The dual impacts of specialized agricultural services on pesticide application intensity: Evidence from China

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Specialized agricultural services are a new trend in agricultural production around the world, especially in developing countries. However, the growing impacts of specialized agricultural services on pesticide application intensity are unclear. In regions facing pesticide overuse, do specialized agricultural services exacerbate or mitigate the problem? RESULTS: Based on province-level panel data from China from 2004 to 2018, this study examines the impact of specialized agricultural services on pesticide application intensity, considering both direct and indirect (i.e. spatial spillover) effects. The dual impacts of specialized agricultural services on pesticide application intensity in China are identified. First, specialized agricultural services directly increase pesticide application intensity, likely due to increased cultivation and specialized management of land that was previously abandoned or marginally managed. Second, there is a negative indirect or spatial spillover effect of specialized agricultural services on pesticide application intensity, likely due to technology and efficiency diffusion enabled by the cross-regional provision of specialized agricultural services. The net impact of specialized agricultural services on pesticide application intensity is negative. CONCLUSION: Crop protection services are regarded as the core force to promote the reduction of pesticide application intensity. Steps should be taken to promote the research and development, demonstration, and promotion of new technologies and equipment for crop protection services, particularly the development of crop protection by drones.

The role of agricultural mechanization services in reducing pesticide input: promoting sustainable agriculture and public health

“…Thus, Hypothesis 1 has been validated. Moreover, specialized agricultural services have a negative impact on pesticide application intensity ( 28 ). Femenia et al found that pesticide taxes appear to result in a significant reduction in pesticide use but require support for technological advancements to improve low-input cropping practices ( 29 ).…”

Consumer Awareness and Health Risk Perceptions of Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables in Kampala Metropolitan Area in Uganda

“…23 There is need to apply strategies to reduce use of pesticides for food productions such as promotion of low-efficiency pesticides, use of traceability labels, reliance on other crop protection services like GAPs and mechanical sowing / transplanting. 24,25 Consumer expressed that their health is at risk citing chronic exposure to pesticide residues and consequent health effects like reproductive defects, NCDs like cancer, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, kidney and liver disease were the major effects. Our findings correlate with findings from previous studies in Africa and German which found that consumers rated pesticide residue contaminants as a serious threat to their health, 8,9,[26][27][28] in fact, Kher and colleagues found that consumers were specifically concerned about health risks that were likely to result from their long term exposure to these chemicals.…”

“… 23 There is need to apply strategies to reduce use of pesticides for food productions such as promotion of low-efficiency pesticides, use of traceability labels, reliance on other crop protection services like GAPs and mechanical sowing / transplanting. 24 , 25 …”

How Does Agricultural Mechanization Service Affect Agricultural Green Transformation in China?

“…Additionally, AMS can help promote the formation of pro-environmental behaviors among farmers, which in turn improves the AGTFP at the micro level [ 44 ]. However, it has also been pointed out that AMS enhances the use of abandoned or poorly managed arable land, thereby increasing the intensity of environmental factor inputs such as pesticides [ 62 ].…”