Impact of Green Technology Adoption on Agriculture Performance: Green Development Behavior Mediation and AI Norms Moderation

Abstract

This study investigates what factors stimulate the use of green production technologies in the agricultural sector of Saudi Arabia, drawing attention to its contribution to the factors of green development behavior, subjective norms towards AI, and environmental sustainability concerns to enhance agricultural performance. A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied to the study wherein data gathering was made possible with a sample of 239 Saudi farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) through the application of Stata was used for explaining the given relationships: between agricultural technology adoption intention, green development behavior, subjective norms, perceived environmental sustainability concern, and agricultural performance. All of these measurement scales were adapted from previous reliable research sources. Findings of the study indicated that adoption of green production technology impacts agricultural performance. This study identified green development behavior as a key mediator. Subjective norms toward AI, while environmental sustainability concerns moderated relationships within this model. In general, the importance of social and environmental factors in shaping adoption intentions and agriculture outcomes was underlined. This paper extends the current literature on sustainable agriculture practices by exploring the unique factors driving the adoption of green technology in the farm-level context of Saudi Arabia. It finds there to be practical implications for policymakers on how to encourage sustainability in agriculture and on helping build social norms and raise environmental awareness among farmers to adopt green technology more effectively.