Motivation and opportunity may drive Tunisian farmers to reduce chemical pesticides in horticulture.

This study examines the sociopsychological factors influencing Tunisian farmers' readiness to reduce synthetic pesticide use by applying the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). It distinguishes between intrinsic motivation (personal values and attitudes) and extrinsic motivation (social norms and peer influence), finding that both significantly affect farmers' readiness, with extrinsic motivation being the strongest predictor. Opportunity, defined as the environmental and contextual facilitators for adopting non-chemical pest control, also positively influences readiness, while ability (skills and knowledge) does not have a significant direct effect. The study highlights the importance of targeted educational programs and supportive policies to enhance motivation and opportunity, emphasizing social dynamics and access to information as key to promoting sustainable pest management practices in Tunisia's horticultural sector.