The invasion of fall armyworm and green pest control: an analysis of farmers’ willingness to adopt genetically modified insect-resistant maize in Southwest China

The invasion of fall armyworm poses a serious threat to global food security, necessitating the urgent promotion of environmentally friendly pest control technologies. As a key strategy in green pest control, the effectiveness of genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant crops largely depends on the extent of farmer acceptance. Based on survey data from 426 GM maize pilot farmers in Yunnan Province, this study employs an ordered Logit model to analyze the key factors influencing farmers' adoption intentions from a behavioral decision-making perspective. The results indicate that (1) cognition, value orientation, and social trust are the primary drivers of farmers' willingness to adopt GM maize; (2) the impact of risk perception is context-dependent, exerting a significant positive moderating effect on planting decisions among farmers with higher levels of social trust; (3) planting experience reinforces the effects of cognition and social trust and amplifies the role of value orientation. This study provides policy-relevant insights for the industrial promotion of GM crops and the green control of fall armyworms, with important implications for safeguarding national food security.