Exploring farmers’ perspectives on collective action

a case study on co-operation in Dutch agri-environment schemes

authored by

Margarethe Reichenspurner, Rena Barghusen, Bettina Matzdorf

Abstract

To improve the ecological effectiveness of agri-environment-climate measures (AECM), collective approaches to co-ordinate AECM beyond the farm level have emerged, which are characterised by different levels of co-operation between individual farmers. As participation is voluntary, understanding farmers’ perspectives on collective action in the context of these economic incentive instruments is crucial to improve existing or design novel approaches. We conducted a Q study on farmers’ viewpoints on collective AECM in the Netherlands, where all AECM have to be realised jointly since 2016. Our results reveal three dominant views on collective AECM: a collective-oriented, a business-oriented and an environment-oriented perspective. Clear preferences for the collective approach show that even in cultures with strong values of independence joint action is possible, as farmers’ autonomy can be strengthened through co-operation. Considering different perspectives on collective approaches within the institutional design can help to develop more targeted, and thus successful, incentives.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Environmental Planning

External Organisation(s)

Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)

Type

Article

Journal

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

ISSN

0964-0568

Publication date

11.04.2023

Publication status

E-pub ahead of print

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Geography, Planning and Development, Water Science and Technology, Environmental Science(all), Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2023.2183111 (Access: Open)