Green Manure Planting Incentive Measures of Local Authorities and Farmers’ Perceptions of the Utilization of Rotation Fallow for Sustainable Agriculture in Guangxi, China

Abstract

Planting green manure in fallow croplands in winter can bring various economic and environmental benefits, including increased food production, carbon capture and sequestration, soil retention, sandstorm prevention, water retention, and provision of habitat for biodiversity. However, the increased production cost of planting green manure reduces farmers’ willingness to adopt this approach, which is unfavorable for its sustainability. This research aims to investigate the influence of instrumental variables on farmers’ perceptions of sustainable agriculture practices, especially the use of rotation fallow, and tries to understand the relationship between farmers’ perceptions of using rotation fallow and planting green manure under incentive measures adopted by local authorities in Guangxi Province, China. Using simultaneous equation models, the results show that subsidies and planting training were the most important drivers for restoring green manure planting in the target region. These incentive measures could be further enhanced as a priority to restore green manure planting. The study also finds that socioeconomic factors such as farmer’s income, area of farmland, and labor for agricultural production have a certain influence on planting green manure planting and on farmers’ perceptions of using rotation fallow as a form of sustainable agriculture practice.