Efficacy of Social Networks in Promoting the Green Production Behaviors of Chinese Farmers: An Empirical Study

The green production practices of farmers are essential for sustainable agricultural development. However, studies have mostly overlooked the social factors affecting farmers’ decisions regarding green production behaviors (GPB). Furthermore, the pathways and mechanisms through which social networks modify these behaviors have not been fully validated. Therefore, by examining 1203 farmers from China’s main grain-producing regions, this study aims to empirically investigate both the direct and indirect impacts of social networks on farmers’ GPB, thereby furthering relevant research. First, family social networks in rural areas markedly enhanced farmer engagement in GPB. After assessing the endogeneity issues associated with farmers’ self-selection behaviors using propensity score matching, this effect was found to substantially persist. Analysis of the indirect impact revealed that social networks primarily facilitated farmers’ adoption of green production through channels such as information acquisition, interactive learning, and service support. Second, heterogeneity analyses based on generational differences and crop types demonstrated a distinct, promotional impact of social networks on both “middle-generation” and “older-generation” farmers. Moreover, a comparison between grain crop farmers and cash crop farmers determined the more substantial influence of social networks on encouraging grain crop farmer GPB. Overall, this study emphasizes that rural China’s social networks, especially clan-based ones, can successfully nurture agricultural sustainability by accelerating the propagation of green technologies while offering suitable environments for elderly farmers to “learn by observing” and “learn by doing”. Relevant departments should pay attention to and make full use of farmers’ social network relations in the process of promoting farmers’ adoption of green production behavior and further promoting the green development of agriculture.