IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v134y2023ics0264837723003551.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Farmer typologies integrating latent and observed characteristics: Insights for soil and water conservation outreach

Author

Listed:
  • Upadhaya, Suraj
  • G. Arbuckle, J.
  • Schulte, Lisa A.

Abstract

One of the fundamental rules of effective communication is to “know your audience.” When engaging farmers in conservation in the U.S. and elsewhere where their participation is voluntary, communication should start with the fundamental recognition that farmers are heterogeneous in many ways; their attitudes, values, and motivations, as well as their farms’ biophysical and economic characteristics, can influence their behaviors. Previous typology research in Iowa, USA using data from a panel survey of farmers, revealed heterogeneity by identifying four types of farmers—Conservationists, Deliberative, Productivists, and Traditionalists—based on latent class analysis of variables measuring varied dimensions of awareness, attitudes, beliefs, perceived motivations, and barriers to practice adoption. The study presented in this article advances the typology by associating observable variables from the same survey (e.g., farmer demographics, farm enterprises, participation in conservation programs, adoption of conservation practices) with the four farmer types. The Conservationist type was the most educated and indicated a high intention of adopting cover crops. The Deliberative type tended not to have a conservation plan with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Productivist farmer farmed the most land, rented and owned, and had the highest no-till implementation in land size and percentage of the group. The Traditionalist type rented the least amount of land. We expect outreach professionals, watershed coordinators, and conservation practitioners can use observable characteristics to segment the farmer population and improve conservation messages by tailoring them to the specific farmer types, leading to a higher return on investment in terms of money, time, and goodwill.

Suggested Citation

  • Upadhaya, Suraj & G. Arbuckle, J. & Schulte, Lisa A., 2023. "Farmer typologies integrating latent and observed characteristics: Insights for soil and water conservation outreach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:134:y:2023:i:c:s0264837723003551
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106889
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837723003551
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106889?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Upadhaya, Suraj & Arbuckle, J. Gordon & Schulte, Lisa A., 2021. "Developing farmer typologies to inform conservation outreach in agricultural landscapes," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. S. S. Rabotyagov & C. L. Kling & P. W. Gassman & N. N. Rabalais & R. E. Turner, 2014. "The Economics of Dead Zones: Causes, Impacts, Policy Challenges, and a Model of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 8(1), pages 58-79, January.
    3. Davies, B.B. & Hodge, I.D., 2007. "Exploring environmental perspectives in lowland agriculture: A Q methodology study in East Anglia, UK," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 323-333, March.
    4. Kostrowicki, Jerzy, 1977. "Agricultural typology concept and method," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 33-45, January.
    5. Knowler, Duncan & Bradshaw, Ben, 2007. "Farmers' adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 25-48, February.
    6. Kristina Beethem & Sandra T. Marquart-Pyatt & Jennifer Lai & Tian Guo, 2023. "Navigating the information landscape: public and private information source access by midwest farmers," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1117-1135, September.
    7. Donald W Hine & Joseph P Reser & Mark Morrison & Wendy J Phillips & Patrick Nunn & Ray Cooksey, 2014. "Audience segmentation and climate change communication: conceptual and methodological considerations," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 5(4), pages 441-459, July.
    8. Kaliba, Aloyce R. & Mushi, Richard J. & Gongwe, Anne G. & Mazvimavi, Kizito, 2020. "A typology of adopters and nonadopters of improved sorghum seeds in Tanzania: A deep learning neural network approach," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    9. Andrew Barnes & Luiza Toma, 2012. "A typology of dairy farmer perceptions towards climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 507-522, May.
    10. J. Bidogeza & P. Berentsen & J. Graaff & A. Oude Lansink, 2009. "A typology of farm households for the Umutara Province in Rwanda," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(3), pages 321-335, September.
    11. Tittonell, P. & Muriuki, A. & Shepherd, K.D. & Mugendi, D. & Kaizzi, K.C. & Okeyo, J. & Verchot, L. & Coe, R. & Vanlauwe, B., 2010. "The diversity of rural livelihoods and their influence on soil fertility in agricultural systems of East Africa - A typology of smallholder farms," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(2), pages 83-97, February.
    12. Jean McGuire & Lois Morton & Alicia Cast, 2013. "Reconstructing the good farmer identity: shifts in farmer identities and farm management practices to improve water quality," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(1), pages 57-69, March.
    13. Kobrich, C. & Rehman, T. & Khan, M., 2003. "Typification of farming systems for constructing representative farm models: two illustrations of the application of multi-variate analyses in Chile and Pakistan," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 141-157, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Upadhaya, Suraj & Arbuckle, J. Gordon & Schulte, Lisa A., 2021. "Developing farmer typologies to inform conservation outreach in agricultural landscapes," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    2. So Pyay Thar & Thiagarajah Ramilan & Robert J. Farquharson & Deli Chen, 2021. "Identifying Potential for Decision Support Tools through Farm Systems Typology Analysis Coupled with Participatory Research: A Case for Smallholder Farmers in Myanmar," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Rupak Goswami & Soumitra Chatterjee & Binoy Prasad, 2014. "Farm types and their economic characterization in complex agro-ecosystems for informed extension intervention: study from coastal West Bengal, India," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Hyland, John J. & Heanue, Kevin & McKillop, Jessica & Micha, Evgenia, 2018. "Factors influencing dairy farmers’ adoption of best management grazing practices," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 562-571.
    5. Bisrat Haile Gebrekidan & Thomas Heckelei & Sebastian Rasch, 2020. "Characterizing Farmers and Farming System in Kilombero Valley Floodplain, Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-21, August.
    6. Stylianou, Andreas & Sdrali, Despina & Apostolopoulos, Constantinos D., 2020. "Capturing the diversity of Mediterranean farming systems prior to their sustainability assessment: The case of Cyprus," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    7. Pienaar, Louw & Traub, Lulama, 2015. "Understanding the smallholder farmer in South Africa: Towards a sustainable livelihoods classification," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212633, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Ramilan, T. & Kumar, S. & Haileslassie, Amare & Craufurd, P. & Scrimgeour, F. & Kattarkandi, B. & Whitbread, A., 2022. "Quantifying farm household resilience and the implications of livelihood heterogeneity in the semi-arid tropics of India," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-12(4):466.
    9. Netshipale, A.J. & Raidimi, E.N. & Mashiloane, M.L. & de Boer, I.J.M. & Oosting, S.J., 2022. "Farming system diversity and its drivers in land reform farms of the Waterberg District, South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    10. Głębocki Benicjusz & Kacprzak Ewa & Kossowski Tomasz, 2019. "Multicriterion Typology of Agriculture: A Spatial Dependence Approach," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 38(2), pages 29-49, June.
    11. Hyland, John J. & Heanue, Kevin & McKillop, Jessica & Micha, Evgenia, 2018. "Factors underlying farmers' intentions to adopt best practices: The case of paddock based grazing systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 97-106.
    12. Cortez-Arriola, José & Rossing, Walter A.H. & Massiotti, Ricardo D. Améndola & Scholberg, Johannes M.S. & Groot, Jeroen C.J. & Tittonell, Pablo, 2015. "Leverages for on-farm innovation from farm typologies? An illustration for family-based dairy farms in north-west Michoacán, Mexico," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 66-76.
    13. Benjamin Bathfield & Pierre Gasselin & Rémy Vandame & Santiago López-Ridaura & Luís García Barrios, 2010. "Adaptation de la gestion technique des producteurs de café et de miel face aux variations de prix au Guatemala : concepts et méthodes," Post-Print hal-00783500, HAL.
    14. Bidogeza, J.C. & Berentsen, Paul B.M. & De Graaff, J. & Oude Lansink, Alfons G.J.M., 2008. "Multivariate Typology of Farm Households Based on Socio-Economic Characteristics Explaining Adoption of New Technology in Rwanda," 2007 Second International Conference, August 20-22, 2007, Accra, Ghana 52107, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    15. Huber, Robert & Bartkowski, Bartosz & Brown, Calum & El Benni, Nadja & Feil, Jan-Henning & Grohmann, Pascal & Joormann, Ineke & Leonhardt, Heidi & Mitter, Hermine & Müller, Birgit, 2024. "Farm typologies for understanding farm systems and improving agricultural policy," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    16. Meredith T. Niles & Margaret Brown & Robyn Dynes, 2016. "Farmer’s intended and actual adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 277-295, March.
    17. Hop, G.E. & Mourits, M.C.M. & Oude Lansink, A.G.J.M. & Saatkamp, H.W., 2014. "Future structural developments in Dutch and German livestock production and implications for contagious livestock disease control," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 95-114.
    18. Frederick Amon-Armah & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Isaac Alvin Amoah & Sander Muilerman, 2023. "A Typology of Young Cocoa Farmers: Attitudes, Motivations and Aspirations," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(4), pages 770-793, August.
    19. Meredith Niles & Margaret Brown & Robyn Dynes, 2016. "Farmer’s intended and actual adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 277-295, March.
    20. Azamat Azarov & Zbynek Polesny & Dietrich Darr & Maksim Kulikov & Vladimir Verner & Roy C. Sidle, 2022. "Classification of Mountain Silvopastoral Farming Systems in Walnut Forests of Kyrgyzstan: Determining Opportunities for Sustainable Livelihoods," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-15, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:134:y:2023:i:c:s0264837723003551. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.