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Abstract <p>Beneficial insects including pollinators play a critical role in sustainable agriculture, yet their decline poses serious risks to food security and ecosystem resilience, particularly in Mediterranean regions. This study investigates the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of 96 farmers from rural Tunisia regarding beneficial insect and pests. Using structured surveys and visual identification tasks, we evaluated how demographic factors such as education, gender, and outreach exposure influence farmers’ ecological understanding. While a high majority (77.1%) of farmers recognized the presence of harmful insects, this awareness did not translate into practical knowledge, as only 36.5% were familiar with effective pest control methods. This suggests a significant gap between pest recognition and the know-how to manage them appropriately. Farmers with primary education and those who received outreach support demonstrated better practical insects identification skills. However, a widespread overestimation of pest threats was observed, leading to excessive pesticide use and mismanagement of beneficial insect populations. Notably, while 97.9% of participants correctly identified honey bees, awareness of other vital pollinators such as butterflies, hoverflies, beetles remained low. These findings underscore the urgent need for policy reforms that integrate pollinator conservation into Tunisia’s national agricultural strategy. Recommendations include regulating pesticide use, promoting ecological farming practices, and aligning national efforts with relevant global biodiversity frameworks. Targeted education and gender-inclusive outreach are critical for improving rural ecological literacy and fostering more resilient, biodiversity-friendly agricultural systems.</p> Implications for insect conservation <p>Our findings highlight the importance of improving farmers’ ecological literacy to reduce the use of unnecessary pesticide and protect the beneficial insects in Mediterranean agriculture. Outreach programs and strengthening pollinator-inclusive policies can directly contribute to the conservation of diverse insect communities and enhance agricultural sustainability.</p>

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Farmers’ perceptions and knowledge of insect functional groups in Tunisian agroecosystems

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月21日

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  • Oumaima Khouildi,
  • Hassib Ben Khedher,
  • Asma El ayeb-zakhama,
  • Raja Abid,
  • Mehdi Abdelli,
  • Marwa Ben Fredj,
  • Ikbal Chaeib

摘要

Abstract

Beneficial insects including pollinators play a critical role in sustainable agriculture, yet their decline poses serious risks to food security and ecosystem resilience, particularly in Mediterranean regions. This study investigates the knowledge, perceptions, and practices of 96 farmers from rural Tunisia regarding beneficial insect and pests. Using structured surveys and visual identification tasks, we evaluated how demographic factors such as education, gender, and outreach exposure influence farmers’ ecological understanding. While a high majority (77.1%) of farmers recognized the presence of harmful insects, this awareness did not translate into practical knowledge, as only 36.5% were familiar with effective pest control methods. This suggests a significant gap between pest recognition and the know-how to manage them appropriately. Farmers with primary education and those who received outreach support demonstrated better practical insects identification skills. However, a widespread overestimation of pest threats was observed, leading to excessive pesticide use and mismanagement of beneficial insect populations. Notably, while 97.9% of participants correctly identified honey bees, awareness of other vital pollinators such as butterflies, hoverflies, beetles remained low. These findings underscore the urgent need for policy reforms that integrate pollinator conservation into Tunisia’s national agricultural strategy. Recommendations include regulating pesticide use, promoting ecological farming practices, and aligning national efforts with relevant global biodiversity frameworks. Targeted education and gender-inclusive outreach are critical for improving rural ecological literacy and fostering more resilient, biodiversity-friendly agricultural systems.

Implications for insect conservation

Our findings highlight the importance of improving farmers’ ecological literacy to reduce the use of unnecessary pesticide and protect the beneficial insects in Mediterranean agriculture. Outreach programs and strengthening pollinator-inclusive policies can directly contribute to the conservation of diverse insect communities and enhance agricultural sustainability.