Policy Impact And Factors Of Farmers' Participation In Agri-Environmental Measures

Agricultural sector contributes to water, soil and air degradation, as well as biodiversity loss. Agri-environmental measures are a predominantly voluntary policy instrument that seeks to encourage farmers to implement environmentally friendly practices on their farms. This paper aims at providing an overview of policy drivers, goals and effects discussed in literature, as well as factors affecting farmers' decision to participate in AEM. Most studies geographically belong to Western Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark) and there is a disproportionately smaller amount of similar analyzes for Central and Eastern Europe. Connecting AEM's policy impact to understanding farmers' participation motives contributes to comprehending just how complex the concept of policy implementation is now and will be in the future. The effects of AEM mostly depend on the specific measure implemented, phenomenon investigated, and region observed. Farmer's interest to get involved in AEM depends on the potential economic benefit, socio-demographic factors, social connections, personal beliefs and trust in public institutions. Therefore, the policy should adapt to stakeholders' heterogeneity and send straightforward messages to farmers showing clear interrelation between the policy, farmers' uptake and the desired environmental outcome.