The determinants of the responsible use of pesticides among date farmers in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Excessive pesticide use in agriculture has caused several negative impact on human health and the environment. Understanding the drivers of pesticide use leads to a responsible use of pesticide and establishing proper guidelines for practitioners. This study assessed the decision-making process for the optimal use of pesticides among date farmers in Saudi Arabia using a cognitive mapping technique. A semi-directive interview was conducted with a random sample of 81 date farmers in the Qassim region. Our results indicate that farmers' age, experience, and farm size are the most influential factors in their decisions regarding pesticide use. The results also reveal that four variables can be considered the regulating factors in pesticide use: government environmental regulations, risk attitudes, perceived risk, and subjective norms. Finally, gender was found to have no significant influence. Using the upper-echelon theory, this study aims to fill a gap in the research on the association between the personal attributes of farmers and their sustainable behavior regarding the pesticide use.