Unveiling noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and trust in local extension services among small-scale farmers

Nguyen Manh Hung; Goto Daisaku; Duc Tran

doi:10.1080/1389224X.2025.2496184

Unveiling noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and trust in local extension services among small-scale farmers

Nguyen Manh Hung
, Goto Daisaku
, Duc Tran

Environmental Economics

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

Purpose
This study examines farmers’ noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in local extension services via indirect questioning to mitigate social desirability bias.
Methodology
An indirect questioning method (list experiment) was conducted with 876 Vietnamese green tea farmers. The data were analyzed via multivariate regression models.
Findings
Indirect questioning revealed that 21%–28% of farmers reported noncompliance with pesticide guidelines; nearly double the rate reported through direct questioning. Conversely, the proportion of farmers who trust pesticide recommendations from extension services decreases by one-third via indirect questioning. Our subsample analysis further reveals that the prevalence of noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines is higher among female farmers. Regarding the credibility of extension services, local extension officers have a greater influence among senior farmers.
Practical Implications
Because noncompliance with pesticide guidelines is more common among female farmers, agricultural extension implementers should provide supplementary training and support females to enhance proper pesticide usage. In addition, leveraging local extension officers as primary information disseminators can enhance the effectiveness of extension services, in particular in engaging senior farmers.
Theoretical Implications
This study extends the framework of social desirability bias to the agriculture sector by investigating sensitive issues in pesticide practice and extension services.
Originality/Value
This study is the first to investigate farmers’ noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in extension services via indirect questioning.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	129-153
Number of pages	26
Journal	The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
Volume	32
Issue number	1
Early online date	25 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224X.2025.2496184
Publication status	Published - Jan 2026

Funding

This research was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (grant numbers 21K20150 and 22K01478). We are grateful to the managing board, staff, and students of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry for their excellent assistance with our experiment and household survey. We thank the local officers in Thai Nguyen Province who supported our survey. We also thank the participants of the ‘Digital Technology and Green Growth’ International Conference 2023, organized by Mie University, for their comments and suggestions.

Funders	Funder number
Mie University
Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science	22K01478, 21K20150

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10.1080/1389224X.2025.2496184

Unveiling noncompliance with pesticde practiceFinal published version, 7.59 MBLicence: Article 25fa Dutch Copyright Act

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title = "Unveiling noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and trust in local extension services among small-scale farmers",

abstract = " Purpose This study examines farmers{\textquoteright} noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in local extension services via indirect questioning to mitigate social desirability bias. Methodology An indirect questioning method (list experiment) was conducted with 876 Vietnamese green tea farmers. The data were analyzed via multivariate regression models. Findings Indirect questioning revealed that 21\%–28\% of farmers reported noncompliance with pesticide guidelines; nearly double the rate reported through direct questioning. Conversely, the proportion of farmers who trust pesticide recommendations from extension services decreases by one-third via indirect questioning. Our subsample analysis further reveals that the prevalence of noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines is higher among female farmers. Regarding the credibility of extension services, local extension officers have a greater influence among senior farmers. Practical Implications Because noncompliance with pesticide guidelines is more common among female farmers, agricultural extension implementers should provide supplementary training and support females to enhance proper pesticide usage. In addition, leveraging local extension officers as primary information disseminators can enhance the effectiveness of extension services, in particular in engaging senior farmers. Theoretical Implications This study extends the framework of social desirability bias to the agriculture sector by investigating sensitive issues in pesticide practice and extension services. Originality/Value This study is the first to investigate farmers{\textquoteright} noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in extension services via indirect questioning.",

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N2 - Purpose This study examines farmers’ noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in local extension services via indirect questioning to mitigate social desirability bias. Methodology An indirect questioning method (list experiment) was conducted with 876 Vietnamese green tea farmers. The data were analyzed via multivariate regression models. Findings Indirect questioning revealed that 21%–28% of farmers reported noncompliance with pesticide guidelines; nearly double the rate reported through direct questioning. Conversely, the proportion of farmers who trust pesticide recommendations from extension services decreases by one-third via indirect questioning. Our subsample analysis further reveals that the prevalence of noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines is higher among female farmers. Regarding the credibility of extension services, local extension officers have a greater influence among senior farmers. Practical Implications Because noncompliance with pesticide guidelines is more common among female farmers, agricultural extension implementers should provide supplementary training and support females to enhance proper pesticide usage. In addition, leveraging local extension officers as primary information disseminators can enhance the effectiveness of extension services, in particular in engaging senior farmers. Theoretical Implications This study extends the framework of social desirability bias to the agriculture sector by investigating sensitive issues in pesticide practice and extension services. Originality/Value This study is the first to investigate farmers’ noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in extension services via indirect questioning.

AB - Purpose This study examines farmers’ noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in local extension services via indirect questioning to mitigate social desirability bias. Methodology An indirect questioning method (list experiment) was conducted with 876 Vietnamese green tea farmers. The data were analyzed via multivariate regression models. Findings Indirect questioning revealed that 21%–28% of farmers reported noncompliance with pesticide guidelines; nearly double the rate reported through direct questioning. Conversely, the proportion of farmers who trust pesticide recommendations from extension services decreases by one-third via indirect questioning. Our subsample analysis further reveals that the prevalence of noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines is higher among female farmers. Regarding the credibility of extension services, local extension officers have a greater influence among senior farmers. Practical Implications Because noncompliance with pesticide guidelines is more common among female farmers, agricultural extension implementers should provide supplementary training and support females to enhance proper pesticide usage. In addition, leveraging local extension officers as primary information disseminators can enhance the effectiveness of extension services, in particular in engaging senior farmers. Theoretical Implications This study extends the framework of social desirability bias to the agriculture sector by investigating sensitive issues in pesticide practice and extension services. Originality/Value This study is the first to investigate farmers’ noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and their trust in extension services via indirect questioning.

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Unveiling noncompliance with pesticide practice guidelines and trust in local extension services among small-scale farmers

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