How opportunity and cognition improve family farms' low-carbon production behavior: Evidence from China

Abstract

CONTEXT

Climate warming is widely regarded as a crucial driver of numerous global challenges, posing a significant threat to human survival and development. Among the various factors contributing to climate warming, the greenhouse gas emissions from high-carbon agricultural practices—such as the excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides, and plastic films—are particularly concerning. Therefore, it is essential to study the low-carbon production decision-making behaviors of agricultural producers to mitigate the negative impacts of agriculture on climate change.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the implementation of low-carbon production behaviors in family farms is driven by individual emotional willingness or by external environmental opportunities, this study constructs a decision-making model of low-carbon production behaviors in family farms to analyze the factors that directly or indirectly drive the implementation of low-carbon production behaviors, and then more accurately describes and explains the behavioral choices of agricultural producers.

METHODS

This study links the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability model with the Cognitive-Affective-Conative model to form a comprehensive theoretical framework for decision-making on low-carbon production behavior in family farms. Meanwhile, this study empirically tested the hypothesized model using the partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis technique.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Low-carbon production opportunity and has a direct and positive effect on low-carbon production behavior. Low-carbon production cognition also affects low-carbon production behavior, but this effect is positive and indirect. Low-carbon production ability, low-carbon production motivation, low-carbon production affection, and low-carbon production intention play a mediating role in all hypotheses. Therefore, this study concludes that low-carbon production opportunity rather than cognition is the crucial element that directly triggers the behavioral response to low-carbon production in family farms. However, the internalization process of low-carbon production cognition still plays an important role in low-carbon production decision-making on family farms.

SIGNIFICANCE

Based on the dual identity attributes of “economic man” and “social man” in family farms, this study not only expands the theoretical framework for analyzing low-carbon production behaviors in agriculture but also emphasizes the positive impacts of the individual's emotional will and external environmental opportunities on the implementation of low-carbon production in family farms.