Abstract:The current intense food production-consumption is one of the main sources of environmental pollution and contributes to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Organic farming is a potential way to reduce environmental impacts by excluding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers from the process. Despite ecological benefits, it is unlikely that conversion to organic can be financially viable for farmers, without additional support and incentives from consumers. This study models the interplay between consumer pr… Show more
“…If many people have a positive attitude to human excreta-derived fertilizer, it can be expected that majority of villagers will adopt the same attitude, to be consistent with the collective. In China, crops grown with human excreta are traditionally considered safer and healthier than those grown with chemical fertilizer ( Ferguson, 2014 ), and farmers view this practice as organic agriculture ( Taghikhah et al, 2021 ). Fig.…”
The ongoing Toilet Revolution in China offers an opportunity to improve sanitation in rural areas by introducing new approaches, such as urine source separation, that can contribute to achieving SDG6. However, few studies have systematically assessed the social acceptability of managing human excreta collected in new sanitation systems. Therefore, in this study we performed face-to-face interviews with 414 local residents from 13 villages across three provinces in western China, to analyze the current situation and attitudes to possible changes in the rural sanitation service chain. We found that the sanitation chain was predominantly pit latrine-based, with 86.2% of households surveyed collecting their excreta in a simple pit, 82% manually emptying their pits, and 80.2% reusing excreta in agriculture without adequate pre-treatment. A majority (72%) of the households had a generally positive attitude to production of human excreta-derived fertilizer, but only 24% agreed that urine and feces should be collected separately. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that three factors (level of education, number of permanent household residents, perceived social acceptability) significantly influenced respondents' attitudes to reuse of excreta, although only perceived social acceptability had a high strength of association. Overall, our survey revealed that rural households often misuse toilet systems, fail to comply with government-specified sanitation guidelines, have low awareness of alternative solutions, and are over-reliant on the government to fix problems in the service chain. Thus while new sanitation technologies should be developed and implemented, information campaigns that encourage rural households to manage their excreta safely are also important.
“…If many people have a positive attitude to human excreta-derived fertilizer, it can be expected that majority of villagers will adopt the same attitude, to be consistent with the collective. In China, crops grown with human excreta are traditionally considered safer and healthier than those grown with chemical fertilizer ( Ferguson, 2014 ), and farmers view this practice as organic agriculture ( Taghikhah et al, 2021 ). Fig.…”
The ongoing Toilet Revolution in China offers an opportunity to improve sanitation in rural areas by introducing new approaches, such as urine source separation, that can contribute to achieving SDG6. However, few studies have systematically assessed the social acceptability of managing human excreta collected in new sanitation systems. Therefore, in this study we performed face-to-face interviews with 414 local residents from 13 villages across three provinces in western China, to analyze the current situation and attitudes to possible changes in the rural sanitation service chain. We found that the sanitation chain was predominantly pit latrine-based, with 86.2% of households surveyed collecting their excreta in a simple pit, 82% manually emptying their pits, and 80.2% reusing excreta in agriculture without adequate pre-treatment. A majority (72%) of the households had a generally positive attitude to production of human excreta-derived fertilizer, but only 24% agreed that urine and feces should be collected separately. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that three factors (level of education, number of permanent household residents, perceived social acceptability) significantly influenced respondents' attitudes to reuse of excreta, although only perceived social acceptability had a high strength of association. Overall, our survey revealed that rural households often misuse toilet systems, fail to comply with government-specified sanitation guidelines, have low awareness of alternative solutions, and are over-reliant on the government to fix problems in the service chain. Thus while new sanitation technologies should be developed and implemented, information campaigns that encourage rural households to manage their excreta safely are also important.
“…Moreover, as the analysis of practice, the close interaction with the state authorities in the sphere of development of agriculture and regulation of markets agriproduct is a necessary prerequisite to extend the range of sources of relevant information quickly;stimulation as needed through additional funding to innovative development of operational police [11].…”
This article deals with topical issues of effective regulation of agriculture, the development of a set of operational–search and other measures aimed at protecting and protecting the budget funds allocated by the state for the development of the agro–industrial complex.
“…Wines produced with organically grown grapes have a higher content of antioxidants (30%) (Vrček et al 2011) and lower content of orchatoxins (Gentile et al 2016). Consumer choices and their willingness to pay (WTP) more for organic wines can support farmers in expanding organic vineyards (Taghikhah et al 2020b). In fact, it can be a game-changing strategy contributing to the economy, ecology, and society.…”
Consumer behavior is key in shifts towards organic products. A diversity of factors influences consumer preferences, driving planned, impulsive, and unplanned purchasing decisions. We study choices among organic and conventional wine using an extensive survey among Australian consumers (N=1003). We integrate five behavioral theories in the survey design, and use supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms for analysis. We quantify a gap between intention and behavior, and emphasize the importance of cognitive factors. Findings go beyond correlation to the causation of behavior when combining predictive prowess with explanatory power. Results reveal that affective factors and normative cues may prompt unplanned and spontaneous purchasing behavior, causing consumers to act against their beliefs.
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