Busy road frontage influences on-farm adoption of visible good management practices. (April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dorner, Zack; Knook, Jorie; Yang, Wei; Stahlmann-Brown, Philip
• Is Part Of: Journal of rural studies. Volume 99(2023)
• Page Start: 45
• Page End: 52
• Publication Date: 2023-04
• Subjects: Good farming -- Social pressure -- Agriculture -- Environmental norms -- Adoption -- Life on land; 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.2023.02.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0743-0167

Abstract

Abstract: The agricultural sector faces increasing social pressure for its environmental impacts, potentially prompting farmers to uptake voluntary 'good management practices' (GMPs). While the existing literature posits that uptake of GMPs is prevalent in observable places such as along busy roads, there is a lack of quantitative empirical evidence. This study identifies whether perceived busy road frontage impacts farmers' adoption of voluntary GMPs via a large-scale survey of dairy and sheep and beef farmers in New Zealand. We find that frontage on a busy road is associated with greater uptake of a GMP that is easily observed and recognised by the general public, but GMPs not visible from the road do not show greater uptake. We further find that the effect is amplified for dairy farmers vis-à-vis sheep and beef farmers, consistent with the higher levels of public scrutiny of the dairy industry. We contribute to the social pressure literature by demonstrating how visible GMPs subject to scrutiny are likely to have higher uptake. Highlights: Social pressure pushes industries to change. One way farms are subject to this pressure is through visibility from the road. We find busy road frontage increases adoption of visible Good Management Practices.