Farmers' Decision Making

FARMERS’ DECISION MAKINGDr. Sophie Wynne-Jones

and Professor Michael Woods

Aberystwyth University

1. What are the key factors influencing farmers’ business decisions and participation in agri-environment schemes?

2. How can participation in agri-environment schemes and the delivery of ecosystem services be incentivised?

3. How can farmers be supported to operate sustainable and resilient businesses?

Research Questions

• Mixed Methods

• Secondary quantitative data from 2010 FBS and FHS

• 60 in-depth interviews with farmers, conservationists and union officials across Wales.

• Interviews with case study groups: LIFE Blanket –Bog Wales Project and Cambrian Mountains Initiative.

• Focus on decision making processes.

Approach

• Farmers are now more willing to consider agri-environment participation for business reasons.

• All farmers interviewed had heard of the scheme.

• Only 6 had not considered applying.

Agri-Environment Decisions

• Poor perception of Glastir amongst the farmers interviewed.

• But almost 1/3 were in the process of applying.

• 8 former scheme participants have chosen not to join.

• Final uptake not clear.

Glastir

• Negative press / peer influence?

• Low payment levels

• Perception of high restriction levels

• Lack of engagement with the schemes’ aims.

Criticisms of Glastir

Personally the way this Glastir is going is completely ridiculous, I think now is the time Wales should be thinking right, food’s going to get more expensive on us, we should move imports down… we need to become 80% self sufficient …

we need to be depending on more grass, more organic, but with a little bit of leeway not constant strict rules… going down the line where we can become less dependent on oil based products. (WRO 13)

Criticisms of Glastir

• Further communication of Glastir’s aims.

• A more coherent farming strategy .

• Emphasise sustainable production

• Low-input, organic and agro-ecological techniques

Improving Incentivisation

INT: What would you do there if they were just going to pay you to manage it for conservation, for looking after the water quality? Is that something you would do?

RES: No.

INT: Right, why not? If the price was right?

RES: Yeah, no its, I’m a farmer aren’t I? Animals, I just love animals and that’s it… and especially like the next generation, they won’t be interested in it, no…And it just wouldn’t work and in ten years time the place would be in such a mess …it would be such a mess that you couldn’t revert it back, no. (LIFE 1)

Payments for Ecosystem Services?

INT: Would ever consider converting the land further to conservation if you were paid the right price...?

RES: No, to be honest no ... You become aware of, you know certain stipulations and stuff with tree planting for example… even though you get paid for x number of years after that periods up there’s laws in place that stop you from reverting it back to grass, so basically once you’ve signed that agreement that will never change, you can never change that back to a grassland system…(CMI 2)

Payments for Ecosystem Services?

• Non-farming stakeholders?

• Demonstration projects and project officer support

• A more understanding and respectful attitude

• Wider behaviour change strategies of engagement, encouragement and leading by example are equally relevant to farming.

Delivering Ecosystem Services

• Farmers are increasingly willing to engage with environmental schemes as a business strategy.

• But do not want to jeopardise the long-term viability of their businesses.

• They maintain a strong commitment to food production.

• A more coherent sustainable land management strategy is needed.

• With better relations and communication between conservationists and farmers.

• Extension services and further business support will be key to future adaptation.

Conclusions