Factors affecting cognition and behavior of clean production in large-scale pig farms-A case of 509 large-scale pig farmers in Shandong Province

Pig breeding is a key source of environmental pollution. The clean production of large-scale pig farm is critical for preventing pollution by pig breeding. Based on the theory of planned behavior, using data derived from 509 questionnaires of a survey in 17 cities, Shandong Province, structural equation model was used to empirically analyze the driving factors and their action mechanisms of cognition and behavior of clean production in large-scale pig farms. The results showed that the attitude of large-scale pig farmers to clean production and characteristics of pig farm households had significantly positive impact on cleaner production perception. The former was mainly driven by understanding of clean production and familiarity with pig breeding pollution, and latter included age, years of schooling and slaughter fattened hogs number of farmers. External regulations consisting of government support and requirements of cooperative organizations had positive but no significant impact on cleaner production perception. The cognition of clean production in large-scale pig farms had significant positive impact on source prevention, process control and terminal governance behaviors. Clean production attitude, endowment characteristics and external regulation had indirect impact on cleaner production behavior of farmers. The action mechanism was as follows:clean production behavior of large-scale pig farmers was subject to the degree of cognition, which was the result of interaction of behavioral subject attitudes, external regulations and subject endowment characteristics. This was attributed to continuous communication between the external environment (government, operating organizations, upstream and downstream enterprises, etc.) and the behavioral agent. It was noted that clean production behavior mechanism of large-scale pig farmers was not a simple linear effect between individual factors, but the result of interaction among the participants of the whole industrial chain and the environment. Therefore, based on the driving factors and mechanism of cognition and behavior, improving positive attitude of large-scale pig farmers towards cleaner production, strengthening external regulations and reinforcing subject endowment had positive influence on degree of cognition. Acting on formation and improvement of behavior and ultimately reducing pollution of pig breeding led to achievable economic and environmental benefits.