Impact of farm size on intensity of pesticide use: Evidence from China

Wei Zhu; Ruimei Wang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141696

Impact of farm size on intensity of pesticide use: Evidence from China

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jan 20:753:141696. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141696. Epub 2020 Aug 14.

Authors

Wei Zhu¹, Ruimei Wang²

Affiliations

¹ College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
² College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: wangruimei@cau.edu.cn.

PMID: 32906039
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141696

Abstract

The average amount of pesticides used per hectare in China is roughly five times of the world average. Understanding the drivers of pesticide use will help reduce excessive pesticide use in China. Using farm-level cross-sectional data, county-level and province-level panel data, this study investigates the impact of farm size on the intensity of pesticide use. The results indicate that farm size has a significant negative impact on the intensity of pesticide use. On average, a 1% increase in farm size is associated with a 0.2% decrease in pesticide use per hectare. The study suggests that promoting the development of relatively large-scale farms can reduce the intensity of pesticide use in China.

Keywords: Farm scale; Pesticide overuse; Pesticide reduction.