Fertile ground, complex matter: Plurality of farmers’ attitudes towards green waste application as sustainable soil management

Abstract

The adoption of sustainable soil management practices such as the use of green waste from road‐side management and nature reserves is thwarted in practice by hesitance on the side of farmers. To foster the use of these practices, it is crucial to understand farmers’ decision perspectives and attitudes towards them. Using Q‐methodology, the perspectives of 12 dairy and arable farmers in The Netherlands were analysed. It was studied which barriers farmers perceive for green waste application (GWA), and whether perceptions of barriers are related to particular rationalities on the position of farmers within society. In Q‐sorts and semistructured interviews, farmers ranked their degree of agreement on 41 statements about GWA, nutrient policy information, general beliefs on soil and farm management and circular agriculture, inspired by a cultural theory framework. Six decision perspectives were identified, globally agreeing on the benefits of GWA but challenged by rapidly changing regulations regarding nutrient management. Plurality in decision perspectives captured the need for trusted information, alongside differing views on responsibility and views on sustainable agriculture. Combining Q‐methodology with cultural theory confirmed the need to include various notions of trust, power and responsibility in understanding complex decision‐making perspectives within more sustainable soil management practices.

Farmers’ Transition to Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Systematic Review of the Decision-Making Factors Affecting Adoption

“…In this review, 22 out of 27 articles show that positive attitudes towards the environment and climate change, pro-environmental attitudes and positive attitudes towards CSA practices positively affect adoption [31,46,47]. Trust also plays a crucial role in adoption since farmers will not accept CSA practices if they cannot trust the sources promoting them, including the media, peers and other value chain stakeholders, as well as governments [33,48,49]. Finally, subjective norms relate to what farmers believe to be socially approved by family, peers and society.…”

“…Finally, subjective norms relate to what farmers believe to be socially approved by family, peers and society. These influence adoption rates since farmers will act in accordance with social expectations in order to remain valued members of their respective social groups [48,50].…”

“…In this review, 17 out of 30 studies showed that policies that are considered by farmers to increase the economic viability of their farms and facilitate transition and cooperation along the value chain incentivize farmers. However, in some cases (12 out of 30 studies), policies act as a barrier when they fail to compensate farmers' loss of income, come with administrative burdens, there is a lack of payment differentiation according to different contexts, and a lack of long-term governmental vision [37,48,72,92,93].…”

Implementing Agricultural Policies: Driving Sustainable Growth in the Farming Sector in Indonesia

“…The research on implementing agricultural policies and driving sustainable growth in the farming sector is grounded in the theoretical framework of sustainable agriculture and policy implementation. Sustainable agriculture emphasizes the need to balance economic, social, and environmental dimensions to ensure long-term viability (Brohm & Klein, 2020;Czyzewski & Matuszczak, 2016;Happel et al, 2022). It focuses on practices that conserve natural resources, minimize environmental impacts, promote biodiversity, and support the livelihoods of farmers.…”