Social-Psychological Determinants of Farmer Intention to Adopt Nutrient Best Management Practices: Implications for Resilient Adaptation to Climate Change in the Lake Champlain Basin


TitleSocial-Psychological Determinants of Farmer Intention to Adopt Nutrient Best Management Practices: Implications for Resilient Adaptation to Climate Change in the Lake Champlain Basin
Publication TypeConference Paper and Presentation
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsDoran, EMB, Zia, A, Hurley, S, Tsai, Y-S, Koliba, C, Adair, EC, Schattman, RE, V Mendez, E, Rizzo, DM
Conference NameNALMS 2019 (39th International Symposium of the North American Lake Management Society)
Date Published2019/11
PublisherNorth American Lake Management Society (NALMS)
Conference LocationBurlington, VT
Abstract

Adaptation to climate change and increased watershed resilience to harmful algal blooms and extreme events requires widespread use of Nutrient Best Management Practices (NBMPs) by farms of all sizes. To better understand farmers’ decisions to adopt NBMPs, we test the social-psychological theory of planned behavior to determine the relative influence of attitudes, perceived social norms, and perceived behavioral control on adoption of nine NBMPs. A survey instrument was designed by the research team and implemented by USDA-NASS (US Department of Agriculture-National Agricultural Statistics Service) in 2013, and replicated in 2016, on a stratified sample of 129 farmers (including panel data on 56 farmers) in the Missisquoi and Lamoille watersheds of the Lake Champlain Basin in Vermont, United States. We developed nine weighted structural equation models to test endogenous (socio-psychological) and exogenous (policy, economic and demographic) predictors of farmer intention to adopt NBMPs. We found that perceived behavioral control has the largest effect size and strongest statistical significance on the NBMP adoption behaviors. Perceived social norms and farmer attitudes were also significant for a subset of NBMPs. Among the exogenous variables, we found that large farm size, college education and conservation easements all had a positive influence on NBMP adoption behaviors. The evidence from this study suggests that for widespread adoption of NBMPs, environmental managers, policy makers, and program developers should be attentive to farmers’ perceived behavioral control, and support the design and execution of outreach and technical assistance programs that build on these and other drivers of farmers’ decision making.

URLhttps://www.nalms.org/nalms2019/
Status: 
Published
Attributable Grant: 
BREE
Grant Year: 
Year4
Acknowledged VT EPSCoR: 
Ack-Yes