Improving farmer participation in sustainable agriculture: insights from social psychology

The adverse environmental effects caused by the current model of agricultural intensification call for a shift to a more sustainable agricultural model. Several initiatives are stimulating farmers’ adoption of sustainable farming practices, but participation rates vary considerably. In this article, we explore how farmer motivations to participate are affected by the initiative’s context. We present a socio-psychological framework that is based on the self-determination theory and test 6 hypotheses about why farmers participate. Our analysis of Stichting Veldleeuwerik, a Dutch initiative that includes approximately 400 farmers, shows that particular characteristics of the participation context favour involvement in the initiative and the endorsement of sustainable farming practices. Self-determination theory makes it possible to understand how autonomously motivated farmers are stimulated by a context in which they feel related to people they value, they feel competent and they perceive some freedom of choice and autonomy within the initiative. Further, our analysis shows that initiatives should keep rules to a minimum, as excessive regulation negatively affects autonomous motivations. We conclude with a call to apply our socio-psychological framework to investigate other initiatives, with the aim of deepening our understanding about a good design of sustainable farming initiatives, to eventually guide emerging initiatives.status: submitte