Farmer education and adoption of sustainable and chemical pesticide-free agriculture: evidence from rural Burkina Faso

Abstract

Purpose

In a context where the promotion of a more sustainable agriculture is clearly aimed at, the paradoxical combination of sustainable agricultural practices (SAP) with chemical pesticides use instead of biological pest management techniques is recurrent in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries like Burkina Faso. Chemical pesticides are harmful to the environment and health. This paper aims to analyze the role of farmer education on the mode of adoption of SAP.

Design/methodology/approach

An endogenous treatment effect model is used with survey data on 1,898 rural households in Burkina Faso.

Findings

The results show a positive causal effect of farmer education on sustainable and chemical pesticide-free agriculture adoption.

Research limitations/implications

Formal education appears to be general. This research could be extended to consider the role of training or extension services. More detailed results, focusing on spatial effects, could reinforce those of the present research.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, this paper addresses for the first time the paradoxical behavior of combining SAP with chemical pesticides use. It shows that farmer education contributes to explain it and is therefore a determining factor for a more sustainable agriculture.

Citation

Maré, T.F., Zahonogo, P. and Savadogo, K. (2023), "Farmer education and adoption of sustainable and chemical pesticide-free agriculture: evidence from rural Burkina Faso", Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JADEE-04-2023-0077