Purpose – In a context where the promotion of a more sustainable agriculture is clearly aimed at, the
paradoxical combination of sustainable agricultural practices (SAP) with chemical pesticides use instead of
biological pest management techniques is recurrent in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries like Burkina Faso.
Chemical pesticides are harmful to the environment and health. This paper aims to analyze the role of farmer
education on the mode of adoption of SAP.
Design/methodology/approach – An endogenous treatment effect model is used with survey data on 1,898
rural households in Burkina Faso.
Findings – The results show a positive causal effect of farmer education on sustainable and chemical
pesticide-free agriculture adoption.
Research limitations/implications – Formal education appears to be general. This research could be
extended to consider the role of training or extension services. More detailed results, focusing on spatial effects,
could reinforce those of the present research.
Originality/value – Unlike previous studies, this paper addresses for the first time the paradoxical behavior
of combining SAP with chemical pesticides use. It shows that farmer education contributes to explain it and is
therefore a determining factor for a more sustainable agriculture

Burkina Faso Chemical pesticides Endogenous treatment effect model Farmer education Sustainable agriculture