The impact of information literacy and green prevention-control technology adoption behavior on farmer household income

Individual households are important to agricultural economic development and new rural construction. Household income directly affects the enthusiasm and creativity required for agricultural production and management. To help rural households stay up-to-date with new practices (including ecological farming), which may increase their income, this study created a four-dimensional measurement index system for information literacy from 786 vegetable-farming households in Shouguang, Shandong Province, China. An empirical test was performed to determine the impact of information literacy on green prevention-control technology adoption behavior and farmer household income using a hierarchical regression model and an instrumental variable method. Information literacy had significant positive effects on green prevention-control technology adoption behavior and farmer household income. Green prevention-control technology adoption behavior partially mediated the influence path of information literacy to farmer household income. The mediating effect of adopting (or not) green prevention-control technology was accounted for 73.09%, and the number of green prevention-control technologies adopted was accounted for 62.72%. The years of cultivation experience and the decision to attend technical training had significant positive effects on green prevention-control technology adoption behavior. Farmer household income was significantly positively affected by the years of education, household size, the years of cultivation experience and the proportion of income from vegetable farming, but farmer household income was significantly negatively affected by distances to the vegetable market. Information literacy had a direct impact on household income, but also indirectly influenced income by the mediating effect of green prevention-control technology adoption behavior. Therefore, policy changes to increase household income through information literacy training and promoting green prevention-control technologies may be beneficial. This study established an analysis framework to explore the effects of information literacy and green prevention-control technology adoption behavior on farmer household income. A measurement index system for household information literacy was created to measure aggregate levels, and a characteristic index of green prevention-control technology adoption behavior was optimized, providing guidance and insight into the increase of farmer household income.