Effect of Government Awareness Campaigns and Education Programs on Farmers’ Decision to Switch from Chemical Pesticides to Bio pesticides

Abstract

This study examined the effects of government awareness campaigns and education programmes on farmers' decision to switch from chemical pesticides to bio pesticides in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers and examined the effect of government awareness campaigns, farmer training programmes, and knowledge of the health and environmental risks of chemical pesticides on farmers' decision to switch from chemical pesticides to bio pesticides. Primary data were collected from 400 farmers using structured questionnaires and personal interviews. Purposive and multistage simple random sampling techniques were employed in selecting respondents. An inferential statistics, the logit regression analysis, was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that awareness of government campaigns, participation in training programmes, improved knowledge of the health and environmental risks of chemical pesticides, educational status, farming experience, and membership in cooperative societies had positive and statistically significant effects at 5% significant level on farmers' decisions to adopt bio pesticides. The study concludes that effective government awareness campaigns and farmer education programmes play a vital role in encouraging the transition from the use of chemical pesticides to environmentally friendly bio pesticides. The study therefore recommends strengthening agricultural extension services, expanding farmer training programmes, improving access to affordable bio pesticides and protective equipment, and implementing supportive government policies to promote sustainable pest management and environmental protection.