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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Andy Jin, Dr Sophie Tindale, Professor Lynn FrewerORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Permanent grassland (PG) provides multiple ecosystem services. However, there is increasing concern regarding the decreased multifunctionality of PGs, including those located in Europe. The decreased PG functionality has been attributed to the increased intensity of PG management, where decision-making is influenced by farmers’ relevant behavioural intentions and self-identities. In order to investigate how farmer identities can translate into future adoption of PG management practices, interviews (n=373) were conducted with farmers from five European biogeographic zones. The farms are located in Continental / Pannonian (Czech Republic), Mediterranean (Spain), Boreal (Sweden), Alpine (Switzerland) and Atlantic (United Kingdom) biogeographic regions. The data were analysed using a mixed-method approach (thematic analysis and multinomial logistic regressions). The thematic analysis enabled seven farmer “identity” types to be identified. The results of multinomial logistic regressions showed productivist identity was a predictor of farmers’ intention to intensify or extensify PG in the future, while land caretaker identity predicted maintenance of current PG management practice. Farmers with higher dependence on income from agri-environment schemes were more likely to extensify their PG in the future, while those with higher dependence on income from farm production were more likely to maintain current PG management practices. Older farmers were less likely to extensify their PG, and those having organic and extensive farms were more likely to intensify PG in the future.Future policies and interventions that aim to increase PG-related ecosystem-service multifunctionality can be better targeted by considering specific farm attributes, farmer identities and their future PG management intentions, as well as regional differences in these. Financial benefits and risks perceived by farmers should be considered when promoting any management practices, including in relation to policy interventions and policy levers.
Author(s): Jin S, Cao Y, Burd M, Tindale S, Feng Z, Green O, Newell-Price P, Vicario-Modroño V, Mack G, Sánchez-Zamora P, Gallardo R, Cobos R, Spörri M, EI Benni N, Alonso N, Miskolci S, Outhwaite S, Hunter E, Frewer LJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: People and Nature
Year: 2024
Pages: ePub ahead of Print
Online publication date: 30/09/2024
Acceptance date: 20/06/2024
Date deposited: 20/06/2024
ISSN (electronic): 2575-8314
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10716
DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10716
Data Access Statement: The data underlying the results presented in this paper will be archived using Zenodo repository (https://zenodo.org/uploads/12946964)
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