Predicting the intention of Iranian farmers to safely use Municipal effluent on the farm: an extended model of the theory of planned behavior

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Unlimited use of limited quality Municipal effluent on the farm endangers the health of farmers and consumers of Products irrigated with Municipal effluent. Pollution will be minimized if farmers implement parameters related to the safe use of Municipal effluent, such as the cultivation pattern appropriate to the quality of the effluent, the use of appropriate irrigation methods and the distance between the last irrigation and the effluent to harvest. Therefore, the main idea of this study is to determine the factors affecting the safe use of Municipal effluent on the farm by Iranian farmers. In this regard, the broad theory of planned behavior (TPB) with the addition of risk perception (RP) and knowledge (Kn) as the theoretical framework of the study has been used. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that three sub-components of the main TPB model namely Attitude (Att), Mental Norm (SN) and Perceived Behavior Control (PBC) were statistically significant positive relationships with farmers' Intention of farmers to participate in the safe use of Municipal effluent. In addition, after including the two variables of perception of risk and knowledge as predictors of intent in the developed model of the theory of planned behavior, the predictive power of the model increased. Also, the most important variable in the main TPB model was perceived behavior control, but in the developed TPB model, knowledge was the most important. Therefore, policymakers can promote safe behaviors in the use of Municipal effluent on the farm by emphasizing farmers' knowledge.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Extended Abstract

Introduction

In many countries, especially developing countries, due to water shortages, the use of Municipal effluent on agricultural farms has increased dramatically. However, due to the high costs of municipal wastewater treatment, the produced effluent is not of high quality, while the unlimited use of limited quality municipal effluents on the farm endangers the health of farmers and Consumers of products irrigated with Municipal effluent. Pollution can be minimized if farmers implement parameters related to the safe use of Municipal effluent, such as the cultivation pattern appropriate to the quality of the effluent, the use of appropriate irrigation methods and the distance between the last irrigation and the effluent to harvest. Therefore, the main idea of this study is to determine the factors affecting the safe use of Municipal effluent on the farm by Iranian farmers.

 

Materials and Methods

In order to analyze the data, structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart Pls and excel software was used. Structural equation modeling is a powerful set of multivariate analysis techniques that determine the relationships between variables using measurement model and structural model. The measurement model examines the relationships between hidden variables and observed variables. The measurement model examines the relationships between latent variable and observed variables. While the structural model evaluates the relationships between latent variables Which allows testing statistical hypotheses for study.

 

Results and Discussion

The results of structural equation model (SEM) analysis showed that the main components of the theory of planned behavior had a positive and significant effect on farmers' intention to use Municipal effluent safely on the farm. Also, the results of the extended planned behavior theory showed that by adding risk perception and knowledge, the predictive power of the model about farmers' behavioral intent to use Municipal effluent safely increases. In other words, in addition to the variables of attitude, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms, the two variables of risk perception and knowledge can be the main variables predicting responsible behaviors in the safe use of wastewater. Therefore, highlighting the  farmers' risk  perception and knowledge can greatly reduce the negative effects of Municipal effluent use on the farm.

 

Suggestion

Based on the findings, given the importance of knowledge, this study suggests that providers of short training courses should increase the content related to the safe use of Municipal effluent. Therefore, it is necessary to hold meetings and educational-promotional courses related to the safe use of effluent on the farm and to encourage farmers to participate in these courses. In Iran, for example, such content can be taught to farmers through government-sponsored agricultural extension centers.

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Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Volume 54, Issue 3
September 2023
Pages 681-699

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