Psychological cognition of pollution prevention of family-oriented scale pig breeders and environmental regulation influence effects

Large-scale rearing of pigs, with family members as the main labor force, is an important mode of pig production in China. The characteristics of pollution caused by this breeding model are dispersion, publicity and difficulty in locating polluters, all of which collectively weaken the effect of existing policies and regulations of pollution control. Interestingly, however, current policies and regulations target large-scale pig farming done at company level and pig breeding communities in the country, while pig farming at family level is left largely unrestrained. Conversely, the pollution caused by the mostly unchecked family-oriented pig farming has become a challenge to sustainable rural development. This paper aimed to illustrate the factors responsible for pollution prevention behavior of farmers and to provide effective recommendations to the government to better control pollution from family-oriented pig farming. In this paper, the pollution prevention and control behavior of pig breeders were divided into two categories-harmless treatment and resource utilization behavior. The research utilized a sample of 406 households engaged in pig rearing in Fujian Province, China. An empirical study was conducted to explain how farmer psychological cognition impacted pollution prevention and control behavior using Structural Equation Model. The moderating effect of environmental regulation on respondent psychological cognition and pollution control behavior was examined using Multi-Level Regression Model. The results showed that respondent pollution prevention and control behavior was positively impacted by individual psychological cognition, moderated by environmental regulations. The decisions of pollution prevention and control behaviors of farmers were due to the cognitions of responsibility, ecological rationality, and self-assessment of own pollution control ability. The decisions were also referenced from the actions of other farmers, government regulation and from non-farmer groups, and it was also a rational choice to avoid risks. Incentive and guidance measures worked hand in hand with restrictive environmental regulation in the sense that restrictive regulatory measures had a more significant effect on harmless treatment behaviors. The incentive regulation had a more important effect on resource utilization behavior. Then guidance regulation had significant regulation effect on both harmless treatment and resource utilization behaviors. To promote pollution prevention and control of family-oriented scale pig farming, this paper advised the strengthening of the application of market incentives regulation and village social capital to regulate farmer pollution prevention behavior. It was necessary for pollution control to give a full consideration to farmer dependence on rear pigs and behavior control ability. It was also advanced to guide farmers giving up pig farming in a reasonable way through strengthening industry transfer support and using warning and punishment measures.