How to improve the adoption of soil conservation practices? Suggestions from farmers' perception in western Sicily. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fantappiè, Maria; Lorenzetti, Romina; De Meo, Isabella; Costantini, Edoardo A.C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of rural studies. Volume 73(2020)
• Page Start: 186
• Page End: 202
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Farmers involvement -- Conservation agriculture -- Integrated farming -- Organic farming -- Regional authorities -- Italy; Sociology, Rural -- Periodicals; Country life -- Periodicals; Rural development -- Periodicals; Land use, Rural -- Planning -- Periodicals; Rural conditions -- Periodicals; Sociologie rurale -- Périodiques; Vie rurale -- Périodiques; Développement rural -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation agricole du -- Planification -- Périodiques; Conditions rurales -- Périodiques; Country life; Land use, Rural -- Planning; Rural conditions; Rural development; Sociology, Rural; Periodicals; 307.72
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.11.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0743-0167

Abstract

Abstract: The knowledge of farmers' perception about the value of natural resources in agricultural management should have a central role in the orientation of decision-making processes in the rural policy. The final goal of such knowledge is to involve the population in the management of the territory with a bottom-up approach for a sustainable use of natural resources. Taking as case study the agricultural district of Western Sicily (Italy), which is one of the most important agricultural areas of Europe and is affected by soil degradation processes, our study pursued the following objectives: 1) to measure the adoption of the soil conservation practices (SCP) promoted by the Region inside the Rural Development Programs, with respect to some personal and farm features; 2) to find out the relationship between the personal and farm characteristics and the perceived environmental, aesthetic, productive, and management advantages, deriving from the adoption of SCP. The analysis was carried out using a 'multiple choice' answer questionnaire, administered to 125 farmers. Univariate statistics, Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), and Chi-square test were used. Minimum tillage resulted the most adopted among the SCP not included inside Rural Development Program at the study time, while organic manuring the most adopted among SCP included inside Rural Development Program. The interviewed farmers revealed an inclination to perceive the production benefits (increased yield, and crop quality) and management benefits (production costs reduction, and working time reduction), stronger than the environmental and aesthetic ones. Farmers perceiving management advantages also perceived production benefits. Similarly, farmers perceiving environmental advantages also perceived aesthetic benefits. Effective profitability resulted the main efficient stimulus to the adoption of SCP, much larger than farmers' ecological attitudes, or the presence of subsidies. MCA and Chi-square test indicated that the farm size had the strongest influence on the choice of the SCP, and on the type of perceived advantages. Farmers asked to the Regional Authorities an improvement in technical advice services on the implementation of SCP, in order to make them profitable. Highlights: Choice of the practices and perceived advantages were mostly affected by farm size. Farmers mostly perceived yield/quality increase, together with costs/time saving. Farmers had a low perception of environmental and social advantages. Subsidies were not a stimulus to the adoption of soil conservation practices. Technical advice service is needed to make conservation practices profitable.