Between Forestry and Farming: Policy and Environmental Implications of the Barriers to Agroforestry Adoption

Abstract

Farming and forestry are practices with clearly defined institutions, markets, and policies. These are not as clearly defined for agroforestry, a practice experiencing increased interest in the USA. This study examined the barriers preventing the adoption of agroforestry within a household level theoretical framework informed by transaction costs and multifunctionality, using survey data from 353 Missouri (USA) landowners. Costs of establishing or managing trees, the time required to manage, and the lack of tree management experience are perceived as the most influential barriers limiting implementation of agroforestry on the farm. A principal component factor analysis of the perceived barriers identified two factors: the first, labeled Transaction Costs, related to information access and perceived establishment costs; the second factor, labeled Profitability Concerns, was associated with perceptions of the effects of agroforestry on farm profitability and agricultural production. Overall, Transaction Costs appears to be a greater barrier to implementation of agroforestry. Cluster analysis yielded three types of landowners: environmentalists, agriculturalists, and disengaged, who differ in their perceptions of these barriers. Statistical tests revealed differences among clusters on their farmland attributes, multifunctionality indicators, and their resources for adopting agroforestry. Environmentalists appear as more likely to adopt agroforestry, followed by the agriculturalists. Policy implications are also discussed. Les secteurs de l’agriculture et de la foresterie possèdent des institutions, des marchés et des politiques clairement définis. Ces éléments ne sont pas aussi clairement définis dans le cas du secteur de l’agroforesterie, qui recueille un intérêt croissant aux États‐Unis. Dans la présente étude, nous avons examiné les obstacles à l’adoption de l’agroforesterie à l’aide d’un cadre théorique au niveau des ménages comprenant des données sur les coûts de transaction et la multifonctionnalité issues d’un sondage réalisé auprès de 353 propriétaires fonciers dans l’État du Missouri, aux États‐Unis. Les coûts de plantation, le temps nécessaire à la gestion et le manque d’expérience en gestion arboricole sont perçus comme étant les principaux obstacles à l’implantation de l’agroforesterie sur la ferme. Une analyse en composantes principales a permis de déterminer deux facteurs : le premier, appelé Coûts de transaction (Transaction Costs), était liéà l’accès à l’information et aux coûts de plantation perçus; le deuxième, appelé Inquiétudes sur la rentabilité (Profitability Concerns), était liéà la perception des conséquences de l’agroforesterie sur la rentabilité et la production de la ferme. De manière générale, les Coûts de transaction semblent constituer le plus important obstacle à l’implantation de l’agroforesterie. Une analyse de grappes a fait ressortir trois types de propriétaires fonciers : les environnementalistes, les agriculturalistes et les désengagés, qui ont une perception bien différente de ...

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