Farmer participation in agri-environmental schemes: Towards conservation-oriented thinking?

This paper argues that the possible shift towards conservation-oriented att itudes of farmers through agri-environmental scheme participation should be seen as a key indicator for assessing the 'effectiveness' of agri-environm ental policy. Through the analysis of two agri-environmental schemes in the UK, the ESA and Countryside Stewardship schemes, the study suggests that s chemes attract different types of farmers and have different results with r egard to shifting farmers' attitudes towards conservation. The paper conclu des that there is little evidence yet that the ESA scheme is contributing t o changes in farmers' attitudes towards conservation, largely because the s cheme is aimed at maintenance rather than change. The Countryside Stewardsh ip scheme, meanwhile, generally enrols more conservation-oriented farmers a nd also shows greater potential for shifting farmers' attitudes, mainly bec ause it is aimed at enhancement of wildlife habitats which often require fa rmers to change farm management practices. Results indicate that future pol icies should put more emphasis on scheme monitoring and farmer environmenta l education in order to help move farmers along the conservation spectrum. In the ESA scheme, management agreement tiers that require more substantial changes to farm management practices towards conservation-oriented farming should be made compulsory in order to ensure that farmers are not only 're acting' to schemes, but that also help farmers re-think their environmental management practices. The Countryside Stewardship scheme should be Further expanded because of its appeal to conservation-oriented farmers and the re sulting potential for sustainable environmental conservation of the country side.