AUTHOR=Lu Shen , Sun Zenan , Huang Man 

TITLE=The impact of digital literacy on farmers' pro-environmental behavior: an analysis with the Theory of Planned Behavior

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1432184

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2024.1432184

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=The rapid development of agriculture has brought about significant negative impacts on the environment, such as land pollution and ecological degradation. The root cause of environmental issues lies in human behavior, with improper farming practices by farmers being a major contributor to agricultural pollution. Recognizing this, farmers' conscientious adoption of low-pollution, reuse, and reduction practices in the production process can effectively address agricultural pollution at its source. Therefore, this study utilizes data from the China Land Economic Survey (CLES) to analyze the situation of 923 respondents from 24 villages in Jiangsu Province. The research findings indicate that digital literacy enhances the likelihood of farmers engaging in pro-environmental behavior (PEB). This practice is achieved by reinforcing farmers' subjective norms, strengthening their behavioral attitudes, and enhancing their perceived behavioral control (as the core elements in the Theory of Planned Behavior theory), thereby promoting the implementation of PEB among farmers.Further analysis reveals that digital literacy plays a crucial role in enhancing PEB among farmers with higher levels of education, social capital, and household income. The results of this study suggest that policymakers should enhance farmers' digital literacy and implement specific measures to improve farmers' subjective norms, behavioral attitudes, and perceived behavioral control. When the digital literacy and willingness for PEB are improved, farmers may engage in environmentally friendly practices.