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Pesticides: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

Author

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  • Joseph Goeb
  • Andrew Dillon
  • Frank Lupi
  • David Tschirley

Abstract

Agricultural intensification can negatively affect farmer and social welfare through health and environmental externalities if producers have imperfect knowledge of the risks posed by agricultural inputs. This paper explores the effects of health-risk information on the demand for substitutes in the pesticides market and farmer preferences for risk-mitigating technologies using a choice experiment integrated with a randomized controlled trial in Zambia. Environmental health-risk information provided through a farmer training program had an insignificant effect on demand for risk-mitigating personal protective equipment but a significant effect on demand for substitutes, lower toxicity pesticides. The treatment group was twice as likely to substitute a highly toxic pesticide with a low toxicity pesticide after receiving training. What farmers do not know can hurt them and the environment through lower demand for less risky and less damaging substitutes.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph Goeb & Andrew Dillon & Frank Lupi & David Tschirley, 2020. "Pesticides: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(5), pages 801-836.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jaerec:doi:10.1086/709782
    DOI: 10.1086/709782
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    Cited by:

    1. Robert Metcalfe & Sefi Roth, 2025. "Making the Invisible Visible: The Impact of Revealing Indoor Air Pollution on Behavior and Welfare," Framed Field Experiments 00819, The Field Experiments Website.
    2. Chelsea Chelsea & Ana Espinola-Arredondo, 2022. "Fungicide Resistance and Misinformation: A Game Theoretic Approach," Working Papers 2020-4, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University.
    3. Tambo, Justice A. & Romney, Dannie & Mugambi, Idah & Mbugua, Fredrick & Bundi, Mary & Uzayisenga, Bellancile & Matimelo, Mathews & Ndhlovu, Mathias, 2021. "Can plant clinics enhance judicious use of pesticides? Evidence from Rwanda and Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    4. Pardini, Chelsea A. & Espinola-Arredondo, Ana, 2020. "Facing Fungicide Resistance in Grape Production: A Game Theoretic Approach," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304309, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Chelsea A. Pardini & Ana Espínola‐Arredondo, 2023. "Fungicide resistance and misinformation: A game theoretic approach," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 71(2), pages 171-201, June.
    6. Pengfei Liu & Xiaohui Tian, 2021. "Downward Hypothetical Bias in the Willingness to Accept Measure for Private Goods: Evidence from a Field Experiment," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(5), pages 1679-1699, October.

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