Attitudes and willingness to pay for clean heating by typical households: a case study of rural areas in Yongcheng City, Henan Province, China.

Understanding households' attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for clean heating can provide a scientific basis for decision-makers to assess the potential to develop clean heating, choose heating methods, and formulate subsidy standards in the region. In this paper, the double-bounded dichotomous contingent valuation method-modified by the spike model-was used to better estimate the actual WTP of households through a sample survey of 456 households in rural areas of Yongcheng City, China, in 2021. The factors influencing attitudes and WTP were examined to reveal mechanisms of accepting clean heating. The results showed that 94.96% of households were willing to pay for clean heating. The annual WTP was 1071 yuan per household, more than eight times the current heating cost. Factors that affect clean heating attitudes do not necessarily affect the WTP. Specifically, gender, length of time spent living at home, and family income had significant influences on WTP, whereas the educational level, adaptive perceptions in relation to environmental perceptions, and the recognition variables for gender equality in energy consumption had a significant impact on attitudes. It is worth noting that elderly people and females were identified as vulnerable groups in the implementation of clean heating.

The Perception of the National Traceability Platform among Small-Scale Tea Farmers in Typical Agricultural Areas in Central China.

As one of the key technologies to ensure the safety of agricultural products, the national traceability platform is being widely promoted in China. However, it has not yet been widely adopted among farmers, especially small-scale farmers. Farmers are both producers and direct participants in the traceability of agricultural products. Their perception directly affects the effectiveness of the promotion of the national traceability platform. This study explores the perception of the national traceability platform among small-scale tea farmers in typical agricultural areas in central China. This research employed Q methodology, an approach that integrates both qualitative and quantitative data allowing individuals' subjective understandings of a specific topic to be studied. The Q-sort procedure was performed in the field with 16 small-scale tea farmers. Next, Q-factor analyses were conducted using the Ken-Q analysis. The results show that small-scale tea farmers have different perceptions of the national traceability platform. Their main characteristics are active participation, resistant participation, risk aversion, and being driven by pressure. These four categories covered 52% of the perceived variance. Meanwhile, there is also a degree of internal consistency in the perception of small-scale tea farmers. Specifically, they are all concerned that participating in the national traceability platform may increase the cost and risk of cultivation and that it is difficult to obtain support from agricultural technicians. Therefore, understanding the perceptions of tea farmers of the national traceability platform is the premise for formulating effective promotion policies. Our research sheds light on the decision-making mechanisms for small-scale tea farmers to participate in national traceability platforms, further expanding the scope of current research on farmer behavior. This research has reference significance for promoting national traceability platforms in China and other countries around the world.