Abstract
To accelerate green development and promote harmonious coexistence between man and nature, China has vigorously promoted investment in green food production. In China, farmers are the core unit of grain production, and China's green food production is inseparable from the strong support of farmers. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the structural equation model and multi-group comparative analysis method were used to investigate the investment intention of 435 farmers in green grain production in Zhengzhou, Zhoukou, and Shangqiu, Henan Province, from the perspective of farmers' micro- and psychological levels. The results show that attitude and perceived behavioral control among farmers can significantly boost their intention to invest in green production through two different channels. Subjective norms, on the other hand, only indirectly affect farmers' intentions to make such an investment. At the same time, through multi-group comparative analysis, the study also verified that different variables such as gender, age, educational background, and family labor force have different degrees of influence on different hypothetical paths. Therefore, this study provides suggestions for sustainable green production investment development and has certain guiding significance for the follow-up work of government departments, relevant companies, farmers, scholars, and other relevant personnel.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organızational Behavior and Human Decision Processes., 50, 179–211.
Brown, L. A. (2016). The contaminated land regime and austerity. International Journal of Law in the Built Environment, 8(3), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLBE-11-2015-0019
Chang, G. (2013). Factors influencing water conservation behavior among urban residents in China’s arid areas. Water Policy, 15(5), 691–704. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2013.093
Chen, M. F., & Tung, P. J. (2014). Developing an extended theory of planned behavior model to predict consumers’ intention to visit green hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36, 221–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.09.006
Dagar, V., Ahmed, F., Waheed, F., Bojnec, Š, Khan, M. K., & Shaikh, S. (2022). Testing the pollution haven hypothesis with the role of foreign direct investments and total energy consumption. Energies, 15(11), 4046. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15114046
Devia, G., Forli, S., Vidal, L., Curutchet, M. R., & Ares, G. (2021). References to home-made and natural foods on the labels of ultra-processed products increase healthfulness perception and purchase intention: Insights for policy making. Food Quality and Preference, 88, 104110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104110
Doanh, D. C., & Bernat, T. (2019). Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention among Vietnamese students: A meta-analytic path analysis based on the theory of planned behavior. Procedia Computer Science, 159, 2447–2460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2019.09.420
Elhoushy, S., & El-Said, O. A. (2020). Hotel managers’ intentions towards female hiring: An application to the theory of planned behaviour. Tourism Management Perspectives, 36, 100741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100741
Erdoğan, N., & Stuessy, C. (2015). Examining the role of ınclusive stem schools in the college and career readiness of students in the United States: A multi-group analysis on the outcome of student achievement. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12462/8040
Forsman, H. (2020). Exploring educational pathways over the life course in children with out-of-home care experience: A multi-group path analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, 104852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104852
Goyal, M., & Netessine, S. (2007). Strategic technology choice and capacity investment under demand uncertainty. Management Science, 53(2), 192–207. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0611
Hassan, L. M., Shiu, E., & Parry, S. (2016). Addressing the cross-country applicability of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB): A structured review of multi-country TPB studies. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 15(1), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1536
Jiang, X., Ding, Z., Li, X., Sun, J., Jiang, Y., Liu, R., & Sun, W. (2020). How cultural values and anticipated guilt matter in Chinese residents’ intention of low carbon consuming behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 246, 119069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119069
Karki, S., Shange, R., Ankumah, R., McElhenney, W., Idehen, O., Poudel, S., & Karki, U. (2021). Comparative assessment of soil health indicators in response to woodland and silvopasture land use systems. Agroforestry Systems, 95, 227–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-020-00577-4
Konkoly, T. H., & Perloff, R. M. (1990). Applying the theory of reasoned action to charitable intent. Psychological Reports, 67(1), 91–94. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1990.67.1.91
Kye, B. (2011). Intergenerational transmission of women’s educational attainment in South Korea: An application of a multi-group population projection model. Demographic Research, 24, 79–112.
Laflin, M. T., Moore-Hirschl, S., Weis, D. L., & Hayes, B. E. (1994). Use of the theory of reasoned action to predict drug and alcohol use. International Journal of the Addictions, 29(7), 927–940. https://doi.org/10.3109/10826089409047918
Lavelle, B. A. (2021). Entrepreneurship education’s impact on entrepreneurial intention using the theory of planned behavior: Evidence from Chinese vocational college students. Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 4(1), 30–51.
Lavinia, O., & Artemisa, C. D. (2010). An explanation of the change in accountant’s attitude towards flexibility using the theory of reasoned action. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 19(1).
Li, G., Li, W., Jin, Z., & Wang, Z. (2019). Influence of environmental concern and knowledge on households’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances: A case study in Shanxi, China. Sustainability, 11(4), 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041073
Li, Q., Long, R., & Chen, H. (2018). Differences and influencing factors for Chinese urban resident willingness to pay for green housings: Evidence from five first-tier cities in China. Applied Energy, 229, 299–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.07.118
Lin, C. W., Mao, T. Y., Huang, Y. C., Sia, W. Y., & Yang, C. C. (2020). Exploring the adoption of nike+ run club app: An application of the theory of reasoned action. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2020, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8568629
Liu, H. T., & Tsaur, R. C. (2020). The theory of reasoned action applied to green smartphones: Moderating effect of government subsidies. Sustainability, 12(15), 5979. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12155979
Liu, X., Shi, L., Qian, H., Sun, S., Wu, P., Zhao, X., et al. (2020). New problems of food security in Northwest China: A sustainability perspective. Land Degradation and Development, 31(8), 975–989. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3498
Lohr, L., & Salomonsson, L. (2000). Conversion subsidies for organic production: Results from Sweden and lessons for the United States. Agricultural Economics, 22(2), 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2000.tb00013.x
Lou, S., Zhang, B., & Zhang, D. (2021). Foresight from the hometown of green tea in China: Tea farmers’ adoption of pro-green control technology for tea plant pests. Journal of Cleaner Production, 320, 128817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128817
Lou, S., Zhang, X., & Zhang, D. (2022a). What determines the battery recycling behavior of electric bike users?: Introducing recycling convenience into the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 379, 134560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134560
Lou, S., Zhang, X., & Zhang, D. (2022b). What influences urban residents’ intention to sort waste?: Introducing Taoist cultural values into TPB. Journal of Cleaner Production, 371, 133540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133540
Madden, T. J., Ellen, P. S., & Ajzen, I. (1992). A comparison of the theory of planned behavior and the theory of reasoned action. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167292181001
Marshall, R. S., Akoorie, M. E., Hamann, R., & Sinha, P. (2010). Environmental practices in the wine industry: An empirical application of the theory of reasoned action and stakeholder theory in the United States and New Zealand. Journal of World Business, 45(4), 405–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2009.08.009
Milone, P., & Ventura, F. (2019). New generation farmers: Rediscovering the peasantry. Journal of Rural Studies, 65, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.12.009
Mohapatra, K. K., Mohapatra, S., Ekka, R., Behera, R. C., & Mohanta, R. K. (2019). Variations in round-the-year fodder production in a low-cost hydroponic shed. National Academy Science Letters, 42, 383–385. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-018-0764-5
Netemeyer, R., Ryn, M. V., & Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Orgnizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211.
Norton, L. R. (2016). Is it time for a socio-ecological revolution in agriculture? Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 235, 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.10.007
Nyam, Y. S., Kotir, J. H., Jordaan, A. J., & Ogundeji, A. A. (2021). Developing a conceptual model for sustainable water resource management and agricultural development: The case of the Breede River catchment area, South Africa. Environmental Management, 67, 632–647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-020-01399-x
Onwezen, M. C., Antonides, G., & Bartels, J. (2013). The Norm Activation Model: An exploration of the functions of anticipated pride and guilt in pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Economic Psychology, 39, 141–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2013.07.005
Otieno, O., Liyayla, S., & Odongo, B. (2015). Theoretical and practical implications of applying theory of reasoned action in an information systems study. Open Access Library Journal, 2, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1102054
Owusu, G. M. Y., Bekoe, R. A., Anokye, F. K., & Okoe, F. O. (2020). Whistleblowing intentions of accounting students: An application of the theory of planned behaviour. Journal of Financial Crime, 27(2), 477–492.
Pan, X., Cheng, W., Gao, Y., Balezentis, T., & Shen, Z. (2021). Is environmental regulation effective in promoting the quantity and quality of green innovation? Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 6232–6241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10984-w
Patel, S. K., Sharma, A., & Singh, G. S. (2020). Traditional agricultural practices in India: An approach for environmental sustainability and food security. Energy, Ecology and Environment, 5, 253–271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40974-020-00158-2
Pietola, K. S., & Lansink, A. O. (2001). Farmer response to policies promoting organic farming technologies in Finland. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 28(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/28.1.1
Sánchez-Bravo, P., Chambers, E., Noguera-Artiaga, L., Sendra, E., Chambers, E., IV., & Carbonell-Barrachina, Á. A. (2021). Consumer understanding of sustainability concept in agricultural products. Food Quality and Preference, 89, 104136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2020.104136
Savari, M., & Gharechaee, H. (2020). Application of the extended theory of planned behavior to predict Iranian farmers’ intention for safe use of chemical fertilizers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 263, 121512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121512
Shahsavar, T., Kubeš, V., & Baran, D. (2020). Willingness to pay for eco-friendly furniture based on demographic factors. Journal of Cleaner Production, 250, 119466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119466
Shahzad, U., Madaleno, M., Dagar, V., Ghosh, S., & Doğan, B. (2022). Exploring the role of export product quality and economic complexity for economic progress of developed economies: Does institutional quality matter? Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, 62, 40–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strueco.2022.04.003
Shen, D., & Shen, D. (2021). Agricultural water management in Northern China. Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China: Framework, Reform and Implementation. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_15
Shobande, O. A. (2019). Effect of economic integration on agricultural export performance in selected west African countries. Economies, 7(3), 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies7030079
Shobande, O. A., & Asongu, S. A. (2022). The critical role of education and ICT in promoting environmental sustainability in Eastern and Southern Africa: A panel VAR approach. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 176, 121480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121480
Shobande, O. A., & Shodipe, O. T. (2021). Price stickiness in US-Corn market: Evidence from Dsge-Var simulation. Studia Universitatis „vasile Goldis” Arad–economics Series, 31(2), 45–63.
St Quinton, T., Morris, B., & Trafimow, D. (2021). Untangling the Theory of Planned Behavior’s auxiliary assumptions and theoretical assumptions: Implications for predictive and intervention studies. New Ideas in Psychology, 60, 100818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2020.100818
Strange, R. (2001). Involving relatives and friends: A Good practice guide for homes for older people. Nursing Older People (Through 2013), 13(7), 36. https://doi.org/10.7748/nop.13.7.36.s27
Sulak, T. N., Saxon, T. F., & Fearon, D. (2014). Applying the theory of reasoned action to domestic violence reporting behavior: The role of sex and victimization. Journal of Family Violence, 29, 165–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9569-y
Sun, P., Zhou, L., Ge, D., Lu, X., Sun, D., Lu, M., & Qiao, W. (2021). How does spatial governance drive rural development in China’s farming areas? Habitat International, 109, 102320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2021.102320
Tarkiainen, A., & Sundqvist, S. (2005). Subjective norms, attitudes and intentions of Finnish consumers in buying organic food. British Food Journal, 107(11), 808–822. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700510629760
Thompson, N. R., Asare, M., Millan, C., & Umstattd Meyer, M. R. (2020). Theory of planned behavior and perceived role model as predictors of nutrition and physical activity behaviors among college students in health-related disciplines. Journal of Community Health, 45, 965–972. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-020-00814-y
Ulker-Demirel, E., & Ciftci, G. (2020). A systematic literature review of the theory of planned behavior in tourism, leisure and hospitality management research. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 43, 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.04.003
Verswijvel, K., Heirman, W., Walrave, M., & Hardies, K. (2019). Understanding adolescents’ unfriending on Facebook by applying an extended theory of planned behaviour. Behaviour and Information Technology, 38(8), 807–819. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2018.1557255
Wahid, S. N. S., Yusof, Y., & Nor, A. H. M. (2018). Effect of mathematics anxiety on students’ performance in higher education level: A comparative study on gender. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1974(1), 050010. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5041710
Wu, M. L. (2010). Structural equation modelling—Operation and application of AMOS software.
Wu, Y. (2019). How age affects journalists’ adoption of social media as an innovation: A multi-group SEM analysis. Journalism Practice, 13(5), 537–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2018.1511821
Xie, M., Irfan, M., Razzaq, A., & Dagar, V. (2022). Forest and mineral volatility and economic performance: evidence from frequency domain causality approach for global data. Resources Policy, 76, 102685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.102685
Zakari, A., Khan, I., Tan, D., Alvarado, R., & Dagar, V. (2022). Energy efficiency and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Energy, 239, 122365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.122365
Zedan, R. F. (2011). Parent involvement according to education level, socio-economic situation, and number of family members. The Journal of Educational Enquiry, 11(1).
Zhang, D. (2020). The innovation research of contract farming financing mode under the block chain technology. Journal of Cleaner Production, 270, 122194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122194
Zhang, D., & Lou, S. (2021). The application research of neural network and BP algorithm in stock price pattern classification and prediction. Future Generation Computer Systems, 115, 872–879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2020.10.009
Zhang, D., Wang, H., & Lou, S. (2021a). Research on grain production efficiency in China’s main grain-producing areas from the perspective of grain subsidy. Environmental Technology and Innovation, 22, 101530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2021.101530
Zhang, D., Wang, H., Lou, S., & Zhong, S. (2021b). Research on grain production efficiency in China’s main grain producing areas from the perspective of financial support. PLoS ONE, 16(3), e0247610. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247610
Zhou, Y., Li, X., & Liu, Y. (2020). Land use change and driving factors in rural China during the period 1995–2015. Land Use Policy, 99, 105048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105048
Funding
This work was supported by Heilongjiang Province Philosophy and Social Science Fund Project (21JYE394); Heilongjiang Province Philosophy and Social Science Fund Project (21JYD272); National Social Science Foundation of China (17BJY119).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Lou, S. What determines the investment intention of Chinese farmers in green grain production?. Environ Dev Sustain 26, 11217–11242 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03244-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03244-7