Can plant clinics enhance judicious use of pesticides? Evidence from Rwanda and Zambia
研究了卢旺达和赞比亚的植物诊所（一种为小农户提供植物健康诊断和咨询的创新推广方式）能否促进农药的合理使用，发现参与者虽更可能选择农药但使用强度不高，且更易采用替代方法，但在安全使用和废弃物处理方面仍需改进。
Recent outbreaks of crop pests such as fall armyworm and desert locusts are threatening food security and have spurred increased use of pesticides in sub-Saharan Africa. While pesticides can prevent crop losses, they can also have adverse effects on human health and the environment, if not used judiciously. In this article, we examine whether plant clinics―an innovative extension approach of providing plant health diagnostic and advisory services to smallholder farmers―can enhance judicious use of pesticides, measured by intensity of pesticide use, adoption of alternative and more environmentally friendly pest management practices, safe pesticide use practices, and incidence of pesticide-related illness. We use data from a sample of 1474 farm households in Rwanda and Zambia. Propensity score matching estimates suggest that although plant clinic participants exhibit a higher probability of opting for pesticides for pest control, they do not use pesticides intensively and are more likely to adopt alternatives to chemical pest control. On the other hand, plant clinic users and non-users are equally likely to use restricted pesticides and inappropriate methods of disposing of pesticide wastes, which can lead to pesticide poisoning. Overall, our results imply that the plant clinic extension approach can promote sustainable pest management in smallholder agriculture, but additional training of plant clinic staff and clients on pesticide safety would be necessary.