MyJournals Home  

RSS FeedsSustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 3179: Leverage Points for Governing Agricultural Soils: A Review of Empirical Studies of European Farmers` Decision-Making (Sustainability)

 
 

13 september 2018 13:00:17

 
Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 3179: Leverage Points for Governing Agricultural Soils: A Review of Empirical Studies of European Farmers` Decision-Making (Sustainability)
 


What drives farmers’ decision-making? To inform effective, efficient, and legitimate governance of agricultural soils, it is important to understand the behaviour of those who manage the fields. This article contributes to the assessment and development of innovative soil governance instruments by outlining a comprehensive understanding of the determinants of farmers’ behaviour and decision-making. Our analysis synthesises empirical literature from different disciplines spanning the last four decades on various farm-level decision-making problems. Based on a conceptual framework that links objective characteristics of the farm and the farmer with behavioural characteristics, social-institutional environment, economic constraints, and decision characteristics, empirical findings from 87 European studies are presented and discussed. We point out that economic constraints and incentives are very important, but that other factors also have significant effects, in particular pro-environmental attitudes, goodness of fit, and past experience. Conversely, we find mixed results for demographic factors and symbolic capital. A number of potentially highly relevant yet understudied factors for soil governance are identified, including adoption of technologies, advisory services, bureaucratic load, risk aversion and social capital, social norms, and peer orientation. Our results emphasise the importance of a broad behavioural perspective to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and legitimacy of soil governance.


 
288 viewsCategory: Ecology
 
Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 3180: What Is the Efficiency of Fast Urbanization? A China Study (Sustainability)
Sustainability, Vol. 10, Pages 3178: University Students` Social Demand of a Blue Space and the Influence of Life Experiences (Sustainability)
 
 
blog comments powered by Disqus


MyJournals.org
The latest issues of all your favorite science journals on one page

Username:
Password:

Register | Retrieve

Search:

Ecology


Copyright © 2008 - 2024 Indigonet Services B.V.. Contact: Tim Hulsen. Read here our privacy notice.
Other websites of Indigonet Services B.V.: Nieuws Vacatures News Tweets Nachrichten