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Pesticides: What you don’t know can hurt you

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  • Goeb, Joseph C.
  • Dillon, Andrew
  • Lupi, Frank
  • Tschirley, David

Abstract

Agricultural intensification can negatively affect farmer and social welfare through health and environmental externalities if producers have imperfect knowledge of the risks posed by agricultural inputs. This paper explores the effects of health-risk information on the demand for substitutes in the pesticides market and farmer preferences for risk-mitigating technologies using a choice experiment integrated with a randomized controlled trial in Zambia. Environmental health-risk information provided through a farmer training program had an insignificant effect on demand for risk-mitigating personal protective equipment but a significant effect on demand for substitutes, lower toxicity pesticides. The treatment group was twice as likely to substitute a highly toxic pesticide with a low toxicity pesticide after receiving training. What farmers do not know can hurt them and the environment through lower demand for less risky and less damaging substitutes.
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  • Goeb, Joseph C. & Dillon, Andrew & Lupi, Frank & Tschirley, David, 2017. "Pesticides: What you don’t know can hurt you," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258519, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea17:258519
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.258519
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    Cited by:

    1. Pengfei Liu & Xiaohui Tian, 2021. "Downward Hypothetical Bias in the Willingness to Accept Measure for Private Goods: Evidence from a Field Experiment," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(5), pages 1679-1699, October.
    2. Chelsea, Chelsea & Espinola-Arredondo, Ana, 2022. "Fungicide Resistance and Misinformation: A Game Theoretic Approach," Working Papers 2020-4, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, revised 06 Feb 2021.
    3. Chelsea A. Pardini & Ana Espínola‐Arredondo, 2023. "Fungicide resistance and misinformation: A game theoretic approach," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(2), pages 171-201, June.
    4. Tambo, Justice A. & Romney, Dannie & Mugambi, Idah & Mbugua, Fredrick & Bundi, Mary & Uzayisenga, Bellancile & Matimelo, Mathews & Ndhlovu, Mathias, 2021. "Can plant clinics enhance judicious use of pesticides? Evidence from Rwanda and Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    5. Pardini, Chelsea A. & Espinola-Arredondo, Ana, 2020. "Facing Fungicide Resistance in Grape Production: A Game Theoretic Approach," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304309, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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