Action against invasive species: Knowledge, effect and behavioural drivers of fall armyworm management

IF 6.6 2区经济学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Ecological Economics Pub Date : 2025-02-03 DOI:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108536

Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong , Yong Sebastian Nyam

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Abstract

We examine the effect of the invasive insect, fall armyworm (FAW) on maize production, smallholder commercialization, labour allocation, and livestock, highlighting knowledge about FAW and their infestation levels. We also investigate the control strategies used in managing this damaging pest and its drivers with a view on behavioural factors such as aspirations, self-efficacy, and locus of control. Using a farm household dataset from Kenya and employing different empirical strategies, we show that 95 % of farmers are aware of and correctly identify FAW, with an infestation level of about 75 %. These high infestation levels have a negative effect (25 and 23 %) on maize production and commercialization respectively. FAW infestation also positively affects labour allocation which is reflected in the various management practices used by farmers: biological, cultural control, and pesticides which are used by almost 80 % of farmers. We establish significant substitutability between pesticide use and biological as well as cultural control methods. We further show a positive association between aspirations and pesticide use (0.9 percentage points). In the same vein, we also find a positive (negative) association between internal (external) locus of control and pesticide use. Overall, we document the importance of behavioural factors for invasive pest management.

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来源期刊

Ecological Economics 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

12.00

自引率

5.70%

发文量

313

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： Ecological Economics is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature''s household" (ecosystems) and "humanity''s household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership. Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.