Transforming farmers behavior: embracing reduced pesticide use under the integrated crop management program

Abstract With the increasing awareness of the harmful consequences of pesticides on the environment and human health, shifting farmers' behaviors to minimize pesticide usage has become a prominent agricultural policy intervention. An essential intervention designed to diminish farmers' reliance on chemical inputs in Mazandaran province, the key rice-growing region in Iran, is the implementation of the Integrated Crop Management Program (ICMP). This study, based on a questionnaire survey of 307 rice farmers, explores farmers' attitudes towards the ICMP, evaluates its impact on behavioral changes regarding pesticide reduction, and identifies key factors influencing loyalty to the program. Results indicate that only 32.2% of respondents began reducing pesticide use post-implementation of the ICMP, while 44.6% maintained their previous pesticide usage trends. The results of the Multinomial Logit model (MNL) revealed that factors such as education, self-consumption percentage of rice produced, perceptions of pesticide hazards on human health, severity of health injuries caused by pesticides, satisfaction with ICMP, and perception of ICMP effectiveness had a positive impact on the probability of a reduction in pesticide usage. Conversely, variables such as rice yield, farm income, and concerns about farm performance had a negative influence on the likelihood of declining pesticide use. The results of Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) model revealed that factors including perceptions of pesticide hazards on human health, perceptions of the severity of health injuries caused by pesticides, ICMP cognition, satisfaction with the ICMP, and perception of the effectiveness of ICMP measures displayed significant positive effects on loyalty towards the ICMP. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights for Iran and other regions seeking to enhance and advance pro-environmental interventions aimed at reducing reliance on chemical inputs.