Psychological and structural drivers of farmers’ pro-environmental behavior toward integrated pest management adoption in high-pesticide contexts
- 1Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University
Abstract
Sustainable agriculture is increasingly critical for mitigating environmental degradation, reducing health risks, and ensuring long-term food security. In regions with intensive pesticide use, such as Fars province in Iran, promoting environmentally responsible practices such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors associated with farmers’ behavior. This study examines the individual, structural-economic, and socio-psychological determinants of pro-environmental behavior among summer crop farmers using an integrated framework combining the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), Farm Structure (FS), and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) models. Data were collected from 360 summer crop farmers through structured surveys. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.78–0.94; factor loadings > 0.6; AVE > 0.54; composite reliability > 0.70). Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the associations among constructs. The results indicate that attitude toward IPM, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and behavioral intention are positively associated with pro-environmental behavior, while perceived behavioral control and intention emerge as the most proximal correlates of behavior. Among innovation-related perceptions, observability, relative advantage, and compatibility are positively associated with attitudes, whereas perceived complexity is negatively associated with both attitudes and perceived behavioral control. Structural-economic factors, particularly agricultural income and farm size, showed significant associations with perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, DOI-related constructs exhibited mainly indirect associations with pro-environmental behavior through TPB mechanisms, highlighting the mediating role of psychological factors in the behavioral process. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing the visibility and perceived benefits of IPM practices, reducing implementation complexity, and strengthening farmers’ perceived capability to support sustainable agricultural behavior. The study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated and empirically tested associative model explaining farmers’ pro-environmental behavior in high-input agricultural systems and provides practical implications for policymakers and extension services aiming to promote sustainable farming practices.
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BibTeX
@article{eskandari2026psychological,
title = {{Psychological and structural drivers of farmers’ pro-environmental behavior toward integrated pest management adoption in high-pesticide contexts}},
author = {Ali Eskandari and Mahsa Fatemi and Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-61544-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61544-0},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Psychological and structural drivers of farmers’ pro-environmental behavior toward integrated pest management adoption in high-pesticide contexts
AU - Ali Eskandari
AU - Mahsa Fatemi
AU - Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-61544-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-61544-0
AB - Sustainable agriculture is increasingly critical for mitigating environmental degradation, reducing health risks, and ensuring long-term food security. In regions with intensive pesticide use, such as Fars province in Iran, promoting environmentally responsible practices such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors associated with farmers’ behavior. This study examines the individual, structural-economic, and socio-psychological determinants of pro-environmental behavior among summer crop farmers using an integrated framework combining the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), Farm Structure (FS), and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) models. Data were collected from 360 summer crop farmers through structured surveys. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.78–0.94; factor loadings > 0.6; AVE > 0.54; composite reliability > 0.70). Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the associations among constructs. The results indicate that attitude toward IPM, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and behavioral intention are positively associated with pro-environmental behavior, while perceived behavioral control and intention emerge as the most proximal correlates of behavior. Among innovation-related perceptions, observability, relative advantage, and compatibility are positively associated with attitudes, whereas perceived complexity is negatively associated with both attitudes and perceived behavioral control. Structural-economic factors, particularly agricultural income and farm size, showed significant associations with perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, DOI-related constructs exhibited mainly indirect associations with pro-environmental behavior through TPB mechanisms, highlighting the mediating role of psychological factors in the behavioral process. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing the visibility and perceived benefits of IPM practices, reducing implementation complexity, and strengthening farmers’ perceived capability to support sustainable agricultural behavior. The study contributes to the literature by offering an integrated and empirically tested associative model explaining farmers’ pro-environmental behavior in high-input agricultural systems and provides practical implications for policymakers and extension services aiming to promote sustainable farming practices.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -