Effectiveness of Information Acquisition via the Internet in Standardizing the Use of Antimicrobials by Hog Farmers: Insights from China

Abstract

Antimicrobial residues and resistance caused by farmers’ overuse of veterinary antimicrobials have seriously threatened food safety, the ecological environment, and public health. With the popularization of the Internet in rural areas, especially in developing countries, the constraints of obtaining agricultural technical information provided by governments or organizations are greatly eased, farmers’ knowledge and skills are significantly improved, and the agricultural standardized production system is effectively constructed. However, there is still a research gap on whether information acquisition via the Internet (IAI) can induce farmers to standardize the use of antimicrobials. Using the data of 675 hog farmers in the Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Hubei provinces, China, the IV-Heckman and mediating effect models were used to analyze the phenomenon empirically. The main findings revealed that the IAI had exerted a significant influence on the standardized use of veterinary antimicrobials by hog farmers, i.e., the IAI not only helped farmers to decide to standardize the use of antimicrobials but also reduced the amount of investment in the standardized use of antibiotics. Moreover, information-sharing and feedback mechanisms partially mediated the relationship between the IAI and farmers’ standardized use of antimicrobials. Finally, considering the heterogeneity of individual endowments, the study further revealed that the IAI significantly impacted the standardized use of antimicrobials for farmers below the age of 36 years. However, the IAI was found to positively and significantly promote farmers’ standardized-use decisions only if they had less than five years of breeding time.