Greenhouse Farmers' Behavioural Intentions to Reduce Pesticide Use in Antalya-Turkiye

Kan, Mustafa; Yilmaz, Hasan; Dogan, Hasan Gökhan; Dag, Merve Mürüvvet; Diallo, Tidiani

doi:10.48311/jast.2026.24087

Greenhouse Farmers' Behavioural Intentions to Reduce Pesticide Use in Antalya-Turkiye

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mustafa Kan ¹

Hasan Yilmaz ²

Hasan Gökhan Dogan ³

Merve Mürüvvet Dag ²

Tidiani Diallo ²

¹ Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir, Türkiye.

² Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Isparta, Türkiye.

³ Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Selçuk University, Konya, Türkiye.

10.48311/jast.2026.24087

Abstract

This study investigates farmers' intentions to reduce the use of pesticides in greenhouse cultivation in Antalya Province, Turkey. Using an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), we investigated the socio-psychological factors that influence farmers' intentions to adopt more sustainable practices. Interviews with 297 farmers growing tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants revealed that, while farmers generally have a positive attitude towards reducing pesticide use, this attitude does not have a significant impact on their actual intentions. These intentions are chiefly driven by moral norms, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Improving social support, creating an enabling environment, and implementing educational programmes can significantly help farmers to adopt agroecological practices. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding the social and psychological factors that influence farmers’ decisions, which is essential for developing effective strategies for environmentally friendly agriculture.

Keywords

Agroecology

Farmers' intentions

Pesticide reduction

Theory of Planned Behavior

Subjects

Agricultural Economics/Agriculture Natural Resource

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