Influence of socio-demographic and psychological factors on shaping farmers’ pro-environmental behavior in Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Abstract

Pro-environmental behavior (PEB) addresses environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution, habitat loss, and resource depletion. This research aimed to identify the most influential factors shaping farmers’ pro-environmental behavior. The study was conducted in Biral and Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur District in Bangladesh. One hundred and thirty-eight (138) farmers participating in the Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project (CSAWMP) were selected as samples through a simple random sampling procedure. The pro-environmental behavior of the farmers was measured using a five-point rating scale with 24 items under four dimensions. Internal consistency, composite reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the constructs were ensured before data collection. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire from September 2023 to February 2024. Statistical analyses, viz. correlation analysis, regression analysis (multiple linear and stepwise), and path analysis, were performed using SPSS, SPSS AMOS, and SmartPLS 4 software. Most farmers exhibited moderate pro-environmental behavior and adopted practices under the ‘social environmentalism’ dimension (mean = 4.5). Overall, the socio-psychological variables had the greatest influence (62.9%) on farmers’ pro-environmental behavior, where environmental knowledge was the sole contributor of approximately 48.8%, followed by environmental attitude (ΔR² = 10%). According to the path analysis, environmental knowledge had the greatest direct effect (0.488), and ‘environmental self-efficacy’ had the greatest indirect effect (0.430) (in the positive direction) on the dependent variable. In contrast, age had the greatest indirect effect (−0.461) in the negative direction. Interventions such as community education programs, policies addressing psychological barriers and socio-economic disparities, and incentivized green technologies should be employed to ensure environmental sustainability.