Pesticide Use under Public Good Agricultural Practices Standard: A Comparative Study in Thailand

Abstract

The local implementation of Thailand’s public good agricultural practices (GAP) certification standard was investigated by examining its effectiveness in raising farmers’ awareness, lowering pesticide use, and thus improving food safety and quality assurance. A total of 98 certified and 100 uncertified farms were surveyed in two Thai provinces, Chanthaburi and Nakhon Si Thammarat, respectively. Considering durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) cultivation, the economic size of farming in the former region is relatively larger and production more market-oriented, while in the latter region, the farming scale is smaller. It was observed that knowledge and understanding of GAP is much higher among the certified as compared to the uncertified farmers, although the effectiveness of GAP in lowering pesticide use remains unconfirmed. The comparison between the two regions also suggests that farmers’ pesticide use could be affected by other contextual factors to a greater extent than the GAP. Results from a multivariate linear regression analysis highlighted the critical importance of training on Q-GAP and pesticide use in reducing pesticide use among certified farmers. This suggests that GAP applicant farmers should be encouraged to participate in training on those subjects as an integral part of their Q-GAP application or renewal procedure.