Assessing farmers' risk attitudes based on economic, social, personal, and environmental sources of risk: evidence from Sweden

This paper examines farmers' risk attitudes, obtained by responses to sources of risk, using an attitudinal scale approach. Economic, social, personal, and environmental sources of risk are considered in the measurement of risk attitudes. In addition, use of various types of expertise and information sources are included as risk management tools. Inferences are drawn from results of a survey mailed to a representative random sample of 500 farmers drawn from the population of medium to large farms (by acreage) in southern Sweden. Regarding the adequacy of the results it was found that a mail survey produces results similar to earlier results obtained by personal interview. Farmers' responses to the attitudinal scales showed levels of communal variation between 80 and 83%, which is higher than the result reported by Bard and Barry (2000) (68.6%). This indicates that a broader field of risk sources improves the measurement of risk attitudes. The results further indicate a slight degree of risk aversion and that crop and livestock farmers use different sets of risk management tools, depending on their risk attitudes. The results of this work are of relevance because if attitudes induce risk response, then the communication approaches for extension services or policy makers will be very different than if it is 'risk', as that word is typically used