Formal and informal networks at the heart of the pesticide reduction process: A case study of Martinique Island

Abstract : Martinique has to meet both national and European environmental requirements, in particular in terms of pesticide reduction. In order to understand the main drivers of such agrological transition, our study considers not only the individual farmers’ characteristics and the structural ones of their farm but also the role of both formal and informal networks. Based on a representative database of Martinican farms, our study underlines two main results. The first one is that only individual characteristics of farmers influence their productive practices, while the structural characteristics of their farm have no impact. For farmers-owners, farm has a value in terms of transmission translating into a will to protect soil quality and hence to reduce the use of pesticide. The second result is the key role of networks for the implementation of more environmental-friendly practices. In Martinique, the main drivers are informal networks as Martinican farmers concretely observe at the neighborhood level both positive and negative impacts of the implementation of alternative practices.