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Explaining sustainable pest management practices with farmers’ preferences, personality and perceptions
Many factors affect farmers' decisions to adopt sustainable practices. Their perceptions about sustainable practices and their preferences (e.g.towards risk and time) are potential drivers. This thesis investigates the effect of personality, perceptions and preferences on adoption of sustainable practices.
Keywords: Pest management, perceptions, preferences, health and environment risks
Reducing pesticide risks is an important goal in Swiss agriculture. Grapevine growing is economically relevant in Switzerland however it is pesticide intensive due to high fungal pressure (de Baan et al. 2015). Sustainable practices which require less pesticides can be used to reduce risks (e.g. fungi-resistant varieties). One factor affecting farmers adoption of these practices is their perceptions (Dessart et al. 2019). For example, they may be more likely to adopt sustainable low/no pesticide practices if they perceive pesticides as more harmful to human health, the environment or soil quality. Additionally, their attitudes towards production (e.g. its effect on culture and how much control they feel they have on outcomes), risk and time can also affect their pest management decisions (e.g. Knapp et al. 2021). Pest management for fungi, weeds and insects are included in the data. The aim of thesis is to investigate how farmers perceptions and attitudes affect their pest management decisions.
Reducing pesticide risks is an important goal in Swiss agriculture. Grapevine growing is economically relevant in Switzerland however it is pesticide intensive due to high fungal pressure (de Baan et al. 2015). Sustainable practices which require less pesticides can be used to reduce risks (e.g. fungi-resistant varieties). One factor affecting farmers adoption of these practices is their perceptions (Dessart et al. 2019). For example, they may be more likely to adopt sustainable low/no pesticide practices if they perceive pesticides as more harmful to human health, the environment or soil quality. Additionally, their attitudes towards production (e.g. its effect on culture and how much control they feel they have on outcomes), risk and time can also affect their pest management decisions (e.g. Knapp et al. 2021). Pest management for fungi, weeds and insects are included in the data. The aim of thesis is to investigate how farmers perceptions and attitudes affect their pest management decisions.
To investigate the influence of farmers’ perceptions about pesticides (specifically perceptions for health, environment, soil and wine quality) on their pest management decisions.
This research will involve a literature review and econometric analysis of recently collected survey data from 436 Swiss grapevine growers in 2022.
**Literature**
de Baan, L., Spycher, S., Daniel, O., 2015. Einsatz von Pflanzenschutzmitteln in der Schweiz von 2009 bis 2012. Agrarforschung Schweiz 8.
Dessart, F. J., Barreiro-Hurlé, J., & van Bavel, R. (2019). Behavioural factors affecting the adoption of sustainable farming practices: a policy-oriented review. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 46(3), 417-471.2021
Knapp, L., Wuepper, D., Finger, R. (2021). Preferences, personality, aspirations, and farmer behavior. Agricultural Economics 52(6): 901-913
To investigate the influence of farmers’ perceptions about pesticides (specifically perceptions for health, environment, soil and wine quality) on their pest management decisions. This research will involve a literature review and econometric analysis of recently collected survey data from 436 Swiss grapevine growers in 2022.
**Literature** de Baan, L., Spycher, S., Daniel, O., 2015. Einsatz von Pflanzenschutzmitteln in der Schweiz von 2009 bis 2012. Agrarforschung Schweiz 8. Dessart, F. J., Barreiro-Hurlé, J., & van Bavel, R. (2019). Behavioural factors affecting the adoption of sustainable farming practices: a policy-oriented review. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 46(3), 417-471.2021 Knapp, L., Wuepper, D., Finger, R. (2021). Preferences, personality, aspirations, and farmer behavior. Agricultural Economics 52(6): 901-913
Chloe McCallum: cmccallum@ethz.ch Robert Finger: rofinger@ethz.ch
Chloe McCallum: cmccallum@ethz.ch Robert Finger: rofinger@ethz.ch