The influence of environmental concern and institutional trust on farmers’willingness to participate in rural domestic waste treatment

Abstract

Rural domestic waste treatment is an important part of the overall improvement of rural living environment, and its effectiveness is closely related to the participation of the waste producer and direct beneficiary of the governance effect - farmers. Based on the household survey data of rural areas in Shaanxi Province, this study used the double-column model (DHM) to analyze and investigate the influence of environmental concern on the farmers’willingness to participate in treatment (willingness to participate and willingness to pay) in rural domestic waste treatment. Using hierarchical regression analysis, the moderating effect of institutional trust on the relationship between environmental concern and farmers’willingness to pay was studied. The results show that environmental concern has a significant positive effect on farmers' willingness to participate and pay;institutional trust not only significantly promotes the willingness to participate and pay of farmers, but also has a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between environmental concern and payment willingness to pay of farmers. For farmers with high institutional trust, environmental concern plays a stronger role in promoting their participation. In addition, years of education and the number of family members positively affect the willingness of farmers to participate, and the willingness to participate in waste treatment of families with higher income is relatively stronger. Therefore, improving farmers’awareness of environmental issues, adjusting regulations to increase their acceptance by farmers, and creating a good environment of institutional trust will facilitate promoting rural domestic waste treatment.