Social capital is the whole set of shared norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs that promote cooperation among individuals within the community and that has proved to be a key factor in explaining development processes. This article aims to provide an analytically reliable notion of social capital within the farming sector and a methodological tool for empirically measuring how social capital is accumulated at the farmer level. The theoretical framework proposed is based on the multidimensionality of the complex concept of social capital. Thus, to develop a comprehensive index for social capital, we identify three dimensions of the concept, structural, relational, and cognitive social capital, each one also comprising several subdimensions. This integrative approach permits creation of a composite indicator of the agricultural social capital accumulated at the farmer level, further identifying socioeconomic factors that influence its accumulation at that level. We empirically apply this methodological approach to farmers in Andalusia in southern Spain as a case study. This research provides an interesting starting point for informing policymakers about social capital and helping them implement the necessary programs to facilitate sustainable development in the agricultural sector. * We express our gratitude to the anonymous reviewers.

ResumenEn este artículo se analizan las actitudes de los agricultores ante la política agroambiental. Para ello, se recurre a un enfoque multidimensional (económico, social y medioambiental), que permite analizar el sistema de preferencias de los agricultores ante esta política. El predominio de una u otra dimensión a la hora de acogerse a un programa agroambiental dependerá de ese sistema de preferencias y de cómo éste interrelaciona con una estructura de oportunidades en la que intervienen, además de factores sociodemográficos y estructurales, la naturaleza y el contenido de los programas y las actitudes y estrategias de la Administración y de las organizaciones profesionales agrarias (OPA). Palabras clave: política agroambiental, actores sociales, agricultores. Abstract. The role of farmers in the agri-environmental policy. A multidimensional approachIn this article the author analyses farmers' attitudes facing with agri-environmental policy. To this end, a multidimensional approach is chosen (economic, social and environmental) allowing to analyse the farmers' preferences framework. What dimension predominates in deciding to apply or not for an agri-environemental measure depends on that preferences framework, and on how it interacts with an opportunities structure made up of the content and nature of agri-environmental programme and the attitudes and strategies of governments and farmers' unions.

In many parts of the world, millions of wildlife species are hunted for sport, food, skins, and other products. In recent years, a backlash has emerged from certain groups of society against this long-standing human pursuit. However, attitudes towards the control of wild animals to reduce the health risk to other animals, to lessen agricultural damage, or to protect game species, may generate a different reaction, where even killing is tolerated. In this paper, we analyze the public's acceptance of control hunting in Andalusia (southern Spain). Our results suggest that lethal control to improve domestic animal health is highly accepted (75%) is more controversial when animals are killed for damaging crops (59% acceptance) and is highly unaccepted when the goal is to enhance game species numbers (22% acceptance). Older people and males, in particular, accept more readily some of these control-hunting measures. These results are needed to understand better the public attitudes on which conservation managers can base their decisions when control hunting is required.

The assessment of the human dimensions of wildlife reintroduction projects is essential for their success. To date, few longitudinal studies (if any) have compared attitudes and perceived impacts before and after human‐assisted large predator reintroduction. In this study, we evaluated public (n = 1582) and hunters' (n = 773) support and perceived benefits and concerns before and after the reintroduction of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) (2007–2008 and 2015–2016, respectively) in southern Spain through a telephone survey. Most respondents supported lynx reintroduction, although support was slightly lower among hunters. Furthermore, support remained very high some years after lynx release. Our findings also revealed that perceptions toward the majority of benefits and concerns did not change after lynx reintroduction, and that those supporting reintroduction perceived more benefits, while opponents were more concerned. This suggests that efforts should focus on those opponents to reintroduction to ensure recognition of the benefits associated with predator restoration, including new tourism opportunists and predator's ecological values. Our research also points at the need of studying more in depth the views of those who oppose to predator reintroduction and of decision‐makers (e.g., landowners or game managers) when poaching is still a risk for restored populations even if the social context is favorable, as in our case‐study.