Studies On Impact Factors Of Tea Famers' Application Of Pesticides

Food safety1 has become an outstanding issue of global concern. It is related to many links in the field of production,processing,and selling,among these links,production forms the source of the quality,tea farmers'behavior impairs the quality directly, and the application of pesticides is the crucial link with relation to food safety.Tea is a kind of traditional and characteristic agricultural products in China, which is also a kind of healthy, green and natural drink loved by consumers. The world consumption of tea increases by 3% per year, and by 5% in China. With the growing consumption of tea, people's consuming awareness has been enhanced, and the quality and safety of tea has been widely concerned, in particular, pesticide residue has caused the most concern to tea consumers at present.Tea farmers'unreasonable application of pesticides is the source and crucial reason of pesticide residue. Tea farmers using pesticides banned in tea plantantion or unqualified ones is the primary reason why pesticide residue exceeds the standard. Up to now, for the limited science technology and conditions of production, the pest on tea plants can not be killed without chemical pesticide. Since the 1990s, the application of pesticides in China has been increasing year by year. Using chemical pesticide to prevent the damage from disease, insect and grass plays an important role in the high yield and good quality of tea, but it also brings some adverse impacts, such as environmental pollution from pesticide, pesticide residue in tea and so on. Since the exteriorities caused by the application of pesticides are not involved in tea farmer's own cost, the application of pesticides becomes overproof and ineffective.By using the results of natural science and the theories of social science, and from the angle of intrecross science, the behavior of tea farmers using pesticide was studied in this paper, the main factors impact the behavior was approached, the different impact degrees of all factors were analyzed empirically, according to the different impact degrees, their corresponding countermeasures were put forward. The main purposes of this research were as in the following: on the premise of benefits assurance for tea farmers, to lead tea farmers'reasonable application of pesticides, to reduce the negative exteriorities from pesticide, to improve the quality of tea, to improve environment condition, to ensure human health, and to promote the sustainable developing of tea industry.This research was falled into 9 chapters:in Chapter 1,the background,purposes, contents,methods and object of this study were introduced. In Chapter 2,Some literatures about tea farmers'application of pesticides were listed. In Chapter 3, the history, current state, existing problems and tendency of tea farmers'application of pesticides were summarized, some negative exteriorities from pesticide, such as environmental pollution, pesticide residue and so forth were also described. According to tea farmers'behavior theory, taking tea farmer as an economic man, the hypothesis of tea farmers'application of pesticides was put forward, some theoretical analyses about factors impact tea farmers'behavior were given in Chapter 4. The characteristics of tea farmers'behavior of using pesticides and Game Analysis about tea farmers'behavior were given in Chapter 5, and economic analysis of farmers'safe production conduct was also given in this chapter. On the basis of questionnaire data, descriptive analyses about factors impact the behavior of tea farmers from Fujian were given in Chapter 6. In Chapter 7, factors impact the behavior of tea farmers from Fujian were analyzed empirically by applying Logit Model and Multiple Regression Model. In Chapter 8, the typical case of safe production of Anxi tea was analyzed. Lastly, in Chapter 9, conclusions were drawed, and the corresponding countermeasures were proposed .In this research, taking Fujian Province for instance, 500 tea farmers from major growing places in Fujian were investigated, 386 questionnaires were called back, including 311 valid questionnaires, through empirical analysis, conclusions were drawed as follows:Firstly, Logit Model was applied to analyze the factors impact tea farmers'willingness to buy Green Tea or Nuisance-Free Tea. There were 9 remarkable factors as follows: firstly, the income from tea planting; secondly, the understanding of Green Tea or Nuisance-FreeTea, then, attending cooperation organization, tea production scale, the recognition of the harmfulness of pesticide residue to human health, the fixed number of years for planting, government subsidy for Green Planting; lastly, the price of tea, ecological environment of tea plantation. Among these factors, the first 7 were positive, and the last 2 were negative. As the results showed, the maximization of the income from tea planting was tea farmers'ultimate goal, which was also a guide for tea farmers'application of pesticides, then, the best combination of input was chosen to optimum the outcome. The more tea farmers knew about Green Tea or Nuisance-Free Tea, the deeper they recognized the harmfulness of pesticide residue to human health,and the more strongly they were willing to buy. Tea farmers attending cooperation organization, the expansion of tea production scale, the increase of the fixed number of years for planting and government subsidy for Green Planting were all good to the application expansion of Green Pesticide or Nuisance-Free Pesticide.When the price of tea was continued to rise, tea farmers'marginal benefit was increased. To maximize the profit and guarantee the quality, during tea processing, the means of production(including pesticide) were also increased. Because the price of Green Pesticide or Nuisance-Free Pesticide were higher than that of ordinary pesticide, and the pesticide effect is slower. In order to save cost, fast to kill pests, tea farmers may reduce the use of Green Pesticide or Nuisance-Free Pesticide while increase using ordinary pesticide. When the ecological environment is improved in tea garden , the pesticide using cuts down, among them Green Pesticide or Nuisance-Free Pesticide is reduced too.Secondly, Multiple Regression Model was applied to analyze the factors impact tea farmers'actual using times of pesticide. There were 6 remarkable factors detected by the model, they were as in the following: (1) The consideration of goal when buying pesticide. When the first consideration of tea farmers buying pesticide was prevention effect, the using times was the most. When the first consideration was the price and toxicity of tea, the using times reduced in turn.When the first consideration was the influence of pesticide to environment,the using times became less. (2)The means of tea sales. The detection rate of pesticide residue was different when the means of tea sales were different. The more frequently pesticide residue was detected, the greater moral risk for using pesticide tea farmers ran, the less often tea farmers used pesticide. (3)The ratio of the income from tea planting to total family income.To ensure the maximal benefit of tea production,the higher the ratio was,the more often tea farmers used pesticide. (4)Tea famers attending technical training.The using times of pesticide became less when tea farmers attending technical training about the application of pesticides. (5)The fixed number of years for planting.The more the fixed number of years for planting was,the less often tea farmers used pesticide. (6)The recognition of the harmfulness of pesticide residue to human health. The lighter tea farmers recognized the harmfulness of pesticide residue to human health, the more often tea farmers used pesticide.According to the study of this paper and the current state of tea production in China, in order to cause tea farmers to be more scientific reasonable application of pesticides, reduces the tea pesticide pollution, and reduces pesticide residue, Several suggestions were put forward as follows: firstly, a good ecological environment for tea plantation was the premiss of Nuisance-Free Tea production and one of the important measures for Green Tea or Nuisance-Free Tea production. The construction of Ecological Tea Plantation should be intensified and supported, growing environment of tea should be optimized, natural-modulation ability of tea plantation should be exploited, disease and insect pest should be reduced. Secondly, education training for tea farmers should be intensified to enrich their knowledge about pesticide, Green Pesticide or Nuisance-Free Pesticide should be propagandized, more technical training about the application of pesticides for tea farmers(especially for the beginners) should be arranged to make them use pesticide scientifically, reasonably, and safely. Thirdly, industrial organization of tea should be optimized, and industrial organization level of tea production should be improved, the operation scale of tea production should be enlarged, the level of tea industrialization should be improved, tea co-operatives and the organizational model of"company+base+farmers"should be popularized. Fourthly, standardized work of tea production should be practiced largely, the act of tea production should be regulated, then, on the premiss of formulatting and improving the standardized system of tea, standardized work of tea production should be practiced throughly, GAP should be practiced during tea processing. Fifthly, governmental functions of public administration and service should be played fully, tea market should be improved. The means of subsidy was effective in encouraging tea farmers to use Green Pesticide or Nuisance-Free Pesticide. Both the function of public service and the function in promoting safe tea production should be played fully by government, investment should be increased properly, subsidy system for those who produce safe tea should be built, market adminstration should be strengthened,market access system should be regulated, detection should be intensified, consumption safety should be ensured.