www.agtechdaily.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • Agriculture
  • Food
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
Contact
ABOUT US
  • Home
  • Agriculture
  • Food
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
No Result
View All Result
www.agtechdaily.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Agriculture

New research shows how to include more farmers in the design of new environmental policies

Admin by Admin
March 31, 2022
Reading Time:3min read
0

RELATED POSTS

Citizen science initiatives increase pollinator activity in private gardens and green spaces

Why this promising biofuel crop takes a summer break

Plant protection of the future may come from the plants themselves

Credit: Bobby Mikul/public domain

A paper published in People and Nature explores how government policymakers can include a wide range of farmers in the design of new Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, using different engagement strategies to work with individuals who may be harder to reach.

The research, led by Dr. Ruth Little from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Geography, found there are multiple reasons why farmers might be reluctant to engage with policymakers.

These include negative past experiences, a lack of time and a lack of interest, as well as perceived scheme bureaucracy, age, lack of trust and bad internet access.

Researchers outlined a series of recommendations for how policymakers can improve methods of engagement so that a wide range of farmers can be included in the design of new policies for agriculture and environment.

These include improving rural broadband, working with trusted people, ensuring that engagement benefits farmers, and making sure forms of engagement like written consultations are accessible to those with disabilities and limited free time.

The recommendations apply not only to the UK, but also to other countries planning similar changes to environmental policies on farmland.

Buy JNews
ADVERTISEMENT

Researchers also found that farmers are more likely to support and implement new policies on their farms if policymakers include a wider range of farmers in the design of new environmental policies, concluding that this will help deliver benefits to the environment.

Dr. Ruth Little, Lecturer in Human Geography and member of the Institute for Sustainable Food, said, “This is the biggest change in agricultural policy in over a generation. ELM could be transformational in terms of paying farmers to produce environmental benefits; but it needs to be well designed to deliver agricultural sustainability in terms of economic, social and environmental gains. Our research provides important insights on making the development of ELM as inclusive as possible, to ensure a sustainable future for both agriculture and the environment.”

Dr. David Rose, Associate Professor at the University of Reading, who led the writing of the paper published today, said, “Latest figures suggest that 39% of farmers do not understand Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]’s future vision, 54% do not have the right information for business planning, and 47% of holdings are not positive about their future in farming. Our research provides tangible actions for Defra on how to help those ‘harder to reach’ farmers who may be least confident about their future and know the least about how to make a successful transition.”

Dr. Paul Hurley, a Senior Research Fellow from the University of Southampton and a lead author of the project reports and manuscript, stated, “The research identified the value of engaging and listening to a broad range of farmers, and the dangers of not doing so. Amidst a landscape of uncertainty—COVID-19, Brexit, a climate emergency and geopolitical tensions—we saw how important it is that policymakers get it right, for current and future generations and for environmental sustainability.”

Jessica Lyon, Environmental Policy Consultant at ICF and former Research Associate at the University of Sheffield, and a lead author of the project reports and manuscript, remarked, “A commitment from Defra to engage farmers in agricultural policy development is laudable, but time and resource is required to ensure that engagement is wide-reaching.

“Online digital platforms are an example of a tool that can increase engagement levels for some but act as a barrier for those with poor internet connectivity and less confidence with digital platforms. Care here is needed to ensure that some aren’t left behind during this agricultural transition period.”


COVID stress is the tip of iceberg for farmers’ mental health


More information:
Paul Hurley et al, Co‐designing the environmental land management scheme in England: The why, who and how of engaging ‘harder to reach’ stakeholders, People and Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10313

Provided by
University of Sheffield

Citation:
New research shows how to include more farmers in the design of new environmental policies (2022, March 30)
retrieved 30 March 2022
from https://phys.org/news/2022-03-farmers-environmental-policies.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Source link

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Admin

Admin

Related Posts

Agriculture

Citizen science initiatives increase pollinator activity in private gardens and green spaces

January 27, 2023
Agriculture

Why this promising biofuel crop takes a summer break

January 27, 2023
Agriculture

Plant protection of the future may come from the plants themselves

January 26, 2023
Agriculture

Study analyzes gender differences in uptake of biological control agent to tackle tomato pest in Pakistan

January 26, 2023
Agriculture

Proper management of nitrogen and irrigation shown to increase yields and reduce leaching

January 26, 2023
Agriculture

Can we increase the carbon content of agricultural soils?

January 26, 2023
Next Post

Urban farming taking root in Malaysia

Plant-based meat, dairy and eggs: A game changer or a flash in the pan?

Latest News

IRI analyst dissects drop in food/beverage unit sales

September 7, 2022

Inaugural Resilient Harvests Conference Announces Two Keynote Speakers – Urban Ag News

August 2, 2022

Norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships not uncommon

January 14, 2023

Most Popular

  • Agricultural E-Commerce Boosts Incomes For Cherry farmers in Shandong

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Seeds of Discord: Farmers Accused of Fraud in Dicamba Dispute | Arkansas Business News

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Farm Credit Administration tours the Midwest – Agweek

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 12 Biggest Agriculture Companies in the World

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • How Technology Is Changing Agriculture

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
www.agtechdaily.com

AgTech Daily provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and trends shaping the agricultural and food technology industry

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Announcements
  • Food
  • Others
  • Sustainability
  • Technology

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About us

© 2022 - All Right Reserved. www.agtechdaily.com.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Agriculture
  • Food
  • Technology
  • Sustainability

© 2022 - All Right Reserved. www.agtechdaily.com.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
%d bloggers like this: