "Risk preferences and pesticide use by cotton farmers in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 202-215.
    19. Dasgupta, Susmita & Meisner, Craig & Huq, Mainul, 2005. "Health effects and pesticide perception as determinants of pesticide use : evidence from Bangladesh," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3776, The World Bank.
    20. Ma, Wanglin & Renwick, Alan & Nie, Peng & Tang, Jianjun & Cai, Rong, 2018. "Off-farm work, smartphone use and household income: Evidence from rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 80-94.
    21. Lingling Hou & Pengfei Liu & Jikun Huang & Xiangzheng Deng, 2020. "The influence of risk preferences, knowledge, land consolidation, and landscape diversification on pesticide use," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(5), pages 759-776, September.
    22. Sexton, Steven E. & Lei, Zhen & Zilberman, David, 2007. "The Economics of Pesticides and Pest Control," International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, now publishers, vol. 1(3), pages 271-326, September.
    23. Feng, Shuaizhang & Han, Yujie & Qiu, Huanguang, 2021. "Does crop insurance reduce pesticide usage? Evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Xin Tan & Guanghua Lin, 2024. "The Influence of Regional Specialization in Agriculture on Farmers’ Pest Control Behaviors Based on a Dual Examination of Control Strategies and Control Costs," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, November.

    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. Sun, Shengyang & Zhang, Chao & Hu, Ruifa & Liu, Jian, 2023. "Do pesticide retailers’ recommendations aggravate pesticide overuse? Evidence from rural China," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(7), pages 1-1.
    2. Cai, Rong & Ma, Jie & Wang, shujuan & Cai, Shukai, 2024. "Can crop insurance help optimize farmers’ decisions on pesticides use? Evidence from family farms in East China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    3. Wanglin Ma & Hongyun Zheng & Amaka Nnaji, 2023. "Cooperative membership and adoption of green pest control practices: Insights from rice farmers," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 67(3), pages 459-479, July.
    4. Min, Shi & Liu, Min & Huang, Jikun, 2020. "Does the application of ICTs facilitate rural economic transformation in China? Empirical evidence from the use of smartphones among farmers," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Shanshan Li & Shengyang Sun & Chao Zhang, 2024. "Internet-Based Information Acquisition, Technical Knowledge and Farmers’ Pesticide Use: Evidence from Rice Production in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Wanglin Ma & Huanguang Qiu & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2023. "Rural development in the digital age: Does information and communication technology adoption contribute to credit access and income growth in rural China?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1421-1444, August.
    7. Ma, Wanglin & Zheng, Hongyun, 2021. "Impacts of Smartphone Use on Agrochemical Use Among Wheat Farmers in China: A Heterogeneous Analysis," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 314991, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Nawab Khan & Ram L. Ray & Hazem S. Kassem & Farhat Ullah Khan & Muhammad Ihtisham & Shemei Zhang, 2022. "Does the Adoption of Mobile Internet Technology Promote Wheat Productivity? Evidence from Rural Farmers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Girma Gezimu Gebre & Yuichiro Amekawa & Asmiro Abeje Fikadu & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2023. "Do climate change adaptation strategies improve farmers’ food security in Tanzania?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(3), pages 629-647, June.
    10. Fang Wu & Xibao Guo & Xia Guo, 2023. "Cooperative membership and new technology adoption of family farms: Evidence from China," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(3), pages 719-739, September.
    11. Tang, Lin & Luo, Xiaofeng, 2021. "Can agricultural insurance encourage farmers to apply biological pesticides? Evidence from rural China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    12. Hina Amber & Bezawit Beyene Chichaibelu, 2023. "Narrowing the gender digital divide in Pakistan: Mobile phone ownership and female labor force participation," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1354-1382, August.
    13. Huma Neupane & Krishna P. Paudel & Qinying He, 2023. "Impact of cooperative membership on market performance of Nepali goat farmers," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 94(3), pages 805-830, September.
    14. Pan, Dan & Zhang, Ning & Kong, Fanbin, 2021. "Does it matter who gives information? The impact of information sources on farmers’ pesticide use in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. Lai, Wangyang, 2017. "Pesticide use and health outcomes: Evidence from agricultural water pollution in China," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 93-120.
    16. Chen, Juhui & Bai, Junfei & Van Trijp, Hans C.M., 2024. "Savior or Driver? Retailer recommendation and pesticide overuse," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343584, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Bhandari, Aarushi & Burroway, Rebekah, 2023. "Hold the phone! A cross-national analysis of Women's education, mobile phones, and HIV infections in low- and middle-income countries, 1990–2018," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    18. Carpentier, A. & Reboud, X., 2018. "Why farmers consider pesticides the ultimate in crop protection: economic and behavioral insights," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277528, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Wang, Chunchao & Zhang, Chenglei & Ni, Jinlan & Zhang, Haifeng & Zhang, Junsen, 2019. "Family migration in China: Do migrant children affect parental settlement intention?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 416-428.
    20. Fengwan Zhang & Xueling Bao & Xin Deng & Dingde Xu, 2022. "Rural Land Transfer in the Information Age: Can Internet Use Affect Farmers’ Land Transfer-In?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, October.

    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:7:p:1301-:d:1179303. 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.