The adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the Tunisian cereal sector: an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) using PLS-SEM modeling

Engineering notes

The findings reveal that actual adoption is significantly predicted by the farmer’s intention ( β = 0.383, p < 0.001).

Chinese explanation / 中文解读

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Original abstract

Adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) is a crucial step for the sustainability of agriculture and for food security. In Tunisia, despite efforts, the level of dissemination of these good practices remains below the desired level. This study aims to investigate the behavioral determinants of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) adoption among cereal farmers in northwestern Tunisia, using an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Applying PLS-SEM analysis to a sample of farms in the Beja region, this scientific paper assesses how attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control combined with climate change perceptions and structural factors influence the intention and the decision of farmers. The PLS-SEM model results demonstrate that it explains 70.5% of the variance in intention and 72.3% in actual behavior. The findings reveal that actual adoption is significantly predicted by the farmer’s intention ( β = 0.383, p < 0.001). This intention is principally guided by Perceived Behavioral Control ( β = 0.646) and the Perceived Effect of GAPs on farm resilience ( β = 0.567). Particularly, formal agriculture contracts emerged as a main determinant by reducing market risk and reinforcing the farmer’s intention of adopting sustainable practices. Paradoxically, attitude and subjective norms show no significant effect, while climate change perceptions exert only a marginal influence on the final decision. Hence, the adoption of GAPs is constrained more by technical and contractual capacity than by a lack of awareness. Characterization and typology of farms confirm that the level of adoption among farmers increases with farm size and education level, while smallholders face structural constraints related to land fragmentation, lack of equipment, and financial factors to diversify crops and to adopt rotation and innovation. These results highlight that the grouping of small farms can lead to larger units, such as farmers’ organizations, where crop rotation is possible and farmers’ bargaining power is increased, and subsequently to the integration of small farms into value chains and markets. Therefore, public policies should prioritize improving value chains through upstream and downstream contract farming and the promotion of farmer organizations. These institutional capitals are essential to enhance agriculture resilience and sustainability through the upscaling, diffusion, and adoption of GAPs.

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