Abstract
Encouraging and supporting family farms to embrace eco-friendly agricultural production methods can have a significant positive impact on sustainable agricultural development. This study analyzes data from 433 family farms across five Chinese provinces (Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan, and Sichuan) in 2022. Using an econometric model, it examines how non-agricultural management experience influences the adoption of specific eco-friendly practices within family farms. The results highlight the significance of off-farm management experience for farmers in determining the extent to which organic fertilizers are employed on family-owned farms. The role of farmers’ green cognition in mediating this relationship is shown to be partial. Additionally, other variables such as gender, educational level, years of farming experience, scale of land management, demonstration farm status, and agricultural insurance ownership can impact the use of organic fertilizers on family farms. In order to promote the application of organic fertilizers on family farms, it is crucial to support individuals with non-agricultural management experience in managing family farms, continually promote awareness of environmentally friendly practices, and optimize the resource allocation of family farms.
References
Adator, S. W., Wu, Q., Lambongang, M., Otoo, S. L., Bosah, C. P., & Nimako, K. O. (2023). Farmers’ perception of the impact of gold mining on shrinking agricultural land and their livelihood in the Asutifi-North District. Resources Policy, 81, 103379.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2023.103379
Adnan, N., Nordin, S. M., & Anwar, A. (2020). Transition pathways for Malaysian paddy farmers to sustainable agricultural practices: An integrated exhibiting tactics to adopt Green fertilizer. Land Use Policy, 90, 104255.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104255
Adnan, N., Nordin, S. M., Bahruddin, M. A., & Tareq, A. H. (2019). A state-of-the-art review on facilitating sustainable agriculture through green fertilizer technology adoption: Assessing farmers behavior. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 86, 439–452.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2019.02.040
Benyam, A., Soma, T., & Fraser, E. (2021). Digital agricultural technologies for food loss and waste prevention and reduction: Global trends, adoption opportunities and barriers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 323, 129099.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129099
Bhatt, A., & John, J. (2023). Including farmers’ welfare in a government-led sector transition: The case of Sikkim’s shift to organic agriculture. Journal of Cleaner Production, 411, 137207.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137207
Chen, Y., Fu, X., & Liu, Y. (2022). Effect of farmland scale on farmers’ application behavior with organic fertilizer. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 4967.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19094967
Chen, Z., Meng, Q., Yan, K., & Xu, R. (2022). The analysis of family farm efficiency and its influencing factors: Evidence from rural China. Land, 11(4), 487. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11040487
Cheng, Z., Wang, L., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Does smart city policy promote urban green and low-carbon development? Journal of Cleaner Production, 379, 134780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134780
Cui, Y., Khan, S. U., Sauer, J., & Zhao, M. (2022). Exploring the spatiotemporal heterogeneity and influencing factors of agricultural carbon footprint and carbon footprint intensity: Embodying carbon sink effect. Science of The Total Environment, 846, 157507.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157507
de Moraes Sá, J. C., Lal, R., Cerri, C. C., Lorenz, K., Hungria, M., & de Faccio Carvalho, P. C. (2017). Low-carbon agriculture in South America to mitigate global climate change and advance food security. Environment International, 98, 102–112.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2016.10.020
Diallo, T., & Abay, C. (2024). Malian farmers’ perception of sustainable agriculture: A case of southern Mali farmers. Agricultural & Rural Studies, 2(4), 0019. https://doi.org/10.59978/ar02040019
Dou, X. (2018). Low carbon agriculture and GHG emission reduction in China: An analysis of policy perspective. Theoretical Economics Letters, 8(3), 538–556. https://doi.org/10.4236/tel.2018.83038
Durán-Lara, E. F., Valderrama, A., & Marican, A. (2020). Natural organic compounds for application in organic farming. Agriculture, 10(2), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture10020041
Elahi, E., Zhang, H., Lirong, X., Khalid, Z., & Xu, H. (2021). Understanding cognitive and socio-psychological factors determining farmers’ intentions to use improved grassland: Implications of land use policy for sustainable pasture production. Land Use Policy, 102, 105250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105250
Furtak, K., & Wolińska, A. (2023). The impact of extreme weather events as a consequence of climate change on the soil moisture and on the quality of the soil environment and agriculture–A review. Catena, 231, 107378.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107378
Gao, Y., Liu, B., Yu, L., Yang, H., & Yin, S. (2019). Social capital, land tenure and the adoption of green control techniques by family farms: Evidence from Shandong and Henan Provinces of China. Land Use Policy, 89, 104250.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104250
Gao, Y., Zhao, D., Yu, L., & Yang, H. (2020). Influence of a new agricultural technology extension mode on farmers’ technology adoption behavior in China. Journal of Rural Studies, 76, 173–183.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.04.016
Geels, F. W. (2022). Conflicts between economic and low-carbon reorientation processes: Insights from a contextual analysis of evolving company strategies in the United Kingdom petrochemical industry (1970–2021). Energy Research & Social Science, 91, 102729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102729
Gholamrezai, S., Aliabadi, V., & Ataei, P. (2021). Understanding the pro-environmental behavior among green poultry farmers: Application of behavioral theories. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23, 16100–16118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01331-1
Holka, M., Kowalska, J., & Jakubowska, M. (2022). Reducing carbon footprint of agriculture—Can organic farming help to mitigate climate change? Agriculture, 12(9), 1383. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091383
Huang, X., Xu, X., Wang, Q., Zhang, L., Gao, X., & Chen, L. (2019). Assessment of agricultural carbon emissions and their spatiotemporal changes in China, 1997–2016. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(17), 3105. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173105
Hu, G., Wang, J., Fahad, S., & Li, J. (2023). Influencing factors of farmers’ land transfer, subjective well-being, and participation in agri-environment schemes in environmentally fragile areas of China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 4448–4461.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22537-4
Johnstone, P., Rogge, K. S., Kivimaa, P., Fratini, C. F., & Primmer, E. (2021). Exploring the re-emergence of industrial policy: Perceptions regarding low-carbon energy transitions in Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark. Energy Research & Social Science, 74, 101889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101889
Ke, C., & Huang, S.-Z. (2023). The effect of environmental regulation and green subsidies on agricultural low-carbon production behavior: A survey of new agricultural management entities in Guangdong Province. Environmental Research, 242, 117768.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.117768
Lee, C.-C., Feng, Y., & Peng, D. (2022). A green path towards sustainable development: The impact of low-carbon city pilot on energy transition. Energy Economics, 115, 106343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2022.106343
Lei, S., Qiao, Q., Gao, X., Feng, J., Wen, Y., & Han, Y. (2023). Ecological awareness, policy perception, and green production behaviors of farmers living in or near protected areas. Forests, 14(7), 1339. https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071339
Li, B., & Shen, Y. (2021). Effects of land transfer quality on the application of organic fertilizer by large-scale farmers in China. Land Use Policy, 100, 105124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105124
Li, C., Li, X., & Jia, W. (2022). Non-farm employment experience, risk preferences, and low-carbon agricultural technology adoption: Evidence from 1843 grain farmers in 14 provinces in China. Agriculture, 13(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010024
Li, C., Shi, Y., Khan, S. U., & Zhao, M. (2021). Research on the impact of agricultural green production on farmers’ technical efficiency: Evidence from China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 38535–38551.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13417-4
Li, H., Liu, H., Chang, W.-Y., & Wang, C. (2023a). Factors affecting farmers’ environment-friendly fertilization behavior in China: Synthesizing the evidence using meta-analysis. Agriculture, 13(1), 150.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010150
Li, H., Wang, C., Chang, W.-Y., & Liu, H. (2023b). Factors affecting Chinese farmers’ environment-friendly pesticide application behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 409, 137277.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137277
Li, X., Cifuentes-Faura, J., & Tan, Y. (2023). Analyzing the low carbon and pro-environment behavior of agricultural enterprises based on organizational commitment and role models’ guidance. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-31302-0
Li, X., Liu, J., Liu, D., Fu, Q., Li, M., Faiz, M. A., Ali, S., Li, T., Cui, S., & Khan, M. I. (2021). Measurement and analysis of regional agricultural water and soil resource composite system harmony with an improved random forest model based on a dragonfly algorithm. Journal of Cleaner Production, 305, 127217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127217
Liu, M., & Liu, H. (2024). Farmers’ adoption of agriculture green production technologies: Perceived value or policy-driven? Heliyon, 10(1), e23925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23925
Liu, P., Teng, M., & Han, C. (2020). How does environmental knowledge translate into pro-environmental behaviors?: The mediating role of environmental attitudes and behavioral intentions. Science of the Total Environment, 728, 138126.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138126
Liu, Y., Sun, D., Wang, H., Wang, X., Yu, G., & Zhao, X. (2020). An evaluation of China’s agricultural green production: 1978–2017. Journal of Cleaner Production, 243, 118483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118483
Lu, H. (2019). Impact of non-agricultural employment and environmental awareness on farmers’ willingness to govern the heavy metal pollution of farmland: A case study of China. Sustainability, 11(7), 2068. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11072068
Miao, X., Li, Z., Wang, M., Mei, J., & Chen, J. (2023). Measurement of cultivated land ecosystem resilience in black soil region of northeast China under the background of cultivated land protection policy in China: Case study of Qiqihar City. Journal of Cleaner Production, 434, 140141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140141
Mora, C., McKenzie, T., Gaw, I. M., Dean, J. M., von Hammerstein, H., Knudson, T. A., Setter, R. O., Smith, C. Z., Webster, K. M., Patz, J. A., & Franklin, E. C. (2022). Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change. Nature Climate Change, 12, 869–875. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01426-1
Northrup, D. L., Basso, B., Wang, M. Q., Morgan, C. L. S., & Benfey, P. N. (2021). Novel technologies for emission reduction complement conservation agriculture to achieve negative emissions from row-crop production. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(28), e2022666118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022666118
Ogiemwonyi, O., Alam, M. N., Alshareef, R., Alsolamy, M., Azizan, N. A., & Mat, N. (2023). Environmental factors affecting green purchase behaviors of the consumers: Mediating role of environmental attitude. Cleaner Environmental Systems, 10, 100130.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2023.100130
Qi, X., Liang, F., Yuan, W., Zhang, T., & Li, J. (2021). Factors influencing farmers’ adoption of eco-friendly fertilization technology in grain production: An integrated spatial–econometric analysis in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 310, 127536.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127536
Qiao, D., Li, N., Cao, L., Zhang, D., Zheng, Y., & Xu, T. (2022). How agricultural extension services improve farmers’ organic fertilizer use in China? The perspective of neighborhood effect and ecological cognition. Sustainability, 14(12), 7166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127166
Rana, S., Halim, M. A., Mohiuddin, M., Rahman, M. S., & Rana, M. M. (2024). Role of farmer information and advice center in technology transfer and farm business development of smallholder farmers: Insights from Bangladesh. Agricultural & Rural Studies, 2(1), 0001. https://doi.org/10.59978/ar02010001
Ren, C., Liu, S., van Grinsven, H., Reis, S., Jin, S., Liu, H., & Gu, B. (2019). The impact of farm size on agricultural sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 220, 357–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.151
Sarkar, A., Wang, H., Rahman, A., Qian, L., & Memon, W. H. (2022). Evaluating the roles of the farmer’s cooperative for fostering environmentally friendly production technologies-a case of kiwi-fruit farmers in Meixian, China. Journal of Environmental Management, 301, 113858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113858
Sarkar, S., Skalicky, M., Hossain, A., Brestic, M., Saha, S., Garai, S., Ray, K., & Brahmachari, K. (2020). Management of crop residues for improving input use efficiency and agricultural sustainability. Sustainability, 12(23), 9808.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239808
Serebrennikov, D., Thorne, F., Kallas, Z., McCarthy, S. N. (2020). Factors influencing adoption of sustainable farming practices in Europe: A systemic review of empirical literature. Sustainability, 12(22), 9719. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229719
Shah, F., & Wu, W. (2019). Soil and crop management strategies to ensure higher crop productivity within sustainable environments. Sustainability, 11(5), 1485. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051485
Shang, L., Heckelei, T., Gerullis, M. K., Börner, J., & Rasch, S. (2021). Adoption and diffusion of digital farming technologies-integrating farm-level evidence and system interaction. Agricultural Systems, 190, 103074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2021.103074
Slijper, T., Tensi, A. F., Ang, F., Ali, B. M., & van der Fels-Klerx, H. J. (2023). Investigating the relationship between knowledge and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices: The case of Dutch arable farmers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 417, 138011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138011
Song, M., Xie, Q., & Shen, Z. (2021). Impact of green credit on high-efficiency utilization of energy in China considering environmental constraints. Energy Policy, 153, 112267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112267
Sun, X., Lyu, J., & Ge, C. (2022). Knowledge and farmers’ adoption of green production technologies: An empirical study on IPM adoption intention in major Indica-rice-producing areas in the Anhui Province of China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14292. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114292
Tian, H., Zhang, J., & Li, J. (2020). The relationship between pro-environmental attitude and employee green behavior: The role of motivational states and green work climate perceptions. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 7341–7352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07393-z
Tong, S., Bambrick, H., Beggs, P. J., Chen, L., Hu, Y., Ma, W., Steffen, W., & Tan, J. (2022). Current and future threats to human health in the Anthropocene. Environment International, 158, 106892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106892
Wang, H., Zhong, S., Guo, J., & Fu, Y. (2021). Factors affecting green agricultural production financing behavior in Heilongjiang family farms: A structural equation modeling approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.692140
Wang, L., Hu, Y., & Kong, R. (2023). The impact of bancassurance interaction on the adoption behavior of green production technology in family farms: Evidence from China. Land, 12(5), 941. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050941
Xie, H., & Huang, Y. (2021). Influencing factors of farmers’ adoption of pro-environmental agricultural technologies in China: Meta-analysis. Land Use Policy, 109, 105622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105622
Yang, H., Wang, X., & Bin, P. (2022). Agriculture carbon-emission reduction and changing factors behind agricultural eco-efficiency growth in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 334, 130193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.130193
Yazdanpanah, M., Moghadam, M. T., Zobeidi, T., Turetta, A. P. D., Eufemia, L., & Sieber, S. (2022). What factors contribute to conversion to organic farming? Consideration of the Health Belief Model in relation to the uptake of organic farming by Iranian farmers. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 65(5), 907–929. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2021.1917348
Yeleliere, E., Antwi-Agyei, P., & Guodaar, L. (2023). Farmers response to climate variability and change in rainfed farming systems: Insight from lived experiences of farmers. Heliyon, 9(9), e19656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19656
Yu, L., Chen, C., Niu, Z., Gao, Y., Yang, H., & Xue, Z. (2021a). Risk aversion, cooperative membership and the adoption of green control techniques: Evidence from China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 279, 123288.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123288
Yu, L., Nilsson, J., Li, Y., & Guo, M. (2023). Cooperative membership and farmers’ environment-friendly practices: Evidence from Fujian, China. Heliyon, 9(10), e20819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20819
Yu, L., Zhao, D., Gao, Y., Yang, H., Xu, W., & Zhao, K. (2021b). Spatial dependence of family farms’ adoption behavior of green control techniques in China. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 45(5), 767–789.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2020.1841707
Yu, L., Zhao, D., Xue, Z., & Gao, Y. (2020). Research on the use of digital finance and the adoption of green control techniques by family farms in China. Technology in Society, 62, 101323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101323
Yuan, J., Li, X., Sun, Z., & Ruan, J. (2021). Will the adoption of early fertigation techniques hinder famers’ technology renewal? Evidence from fresh growers in Shaanxi, China. Agriculture, 11(10), 913. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture11100913
Zhang, L., Li, X., Yu, J., & Yao, X. (2018). Toward cleaner production: What drives farmers to adopt eco-friendly agricultural production? Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 550–558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.272
Zheng, S., Yin, K., & Yu, L. (2022). Factors influencing the farmer’s chemical fertilizer reduction behavior from the perspective of farmer differentiation. Heliyon, 8(12), e11918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11918
Zheng, Y., & Zhuang, G. (2021). Systemic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands: Theoretical framework and approaches. Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies, 9(4), 2150021. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2345748121500214
Zhong, S., Li, J., Chen, X., & Wen, H. (2021). Research on the green total factor productivity of laying hens in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 315, 128150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128150
Zhou, X., & Ding, D. (2022). Factors influencing farmers’ willingness and behaviors in organic agriculture development: An empirical analysis based on survey data of farmers in Anhui Province. Sustainability, 14(22), 14945. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214945
Zhou, Z., Zhang, Y., & Yan, Z. (2022). Will digital financial inclusion increase Chinese farmers’ willingness to adopt agricultural technology? Agriculture, 12(10), 1514. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101514

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jia Yue, Siyao Chen, Qiang Liu, Zhixiong Weng
