2 research outputs found
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How values and perceptions shape farmers' biodiversity management: insights from ten European countries
Farmers play a pivotal role in addressing biodiversity loss whilst maintaining food production. To rethink
conservation in agricultural landscapes, it is crucial to understand their decisions regarding biodiversity and its
management on the farms. In this study, we conducted 48 semi-structured interviews across ten European
countries in 2021/22 to explore how farmersâ perceptions and valuations relate to their biodiversity management. Employing reflexive thematic analysis, we identified recurring patterns of shared meanings. Our findings
underscore the profound influence of farmersâ biodiversity perceptions on their biodiversity management
practices: 1) Narrow and targeted interventions were closely tied to instrumental values of biodiversity, whereas
holistic management strategies were linked with recognising an inherent value of nature. 2) Targeted approaches
were related to farmersâ interpretations of biodiversity as specific taxa and functions, relying on easily assessable
and emotionally connoted indicators. 3) Holistic approaches aligned with a broader biodiversity concept and an
emphasis on intricate functional relationships within ecosystems. 4) Actual decisions to implement measures
were significantly constrained by perceived dependencies, namely production pathways, social dependencies,
and landscape conditions. These findings raise a critical question about the prioritisation of ecocentric intrinsic
versus anthropocentric instrumental values in conservation strategies. We propose an approach of ethical
pluralism, acknowledging that instrumental values may provide practical solutions for certain challenges, while
intrinsic values hold ethical significance, particularly in the context of complex or large-scale biodiversity
conservation initiatives. Engaging in dialogue that accounts for diverse values will be essential for shaping
effective and socially meaningful biodiversity conservation
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Using a perception matrix to elicit farmersâ perceptions towards stakeholders in the context of biodiversity-friendly farming
Farmers' pro-environmental action is substantially influenced by various stakeholders from their business and social environment. Recent studies recommend actively involving influential stakeholders in agri-environmental initiatives, information or media campaigns. While it has been argued that farmers' perceptions towards these stakeholders can help inform effective involvement, comprehensive assessments of these perceptions remain scarce, particularly in the context of biodiversity-friendly farming. To understand and compare farmersâ perceptions of these stakeholder quantitatively, we developed and applied a perception matrix. In an exploratory survey with 49 farmers across ten European countries, farmers rated twelve groups of stakeholders (e.g. government bodies, farm advisors and input suppliers) against eight perception constructs (e.g. trustworthiness, interest in protecting biodiversity). We found that perceptions differed significantly both between groups of stakeholders and between constructs. Whereas several stakeholders were, on average, perceived positively regarding their general characteristics, such as trustworthiness, reliability, understanding and support for farming, perceptions regarding their biodiversity-related behavior were significantly more negative. Our findings indicate potential to improve policy development and implementation of agri-environmental initiatives through the involvement of multiple, non-governmental, agricultural and non-agricultural stakeholders in biodiversity-friendly farming initiatives across the entire agri-food value chain. Such multi-stakeholder initiatives could help to not only reinforce biodiversity conservation action among the farming community, but across society as a whole as emphasized by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Further research is needed to confirm the observed trends on a larger, representative sample, for which the presented perception matrix is well suited