Understanding motivations for agroforestry maintenance and adoption: a comparative analysis in Europe

Abstract

The transition to Agroforestry (AF) marks a pivotal shift from traditional agricultural practices towards more integrated, sustainable, and diversified farming systems. However, this transition is complex and poses several challenges requiring the cultivation of diverse species alongside crops, demanding careful management and knowledge of forestry and agricultural practices. This study aims to identify distinct farmer categories based on their stated intentions to maintain or adopt agroforestry practices. Then, the effect of sociodemographic, structural and economic factors on the probability of maintaining or adopting AF practices has been analysed among farmers of 4 European countries. Information was gathered through an online questionnaire from a sample of 376 European farms across five countries: Germany, Italy, Greece and Serbia. A multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) has been carried out to classify farmers into ‘active’ and ‘passive’ adopters as well as into ‘conditional-non adopters’ and ‘resistant non-adopters’ categories, by taking into account four future policy scenarios for 2030. Then, the determinants of AF maintenance or adoption were estimated using a multinomial logit model (MNL). Results show that both farm and farmer characteristics affect the probability of belonging to a specific category. Moreover, differences among countries have emerged. The results highlight the need for targeted policy interventions to support farmers in transitioning towards these practices. In addition, it is essential to design such measures in a way that accounts for farms and farmers’ differences and specific socio-economic and environmental contexts. The study findings would contribute to the scientific literature by providing empirical evidence on the heterogeneity of farmers’ intention to maintain or adopt agroforestry practices across some European countries. Furthermore, the findings would offer insights for policymakers to design effective supporting mechanisms to facilitate the maintenance and the adoption of AF.