College of Economics and Management, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 5;19(23):16280. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192316280.
As one of the key technologies to ensure the safety of agricultural products, the national traceability platform is being widely promoted in China. However, it has not yet been widely adopted among farmers, especially small-scale farmers. Farmers are both producers and direct participants in the traceability of agricultural products. Their perception directly affects the effectiveness of the promotion of the national traceability platform. This study explores the perception of the national traceability platform among small-scale tea farmers in typical agricultural areas in central China. This research employed Q methodology, an approach that integrates both qualitative and quantitative data allowing individuals' subjective understandings of a specific topic to be studied. The Q-sort procedure was performed in the field with 16 small-scale tea farmers. Next, Q-factor analyses were conducted using the Ken-Q analysis. The results show that small-scale tea farmers have different perceptions of the national traceability platform. Their main characteristics are active participation, resistant participation, risk aversion, and being driven by pressure. These four categories covered 52% of the perceived variance. Meanwhile, there is also a degree of internal consistency in the perception of small-scale tea farmers. Specifically, they are all concerned that participating in the national traceability platform may increase the cost and risk of cultivation and that it is difficult to obtain support from agricultural technicians. Therefore, understanding the perceptions of tea farmers of the national traceability platform is the premise for formulating effective promotion policies. Our research sheds light on the decision-making mechanisms for small-scale tea farmers to participate in national traceability platforms, further expanding the scope of current research on farmer behavior. This research has reference significance for promoting national traceability platforms in China and other countries around the world.
作为保障农产品安全的关键技术之一，国家追溯平台在中国得到了广泛推广。然而，它尚未在农民中广泛采用，尤其是在小规模农户中。农民既是农产品追溯的生产者，也是直接参与者。他们的认知直接影响国家追溯平台推广的效果。本研究以华中地区典型农业区的小规模茶农为研究对象，探讨了他们对国家追溯平台的认知。本研究采用 Q 方法，这是一种将定性和定量数据相结合的方法，可以研究个体对特定主题的主观理解。在现场对 16 名小规模茶农进行了 Q 分类程序，然后使用 Ken-Q 分析进行了 Q 因子分析。结果表明，小规模茶农对国家追溯平台有不同的认知。他们的主要特征是积极参与、抵制参与、规避风险和迫于压力参与。这四个类别涵盖了 52%的感知差异。同时，小规模茶农的认知也存在一定的内部一致性。具体来说，他们都担心参与国家追溯平台会增加种植的成本和风险，并且难以获得农业技术员的支持。因此，了解茶农对国家追溯平台的认知是制定有效推广政策的前提。本研究揭示了小规模茶农参与国家追溯平台的决策机制，进一步拓展了当前对农民行为的研究范围。本研究对中国和世界其他国家推广国家追溯平台具有参考意义。
