Environmental awareness among paddy farmers of ecologically friendly and sustainable agriculture practices

Purpose Sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) are gaining increasing attention in Malaysia's rice farming sector due to their importance in environmental conservation. Enhancing farmers' environmental awareness is considered essential for promoting SAP adoption. This study examines the role of environmental awareness in influencing SAP adoption among rice farmers, with particular emphasis on the influence of multidimensional sustainability indicators. The study thus addresses the limitation of existing studies, which assume that awareness alone is sufficient to drive behavioural change. Design/methodology/approach A field survey and face-to-face interviews were conducted with paddy farmers. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test seven hypotheses examining the relationships among social, environmental, and economic dimensions, environmental awareness, and SAP adoption behaviour. Findings The research findings reveal that social and environmental factors significantly influence environmental awareness, whereas economic factors have no significant effect. More importantly, the lack of a direct and significant influence of environmental awareness on SAP adoption behaviour indicates an attitude-behaviour gap. These findings are particularly insightful in the context of a developing country. Targeted strategies are essential, as awareness alone is insufficient to drive sustainable behavioural change. Practical implications The findings refine existing adoption frameworks by highlighting the need to move beyond awareness-focused interventions toward integrated approaches that address social structures and contextual constraints. Originality/value This study provides original contributions by integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions to assess sustainable agricultural practices, particularly by emphasising social indicators that have been overlooked in previous research.