How Can Farmers’ Green Production Behavior Be Promoted? A Literature Review of Drivers and Incentives for Behavioral Change

The promotion of farmers’ green production behavior (GPB) to accelerate agricultural green development and food system transformation is a popular issue worldwide. Based on the representative literature from 2015 to October 2024, this study reviews the connotation and stage characteristics of farmers’ GPB. The current research focuses primarily on the primary industry, particularly agriculture, which is not in line with the global trend of agricultural and rural development; thus, it seems necessary to reiterate the connotation. The driving factors of farmers’ GPB are discussed at the individual, household, and external levels, and the relationships and effects of each group of factors in the literature are reviewed; future research should re-examine the formation mechanism from the perspective of industry integration and upgrading. This paper refers to the agricultural transformation practices of major economies worldwide and summarizes the policy implications in the literature concerning the promotion of farmers’ GPB. A multiagent incentive mechanism system is constructed from the perspectives of government-led, market-oriented, and social participation. Finally, based on the evolving trends in global agriculture and rural development, three potential research directions are proposed as follows: (i) broadening the research scope of farmers’ GPB from the perspective of industry integration; (ii) empowering farmers’ GPB through digital intelligence; and (iii) increasing farmers’ GPB and food security. This review is beneficial for better understanding farmers’ GPB and promoting it globally.