The role of grazier motivations and risk attitudes in the adoption of grazing best management practices

Abstract

The onus on landholders in relation to environmental performance is ever increasing. One tool for achieving environmental improvements is the design and promotion of region-specific ‘best management practices’ (BMPs). These are conservation practices aimed at reducing diffuse source pollution from agricultural lands and thus improving end-of-catchment water quality. A suite of grazing BMPs were developed for the Burdekin Dry Tropics region in a consultative fashion but without explicit consideration of knowledge of adoption processes. It is known from the literature that farmers’ goals and risk perceptions in particular influence adoption decisions. This paper utilises the data from an earlier grazier survey to explore to what extent grazier motivations and risk perceptions influence the adoption of BMPs. The results demonstrate clear correlations between both motivations and risk attitudes, and the adoption of recommended BMPs, with specific preferences for different BMPs. We conclude that a sound understanding of landholders’ motivations and risk attitudes is required—in a regional, industry and environmental context—to tailor programmes aimed at improving regional environmental performance.conservation practices, adoption, water quality, grazing, Burdekin River catchment, best management practices, risk management, motivations, empirical research, correlations, factor analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Risk and Uncertainty,