Normative Influences on Carbon Offset Behavior: Insights from Organic Farming Practices

The production of green agricultural products and carbon sink compensation play a crucial role in mitigating climate change. Farmers’ behaviors are influenced by both social norms and personal norms. This study aims to explore how these norms shape farmers’ carbon sink compensation behaviors and to provide a theoretical basis for formulating effective policies and incentive mechanisms. A mixed-methods approach was adopted in this study, involving in-depth interviews with 13 agricultural workers and a survey of 409 individuals from China, Japan, and South Korea who are or were engaged in agriculture-related work. The results indicate that the activation of personal norms is primarily driven by economic costs rather than mere moral responsibility. Subjective norms serve as a significant mediator between personal norms and behavior. Social norms indirectly influence behavior through policy guidance and community support. Based on these findings, specific strategies to strengthen personal norms, optimize social norms, and improve policy incentives were proposed to enhance farmers’ willingness to participate in carbon sink compensation and promote sustainable low-carbon agriculture. To effectively promote farmers’ participation in carbon sink compensation, it is necessary to foster a positive social atmosphere at the community level while addressing farmers’ personal needs by enhancing environmental awareness and engagement through policy guidance and incentives. This study employs grounded theory, combining open, axial, and selective coding to thoroughly analyze the interaction between social and personal norms and their positive impact on farmers’ behavior, specifically regarding green agricultural product carbon sink compensation. Concrete policy and community-level pathways are proposed, providing clear guidance for both theory and practice.