The Accidental Environmentalists: Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adoption of Pro-Environmental Activities in England and Ontario

58 Pages Posted: 26 May 2018

See all articles by Eric Marr

Eric Marr

University of York

Peter Howley

University of Leeds - Faculty of Business

Date Written: May 25, 2018

Abstract

Based on semi-structured interviews with 54 distinct actors in the UK and Canada, we identify a range of internal psychological orientations that are common (albeit to varying degrees) in both case study regions that, when taken together, provide a lens through which on-farm decisions relating to pro-environmental behaviours are internally analysed and subsequently operationalised. We label these orientations as Production, Business, Environmental, Lifestyle, and Farm Health. Through these orientations, we find farmers are often becoming ‘accidental environmentalists’ by undertaking many pro-environmental activities for non-environmental reasons. Prominent examples include adopting environmentally beneficial on-farm decisions to support field sports (i.e. shooting), pursuing production improvements with environmental spin-offs (e.g. cover crops, beneficial pollinators), or seeking improvements to personal or family health and well-being (e.g. reduced use of chemicals). This analysis therefore highlights the importance of not oversimplifying farmer motivations along a dualistic profit-seeking v stewardship divide when it comes to understanding environmental behaviour.

Keywords: Farmers’ environmental attitudes, Stakeholder organisations, England, Ontario, Comparative analysis

JEL Classification: Q56

Suggested Citation

Marr, Eric and Howley, Peter, The Accidental Environmentalists: Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adoption of Pro-Environmental Activities in England and Ontario (May 25, 2018). Leeds University Business School Working Paper No. 19-02, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3184858 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3184858

Eric Marr

University of York ( email )

Heslington
University of York
York, YO10 5DD
United Kingdom

Peter Howley (Contact Author)

University of Leeds - Faculty of Business ( email )

Leeds LS2 9JT
United Kingdom

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