How Does Information Acquisition Ability Affect Farmers’ Green Production Behaviors: Evidence from Chinese Apple Growers

Green production is crucial in promoting sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring food safety, and protecting the rural ecological environment. Farmers, as the main decision makers of agricultural production, and their green production behaviors (GPBs), directly determine the process of agricultural green development. Based on the survey data of 656 apple growers in Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in 2022, this paper uses a graded response model to measure the information acquisition ability (IAA) of farmers and constructs an ordered Logit model to empirically explore the influence mechanisms of IAA, green benefit cognition (GBC), and new technology learning attitude (NTLA) on farmers’ GPBs. The results show the following: (1) IAA has a significantly positive impact on the adoption of GPBs by farmers, and farmers with a high IAA are more conscious to adopt green production technologies; (2) in the process of IAA affecting farmers’ adoption of GPBs, GBC plays a positive mediating role; (3) NTLAs have a positive moderating effect on the process of GBC affecting farmers’ GPB adoption; (4) there are generational, educational and regional differences in the impact of IAA on farmers’ GPBs. Policy makers should improve rural information facilities, strengthen agricultural technology promotion and training, improve farmers’ IAA and benefit awareness level, and formulate relevant policies to mobilize farmers’ enthusiasm for learning new technologies.