Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2018, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (11): 988-996.doi: 10.11934/j.issn.1673-4831.2018.11.005

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Adoption of Green Production Technology: Can Family Economic Condition Arouse Farmers' Ecological Consciousness?

SHANG Yan1,2, YAN Ting-wu1,2, JIANG Xin1,2, ZHANG Tong-chao1,2, ZHANG Jun-biao1,2   

  1. 1. College of Economics & Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
    2. Hubei Rural Development Research Center, Wuhan 430070, China
  • Received:2017-12-29 Online:2018-11-25 Published:2018-11-21

Abstract:

As the main mode of sustainable agricultural development, green production is not only advocated by the government, but also the future guiding trend of cultivating. The progress and status of the sustainable development of agriculture depends on the consciousness of the households in cultivating in green ways. Based on the survey data of households in Hubei and Shandong provinces as well as the survey data of national farmers' cooperatives to analyze the influence of family economic conditions on households' ecological consciousness for adopting green production. The results show that family economic condition is an important factor that significantly influences households' ecological consciousness. Raising family economic situation is useful to improve households' consciousness to return crop straw back to the fields and to reduce pesticide use. However, households do not have enough ecological consciousness to reduce the chemical fertilizer input. It is necessary for households to change their traditional behaviors and to apply fertilizer more reasonably. Research results also reveal that farming duration, land acreage, number of family members, technical support and provincial differences also have effects on households' ecological consciousness to adopt green production practices. Therefore, the government should focus more on households' income diversification and strive to improve their economic conditions. On the basis of this, the government should also actively nurture new types of professional farmers and intensify research and development of new and practical agricultural machines according to local conditions so as to promote the formation and improvement of farmers' ecological consciousness.

Key words: economic condition, household, green production, ecological consciousness

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