Impact of farmer self-identity and attitudes on participation in agri-environment schemes

Influencing farmers to make positive contributions to the environment is one of the goals of agri-environment schemes (AESs). Understanding the drivers of farmer behaviour and the choices they make with regards to AESs is important as this aids policy makers in creating schemes that have a wider scope and are more likely to achieve environmental goals. Past studies have identified the importance of farmer self-identity and attitudes in decisions made on farms. Little emphasis has been put on modelling the relationship between self-identity and attitudes towards schemes and the resulting impact on participation in voluntary AESs. Using Ireland as a case-study, this paper employs a survey of 1000 farms to look at participation in AESs through the lens of farmer perceived self-identity and their attitudes towards schemes. A relatively novel approach of combining factor analysis, to generate a self-identity typology, with an AES participation regression model is implemented. The model results suggest that self-identity and attitudes have a significant impact on AES participation. Neighbouring farmers’ viewpoints also have a significant and positive impact on the participation decision made by farmers.     

农户环境友好型农业技术选择行为及异质性基于离散选择实验的研究

目的 中国是世界上最大的化肥和农药使用国,农业绿色发展面临严峻挑战,这与缺少国家层面和农田管理层面为农户专门设计的环境友好型技术及配套激励政策不无关系。方法 文章利用离散选择实验（Discrete choice experiment,DCE）,以环境友好型农业技术（Agri-environmental technologies,AETs）及配套政策为基础设计农业环境政策方案（Agri-environmental schemes,AES）。用混合Logit模型（Mixed Logit model,MXL）来揭示农户在假想的AES情景下对AETs的选择行为及影响因素,证实农户偏好异质性的存在。后续条件Logit模型（Conditional Logit model,CLM）引入交互变量进一步揭示农户的偏好异质性来源。结果 研究表明补偿额度及农户社会经济变量是影响其参与AES的主要因素,且相对于退出保持现有耕种方式不变农户更偏好于实施AES。该研究还证实了农户对AETs选择偏好存在异质性,因此灵活的政策设计是AES顺利实施的重要保障。结论 鉴于对农户选择偏好及异质性的充分了解,政策制定者可以科学地制定和微调农业环境政策,设计AES以最大限度地减少各类农户反对意见,吸引绝大多数农户采纳AETs实践,提高项目参与率。     

Farmers' Preferences and Social Capital Regarding Agri‐environmental Schemes to Protect Birds

The steady decline of birds living in cereal steppe lands is a worrying situation that the European Common Agricultural Policy is attempting to remedy through the application of agri‐environmental schemes (AES). We assess farmers' preferences towards these AES, which call for a number of environmental practices to protect birds. Using a face‐to‐face survey in farming communities in Aragón (Spain), and through the estimation of an Ordered Logit model (OL), we assess the ranking of AES attributes, and obtain their economic valuation according to the farmers' preferences. We find that social factors are also important in determining farmers' decisions. In particular, the importance of social trust and expectation of compliance by other neighbours, encourage farmers to sign up to AES. These and other results may be used to design more effective AES and help to solve this important biodiversity problem.     

Farmer's willingness to participate in wetland restoration: a hurdle model approach

Due to a severe degradation of the wetland ecosystem in China, great efforts have been devoted to promote farmers’ willingness to participate in wetland restoration. As the decision‐making body, farmer's willingness to participate is critical to wetland restoration. It is thus important to understand factors that will affect farmers’ willingness to participate and their levels of participation. Using a survey sample of 1,009 farmers from the Poyang Lake wetland area in China, this article applies a hurdle model to empirically investigate the factors affecting individual farmers’ sequential decisions on whether or not to participate and how much land to enroll in wetland restoration. Results suggest that farmers’ information and knowledge about wetland restoration compensation policy is crucial in determining whether or not to participate in the first stage. Meanwhile, individual farmer characteristics and household attributes play different roles in influencing farmers’ participation decisions and acreage enrollment decisions. This study provides useful insights to identify effective policy instruments to motivate participation and ensure success of such policies.     

Determinants of the Willingness of Belgian Farmers to Participate in Agri‐environmental Measures

This paper explores the willingness of Belgian farmers to participate in two voluntary agri‐environmental policies. Farmers' contingent behaviour is analysed on the basis of survey data. Derivations based on a conceptual micro‐economic model indicate that decision subject and decision maker characteristics are important for farmers' participation. The model is empirically tested through the specification and estimation of a probit model. Consistency is found between the theoretical framework and the empirical results indicating that both the expected effect on farm production and the farmers' environmental attitude, which is more positive among younger and better educated farmers, are significant determinants of the acceptance rate of agri‐environmental policies. Other variables which influence participation decisions are farm size and previous experience of farmers themselves or of neighbouring farmers with agri‐environmental measures.     

小农户参与现代农业行为的影响因素——基于甘肃348户农户调查分析

目的 实现小农户与现代农业发展有机衔接是我国农业现代化建设的重要内容。方法 文章基于解构计划行为理论,利用甘肃省348户农户调查数据,采用多群组结构方程模型分析小农户参与现代农业行为的影响因素。结果 （1）小农户参与现代农业行为意愿模型中,农户家庭禀赋是最主要的影响因素,行为态度、感知行为控制次之,交易费用和主观规范的影响力最小。（2）小农户参与现代农业的意愿显著正向影响参与行为。（3）感知绩效对小农户行为态度的影响强于感知风险;小农户对同伴的信任度明显高于对上级政府和村集体的信任度;缔约条件对小农户参与意愿的影响更有效,农户较为重视进入门槛高低;劳动力数量、农户受教育水平以及对收购产品中介的熟悉程度对小农户行为意愿均具有重要影响。（4）多群组分析得出不同类型小农户参与现代农业意愿与行为的影响因素存在显著差异;家庭禀赋对自给型、兼业型和退出型农户的参与意愿具有显著的负向影响,对发展型农户参与意愿具有显著的正向影响;行为态度、主观规范、感知行为控制等变量对不同类型小农户参与意愿与行为存在显著的正向影响,且这些变量在不同类型农户参与现代农业意愿与行为路径中具有调节效应。结论 要加强现代农业宣传力度,改善农户行为态度;积极营造社会氛围,发挥周围人群的示范效应;提供技术、资金以及市场信息支持,增强农户对现代农业的掌控力;大力培育和发展新型农业经营主体,为小农户融入现代农业设计差异化的政策支持体系。     

Collective agri-environment schemes: How can regional environmental cooperatives enhance farmers’ intentions for agri-environment schemes?

The effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AES) in enhancing biodiversity on farmland and creating a long-lasting change in farmers’ motivation towards a more environmental-friendly practice is still strongly debated. Applying a regional approach has been advocated widely to make AES more ecologically and socially sustainable. In the Netherlands, some AES are performed collectively by large regional groups of farmers called Environmental Cooperatives (EC). We hypothesise that these cooperatives enhance farmers’ intention to participate by facilitating the application of AES, but also by generating group pressure. In the study at hand, we used an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to investigate which factors are associated with farmers’ intention to participate in two kinds of collective AES (ditch bank management and the protection of meadow birds). Our results demonstrate that attitude and perceived personal ability to participate in these AES are associated with the intention of farmers to participate in ditch bank management. However, for the protection of meadow birds, social pressure, self-identity and facilitation by the EC also relate to the intention of farmers. We conclude that the facilitation undertaken by ECs positively relates to farmers’ intention to participate in collective AES.     

农户参与湿地保护对家庭减贫的影响及作用机制——基于自然保护区问卷调查的实证研究

[目的]试图从微观层面农户参与视角分析保护区建立对多维贫困的影响,以期为我国类似地区改进扶贫政策、创新农户生计策略选择提供实证支撑。[方法]文章以云南省大山包黑颈鹤自然保护区为例,基于2019年收集的364份有效问卷,构建“农户参与—生计策略—家庭贫困”的理论分析框架,采用二项Logit模型和中介效应模型分析了农户参与湿地保护对减贫的影响及作用机制。[结果]（1）受访农户贫困发生率超过75%,非参与农户贫困发生率比参与农户高约29%。（2）收入偏低、脆弱性大,信息闭塞,难以获得金融支持是关键致贫因素。（3）农户参与湿地保护显著利于多维减贫,并对收入、生活质量、就业及发展单维度减贫具有显著影响。（4）生计策略多样化和非农化对减贫具有显著中介效应,占总效应的比例分别为24.48%和17.26%。[结论]建议提供多样化生计模式,对参与和非参与农户精准施策,完善保障机制,提高生计能力。     

农民合作社减贫、增收效应与异质性分析基于中国西部贫困地区农户调研数据

目的 在脱贫攻坚视域中,农民合作社作为产业扶贫的重要载体,为乡村经济和社会发展提供动力,是农村地区反贫困合意、有效的组织化形态,对农民合作社减贫问题进行研究,具有重要的理论价值和现实意义。方法 文章利用2018年云南、贵州、陕西和甘肃4省7县1 393户农户的微观调研数据,采用分位数回归和倾向得分匹配法对农户参加农民合作社的增收效应进行了实证检验。结果 农民合作社可以有效改善农户家庭收入水平,参加农民合作社可以使农户家庭总收入平均提高38.04%;农民合作社对中高收入水平农户、非贫困农户、低学历农户的增收促进作用更为明显;另外,户主受教育年限、是否建档立卡、土地面积、村里面是否有农民合作社、人情往来支出对数、政府补贴津贴对数、是否参加专业培训等7个因素均提高了农户参加农民合作社的意愿,而户主年龄、学生数量、是否有外出务工人员等3个因素会降低农户参加农民合作社的意愿。结论 据此,应继续培育和发展农民合作社,提升农户参与农民合作社的意愿,强化农民合作社与贫困农户的利益联结,注重扶贫资源对于贫困农户获得的便利性。     

Factors Affecting Farmers’ Participation in Agri‐environmental Measures: A Northern Italian Perspective

Agri‐environmental measures play an important role in Italian rural areas, as shown by the financial commitment to the Rural Development programmes. However, in contrast with other European Union (EU) countries, policy‐makers still have limited experience on how farmers approach environmental incentive schemes. This paper casts new light on this issue from a northern Italian perspective. The rationale of the farmers’ decision‐making process is explored using two multinomial models. The first explains the probability of non‐participation or participation in one of three specific agri‐environmental measures. The model outcomes show that labour‐intensive farming types and high dependency of household income on farming activity constrain farmers’ participation, whereas previous experience, easy‐to‐implement environmentally friendly farm practices and adequate compensation of extra costs encourage participation. The second model explores the effect of farmers’ attitudes and beliefs on their predispositions towards participation in any of the schemes. The results highlight that, besides income factors, the farm's future in the business, and the relationship with neighbouring farmers and their opinions on environmentally friendly practices all have significant effects on adoption of agri‐environmental measures. The paper concludes by suggesting that farmers’ attitudes and beliefs, as well as the local behavioural influences, have to be taken into account when designing and communicating agri‐environmental measures.     

What Do Farmers Want From Agri‐Environmental Scheme Design? A Choice Experiment Approach

Agri‐environmental schemes (AES) have had a limited effect on European agriculture due to farmers’ reluctance to participate. Information on how farmers react when AES characteristics are modified can be an important input to the design of such policies. This article investigates farmers’ preferences for different design options in a specific AES aimed at encouraging nitrogen fixing crops in marginal dry‐land areas in Spain. We use a choice experiment survey conducted in two regions (Aragón and Andalusia). The analysis employs an error component random parameter logit model allowing for preference heterogeneity and correlation amongst the non‐status quo alternatives. Farmers show a strong preference for maintaining their current management strategies; however, significant savings in cost or increased participation can be obtained by modifying some AES attributes.     

Estimating Input Complementarities with Unobserved Heterogeneity: Evidence from Ethiopia

The level of technology adoption is often characterised as low in Africa. Recent evidence, however, points to the coexistence of substantial heterogeneity across farm households and the lack of a suitable mix of inputs for farmers to take advantage of input complementarities. We use a random coefficients multivariate probit model to quantify the complementarities between agricultural inputs and alternative forms of unobserved heterogeneity effects in modeling farmers' technology adoption decisions. The empirical analysis reveals that, conditional on various types of unobserved heterogeneity effects, farmers' technology adoption decisions exhibit strong complementarity for some inputs. The analysis also reveals substantial unobserved heterogeneity effects. We show that ignoring these behavioural features (unobserved heterogeneity and input complementarity) has important implications in quantifying the effect of some policy interventions that are meant to facilitate technology adoption. In particular, ignoring these features leads to significant overestimation of the effectiveness of extension services.     

乡村振兴背景下农民参与农村集体经济股份合作制改革积极性研究基于四川省德阳市的调查

[目的]通过分析来自四川省德阳市农民参与农村集体经济股份合作制改革积极性的影响因素,提出具有针对性的政策建议,以期为进一步在全国范围内更好推行农村集体经济股份合作制改革,实现乡村振兴提供参考。[方法]文章基于四川省德阳市农民的实际调研数据,运用二元Logistic模型,从个人、家庭、社会特征方面对农民参与农村集体经济股份合作制改革积极性的影响因素进行描述性统计分析,并对模型回归结果进行实证分析。[结果]年龄对农民参与改革积极性具有显著负向影响,家庭年总收入、是否了解集体经济、是否了解股份合作制改革、现有政策是否符合当地实际情况、股份分配是否公平合理、是否参与股改方案的意见征求对农民参与改革积极性具有显著正向影响。[结论]通过加大宣传力度、完善制度政策、健全监管机制等对策提高农民参与农村集体经济股份合作制改革的积极性,推动乡村振兴发展。     

Exploring farmer perceptions of agricultural innovations for maize-legume intensification in the mid-hills region of Nepal

Maize-legume intercropping is a fundamental component of mixed farming systems in the mid-hills of Nepal. However, its productivity is constrained by several biophysical and social factors, and limited adoption of proven agricultural innovations. In this study, we assessed the productivity impact of a selection of relevant agricultural innovations and changes in the associated perceptions of farmers through a series of two-year participatory on-farm trials. The evaluated innovations resulted in higher yields as compared to farmers' current practices. The active involvement of farmers enlarged our understanding of underlying decision-making factors to adopt or non-adopt agricultural innovations. Additionally, the in-depth farmer engagement in our onfarm trials positively influenced farmer perceptions of the innovations and their interest to adopt the agricultural innovations. Yet, farmers final decisions to adopt some of the evaluated innovations were limited by a host of factors including labour scarcity, the availability of inputs, and by cultural preferences despite the increased yields. This was particularly true for low and medium resource-endowed farmers. This study shows the importance of active farmer participation and context-specific design of research and development projects aiming for local impact.     

农村生活污水治理受益农户付费行为分析——基于东江源水源地的农户调查

[目的]分析水源地农村生活污水治理中的农户参与及付费行为。[方法]文章运用单边界加支付卡式的改进条件价值评估法（CVM）,以东江源水源地500户农户调查微观数据为基础,采用Heckman两阶段模型分析农户付费行为差异及关键因素。[结果]（1）不同生活污水治理模式下样本农户同意进入付费情景的概率不同,支付意愿也不同,但差距不大;接入城（集）镇处理管网的农户平均支付意愿为8.55元/（月·户）,接入村落集中污水处理设施的农户平均支付意愿为4.42元/（月·户）,采用农户分散处理模式的农户平均支付意愿为5.63元/（月·户）。（2）村集体的参与、农户对水环境的感知变量均对农户付费行为有显著影响。其中,在第一阶段中区县变量、河流水质变化的感知、河流水质变化与污水处理关系认知、是否是集中污水处理设施覆盖村、文化程度、是否是村干部变量通过了显著检验,是影响受益农户是否同意付费的关键因素;在第二阶段中区县变量、本村生活污水处理治理成效满意度、收入通过了显著性检验,是影响受益农户支付水平的关键因素。[结论]应建立县级可持续的农村生活污水处理设施管护机制,明确污水处理设施管护责任主体,划分各主体职责,可...     

Does participation in the sloping land conversion program reduce the sensitivity of Chinese farmers to climate change?

Over the last two decades, extensive literature has examined the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of China's Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP), a program that was launched in late 1990s to mitigate the environmental effects of agricultural production and reduce rural poverty. However, little empirical evidence exists with regard to the impact of SLCP on rural households' sensitivity to nature-induced changes and environmental challenges. In this study, household-level data covering the period 1995–2010 from five Chinese provinces were used to examine the effect of SLCP on farmers' sensitivity to climate change. The empirical results show that participation in SLCP significantly reduced farmers' sensitivity to climate change by reducing their dependency on land and natural resources for income, and by diversifying their livelihood options. Spatially, the results reveal that the effect of SLCP on farmers' sensitivity vary across regions. Specifically, SLCP was found to have a ‘rate effect’ on farmers in the Northern regions and a ‘level effect’ on farmers in the Southern regions. Likewise, we found that the effect of SLCP differs considerably across income groups, with the effect on low- and middle-income groups being most significant. The results indicate that subsidy is the main pathway through which SLCP reduces farmers' sensitivity to climate change. In contrast, we found inclusive evidence about the indirect effect of SLCP farmers' sensitivity through the promotion of non-agricultural employment. These results carry major implications with regard to the effectiveness of ecological conservation programs and their mitigation potential through building farmers' resilience in China and ecologically fragile environments.     

“三权分置”下内蒙古自治区农民参与土地流转意愿的影响因素分析

[目的]通过分析内蒙古自治区农户土地流转意愿影响因素,了解农村土地流转的现状,发现对农户土地流转具有显著影响的因素,以此提出相关的政策建议,为内蒙古自治区推动土地流转的实施提供借鉴,促进内蒙古自治区土地合理充分利用。[方法]文章运用问卷调查法和Logistic模型,选取内蒙古自治区呼和浩特市、包头市、鄂尔多斯市以及乌兰察布市1 500名农户为调查对象,分析内蒙古自治区农户土地流转意愿的影响因素。[结果]家庭劳动力人口数量和受教育年限对农户参与土地流转的意愿具有显著影响;政策了解情况、养老保险情况、与亲朋邻居交往频率、土地流转合作组织、土地流转市场以及土地流转程序对农户参与土地流转的意愿具有较高影响。家庭纯收入和土地流转培训对农户土地流转的意愿具有一般的影响。网络接入情况、土地纠纷情况、与中心城镇距离以及土地肥沃度对农户土地流转的意愿影响较小。[结论]简化土地流转程序,入户进行政策宣传与培训。建立土地流转市场,完善和更新农户实际情况。     

农户响应耕地休耕政策的影响因素分析——以乌鲁木齐县为例

[目的]基于乌鲁木齐县294位农户调研数据,分析其响应耕地休耕的影响因素,针对性提出对策建议,以期为耕地休耕制度的顺利推进提供依据。[方法]文章基于调研数据的整理,从农户个体特征、农户家庭特征、耕地基本情况和农户对休耕政策的认知4个方面,利用二分类Logistic模型,对乌鲁木齐县农户响应耕地休耕政策的影响因素进行深入分析。[结果](1)研究区内受访农户积极响应休耕的人数占总数的63.61%,农户休耕积极响应程度有待提高。(2)耕地自然生产条件是影响耕地休耕的重要原因,耕地的资源禀赋直接影响农户参与休耕响应的程度。(3)补偿标准是否合理对耕地休耕政策响应程度影响显著,合理地制定休耕补偿标准,农户休耕响应热情将大幅度增加。[结论]应从耕地休耕补偿机制的建立,补偿模式的选择等方面来制定合理的休耕补偿标准,同时增强农户对耕地休耕政策的认知、提高休耕地管护重要性的认识等方面来提高农户休耕的响应程度。     

Self-initiated nature conservation by farmers: an analysis of Dutch farming

In Europe, the active contribution of farmers to nature conservation is mainly voluntary. Whereas participation in agri-environmental schemes (AES) has been studied in detail, less is known about self-initiated nature conservation. Given the alarming decline in species diversity and abundance in agricultural landscapes, it is important to explore this form of conservation in more detail. In this paper we report on the results of a survey of Dutch dairy and arable farmers. We conclude that a large majority of farmers conduct self-initiated conservation activities on their farmyards and fields with varying ecological impacts and impacts on farming system. Helping birds was the most often mentioned activity. Farm size, on-farm side activities (in dairy farming), organic farming, the quality of the surrounding area and the absence of external constraints have a positive effect on the number of activities. Intensity has a negative effect on both the number of activities and on the probability that farmers conduct activities with substantial ecological impacts. There is no unambiguous evidence of a ‘crowding-out effect’ due to participation in AES. More research in this area can help contributing to a maximal exploitation of the conservation potential by farmers and to creating synergies with agri-environmental policies.