Digital Human Capital and Organic Fertilizer Adoption among Vegetable Farming Households in Vietnam: A Case Study in Phuc Loc Commune, Hanoi
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31817/vjas.2026.9.3.09Abstract
This study examined the influence of digital human capital on organic fertilizer adoption among vegetable-farming households in Phuc Loc commune, Hanoi, Vietnam. Employing a fractional logit model, the study analyzed the determinants of adoption intensity, measured as the share of organic fertilizer expenditure in total fertilizer costs. Findings revealed that digital information utilization and learning capacity were primary drivers, significantly reducing information asymmetry and technical risks. The results suggest that promoting green agricultural practices requires systematic investment in the farmers’ human capital, particularly digital skills.Downloads
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An important contribution of this study is its clarification of the distinction between traditional human capital and digital human capital. In the current context of digital transformation, while formal education and farming experience no longer exhibit a clear direct influence on household decision-making, they remain essential foundations for developing capabilities associated with digital human capital. Consequently, human capital in the digital era exerts a more pronounced and stable influence on decisions regarding organic fertilizer use, as evidenced across the estimation models. This corresponds with the argument by Cheng et al. (2024) that digital skills help farmers optimize the allocation of production factors through enhanced access to technology and social resources. In addition, this finding suggests that, in the digital age, accumulated knowledge over time or formal educational credentials alone are insufficient to enable farmers to make effective production decisions. Instead, the ability to use digital technologies to search for, evaluate, and apply technical information plays a decisive role in recognizing the long-term benefits of green production relative to the short-term gains of conventional farming practices. These results are consistent with recent studies in developing countries that emphasize the role of information and communication techonology (ICT) skills in reducing information asymmetries and fostering innovation adoption in agriculture.
However, the effects of human capital are not uniform across household groups. The influence of digital human capital in promoting organic fertilizer use is stronger among older households with longer farming experience and smaller landholdings, but better internet connectivity. This finding is supported by Weng et al. (2023) and Gong et al. (2025), who suggested that digital human capital assists middle-aged and elderly farmers in overcoming cognitive barriers to access safety standards. In contrast, for younger- households, an emphasis on output expansion and highly commercialized vegetable production tends to dampen incentives to adopt organic fertilizers. This finding highlights a major challenge in Vietnam’s agricultural digital transformation, particularly among younger farmers: despite higher awareness and better educational attainment, strong economic pressures may constrain their motivation to pursue green production opportunities.
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