Dual-pathway mechanisms of green technology acceptance and sustainable agricultural practice: capability and motivational evidence from Thailand

Purpose This study aims to explain how green technology acceptance (GTA) is translated into sustained Green Agricultural Practices (GAP) by developing a dual-pathway behavioural model integrating capability and motivational mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the study employs a quantitative research design using survey data collected from 565 farming households in Thailand. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bootstrapped mediation analysis (PROCESS Model 4) were applied to examine both direct and indirect relationships among GTA , green knowledge (GK), farmer health awareness (FHA) and green agricultural practices. Findings The results indicate that GTA exerts significant direct and indirect effects on GAP. Nearly half of the total effect is transmitted through GK and FHA operating in parallel. Green Knowledge enhances implementation capability by strengthening perceived behavioural control, while Farmer Health Awareness reinforces motivational commitment by increasing the salience of health-related consequences. The findings support a complementary partial mediation structure, demonstrating that sustainable agricultural behaviour is shaped by both cognitive and motivational mechanisms. Research limitations/implications This study is based on cross-sectional data, which limits causal inference and the ability to capture dynamic behavioural changes over time. The use of self-reported measures may also introduce potential bias. Future research should employ longitudinal or multi-source designs to validate causal relationships and reduce common method bias. Additionally, the study is conducted within a single national context, which may limit generalizability. Comparative studies across different institutional and cultural settings are recommended to examine the robustness of the proposed dual-pathway model and to explore potential moderating factors influencing sustainable agricultural behaviour. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by distinguishing technology acceptance from enacted agricultural practice and by extending TPB through a dual-pathway behavioural framework. It provides a more nuanced explanation of how sustainable practices emerge by integrating capability (knowledge) and consequence-salience (health awareness) mechanisms. The findings offer important implications for designing more effective sustainability interventions that go beyond technological diffusion to include knowledge development and health-oriented awareness strategies.