Farmer education and adoption of sustainable and chemical pesticide-free agriculture: evidence from rural Burkina Faso

Abstract

PurposeIn a context where the promotion of a more sustainable agriculture is clearly aimed at, the paradoxical combination of sustainable agricultural practices (SAP) with chemical pesticides use instead of biological pest management techniques is recurrent in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries like Burkina Faso. Chemical pesticides are harmful to the environment and health. This paper aims to analyze the role of farmer education on the mode of adoption of SAP.Design/methodology/approachAn endogenous treatment effect model is used with survey data on 1,898 rural households in Burkina Faso.FindingsThe results show a positive causal effect of farmer education on sustainable and chemical pesticide-free agriculture adoption.Research limitations/implicationsFormal education appears to be general. This research could be extended to consider the role of training or extension services. More detailed results, focusing on spatial effects, could reinforce those of the present research.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies, this paper addresses for the first time the paradoxical behavior of combining SAP with chemical pesticides use. It shows that farmer education contributes to explain it and is therefore a determining factor for a more sustainable agriculture.