Exploring farmers’ support needs for the adoption of agri-environmental practices: an application of the theoretical domains framework

Abstract

Shifting agriculture onto a more sustainable trajectory requires significant changes in farmer behaviour in terms of implementing agri-environmental practices. Understanding the underlying factors influencing farmers’ behaviour can provide guidance when it comes to targeting agricultural policies and ensuring that they are effective. This study builds on the 14 domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to explore farmers’ support needs for adopting agri-environmental practices. TDF ratings from 29 interviews with German farmers reveal the importance of the TDF domains for three agri-environmental practices, namely agroforestry, biological pest control and controlled release fertilization. Farmers state support needs for all TDF domains, but the ratings reveal significant differences in support needs across the TDF domains as well as among the practices. Higher overall support needs for agroforestry and biological pest control compared to those for sustainable fertilization practices may reflect the additional challenges associated with more systemic shifts in farming practices. Applying the TDF to the agricultural context can be helpful for developing targeted and theoretically informed policy interventions.