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Factors influencing Irish farmers' afforestation intention

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  • Duesberg, Stefanie
  • Upton, Vincent
  • O'Connor, Deirdre
  • Dhubháin, Áine Ní

Abstract

The natural conditions in Ireland have a positive influence on tree growth as the mean annual increment is twice as high as that in mainland Europe. However, due to centuries of resource exploitation and the expansion of agricultural land the island has the second lowest forest cover in the EU. An increased forest cover would encourage the establishment of a range of processing industries and thus support necessary economic development in rural areas. Furthermore through farm afforestation farmers are given the opportunity to diversify their businesses, as market output of the majority of cattle and sheep farms in Ireland often does not cover the production cost. To increase forest cover, the Government in 1989 introduced a scheme supporting farm afforestation, which is encouraged through premium payments that are high enough to make forestry more profitable than the majority of drystock farming. Afforestation targets, however, have not been met and previous studies have failed to offer a consistent explanation for the shortfall in planting rates. Thus, the objective of this work was to identify the factors influencing farmers' afforestation decision. More specifically the study aimed at identifying the combined effect of structural, socio-demographic and attitudinal factors on the probability to plant. Based on previous findings from in-depth interviews with Irish farmers' about their goals and values regarding farming and afforestation, a postal survey was conducted in Spring 2012 including question on farm structure and socio-demographic variables as well as questions on reasons for planting/not planting. The data was analysed using logistic regression. The developed logit model showed that while profit goals did not significantly influence the decision-making with regard to farm afforestation, structural as well as attitudinal factors played a vital role in this process. This was identified as one reason as to why the current incentive scheme failed to deliver the outlined afforestation targets. Other policy tools are needed in addition to the incentives to further encourage afforestation.

Suggested Citation

  • Duesberg, Stefanie & Upton, Vincent & O'Connor, Deirdre & Dhubháin, Áine Ní, 2014. "Factors influencing Irish farmers' afforestation intention," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 13-20.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:39:y:2014:i:c:p:13-20
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2013.11.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Edwin Corrigan & Maarten Nieuwenhuis, 2016. "Using Goal-Programming to Model the Effect of Stakeholder Determined Policy and Industry Changes on the Future Management of and Ecosystem Services Provision by Ireland’s Western Peatland Forests," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, December.
    6. Bößner, Stefan & Xylia, Maria & Bilbao, Bibiana & Indriani, Siti N. & Laub, Moritz & Rahn, Eric & Virla, Luis D. & Johnson, Francis X., 2023. "Capacity gaps in land-based mitigation technologies and practices: A first stock take," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    7. Lucie Adenaeuer & James Breen & Anne Hayden, 2020. "Insights in overcoming the non-adoption of voluntary agricultural ghg mitigation measures in Ireland," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 22(3), pages 1-26.
    8. Upton, V. & Ryan, M. & Heanue, K. & Ní Dhubháin, Á., 2019. "The role of extension and forest characteristics in understanding the management decisions of new forest owners in Ireland," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 77-82.
    9. Dinh, Hoang Huu & Nguyen, Trung Thanh & Hoang, Viet-Ngu & Wilson, Clevo, 2017. "Economic incentive and factors affecting tree planting of rural households: Evidence from the Central Highlands of Vietnam," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(PA), pages 14-24.
    10. Claytor, Hannah S. & Clark, Christopher D. & Lambert, Dayton M. & Jensen, Kimberly L., 2018. "Cattle producer willingness to afforest pastureland and sequester carbon," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 43-54.
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    12. Kaine, Geoff & Edwards, Peter & Polyakov, Maksym & Stahlmann-Brown, Philip, 2023. "Who knew afforestation was such a challenge? Motivations and impediments to afforestation policy in New Zealand," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).

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