Exploring socio-psychological factors affecting farmers' intention to choose a low-water-demand cropping pattern for water resources conservation: Application of the health belief model

Water scarcity threatens food security and leads to various economic, social, and environmental challenges, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. As the agricultural sector consumes the most significant amount of water, conserving water resources in this sector is particularly important. Cultivation of low-water-demand (LWD) crops with high value-added is one of the effective measures to reduce agricultural water demand and improve farmers' livelihoods. However, changing water-intensive crops to LWD crops (e.g., medicinal plants) is voluntary pro-environmental behavior. Considering the role of psychological theories in understanding and explaining human behaviors, the main purpose of the current paper is to explore the socio-psychological determinants underlying farmers' intention to adopt an LWD cropping pattern using the Health Belief Model (HBM). In this regard, data were collected using face-to-face interviews with 184 farmers living in Zanjan province, Iran to examine their intention to cultivate LWD medicinal plants. Using structural equation modeling for data analysis, the HBM explained 49% of the variance in farmers' behavioral intentions. The structural equation modeling outcomes also revealed that self-efficacy, perceived barriers, cues to action, and perceived benefits are significantly related to farmers' intention to choose medicinal plants. Overall, the findings indicated the effectiveness and applicability of the HBM in illustrating farmers’ intention to change their cropping pattern. Applying some strategies such as providing the necessary facilities and training programs for farmers, as well as, advertisements aimed at promoting the cultivation of medicinal plants can significantly contribute to conserving water resources in the study area.