Short rotation plantations (SRP), also called short rotation coppice, can contribute to bioeconomy by satisfying the rising demand for wood raw material while strengthening the rural economy. However, farmers all over Europe show limited adoption of SRP. Marginal lands are considered a promising option for producing SRP biomass and avoiding conflicts with food production. This study focuses on the Malacky region in Western Slovakia because of suitable land quality and a board production site close by providing a significant local market for the produced biomass. Qualitative interviews in 2018 explored personal and situational factors that influenced local farmers’ (N = 19) willingness to adopt SRP. Slovakia’s land fragmentation in combination with the required landowner’s consent, competition with food production, and lack of identification with SRP were identified as prominent barriers. The economic benefit from using low quality lands and environmental benefits from SRP were identified incentives. Moreover, the study found agricultural cooperatives more open to SRP than agricultural business companies, as they are more interested in the economic benefits and prefer agricultural activity over fallow land. Because the study identified conflicting views about the possible impacts of SRP on the environment and the rural community, it is considered crucial to provide farmers with science-based facts on these issues. This aspect should also be acknowledged to increase acceptance of stakeholders, such as land owners, governmental actors, and the general public, which is needed to develop measures to encourage SRP.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.