Supporting farmers in agro-ecological transition: a systems perspective of farmer experimentation in regenerative grazing in Wales

Moore, Francesca

Abstract

Since the 1950s (post World War II), the intensification of farming has eroded the natural capital base underpinning it; resulting in declining soil health, biodiversity loss, and the depleted nutrient density of food. Regenerative farming offers a way to tackle these challenges, whilst promoting profitable, resilient farming; reducing societal vulnerability to climate change, and enhancing the wider benefits of farmed land as well as food production. This research has explored the transition to regenerative farming from a systems perspective. It has focused specifically on regenerative grazing in grassland systems where there is lower adoption compared to arable systems in the UK. The research draws upon insights from in-depth interviews with nine farmers (beef, sheep and dairy), mostly located in Wales. It focuses on farmers who are in the process of transitioning to regenerative grazing, rather than those who are firmly established in it.
The research has set out a conceptual system which illuminates the numerous factors influencing the farmer transition to regenerative grazing. Deep-dives into farmer experiences of four areas of this system: land agreements, land rights, changing mind-sets and accessing knowledge; shed light on how they are shaped by farming context and farmer agency. The research has shown that farmers are taking different journeys towards regenerative grazing that is unique to their given context: some are demonstrating agency in terms of ‘what they believe they can do’; whereas some in terms of ‘what they are able to do’ and ‘what they are permitted to do’. The systems focus has explored whether the factors influencing farmer transition to regenerative grazing are enabling or constraining within each given context, and how these factors interact in a dynamic, responsive socio-ecological system unique to a given farmer setting. This has highlighted eight areas for policy and practitioner intervention, with the goal of scaling-up agro-ecological change towards regenerative grazing in the UK. These are: land agreements, land rights, transition payments, training support and advice, government campaign, public procurement, payments for outcomes and policy. Each has been critically appraised from a systems thinking and resilience perspective, using an ‘intervention strategy’ proposed by this research. The data suggests that most of the missing links are in social, policy, and market systems which if re-instated, will help restore nature’s natural feedbacks – regenerating our sanctuary – thereby boosting the resilience of all social, economic and institutional systems contained therein.
Overarchingly, this research has highlighted that system intervention (whether policy or practitioner-led), should pro-actively promote ‘enabling’ conditions for farmers (rather than prescribe specific measures with particular outcomes per se); so that farmers themselves may make their own changes towards regenerative grazing within their own ‘feasibility space’ (the conceptual space within which farmers feel that can take action). This means in practice, removing constraints that are affecting farmer agency across, for example, land rights, land agreements; as well as promoting enabling conditions via, for example advice, placements, support and training. In this way, intervention should focus on enhancing farmer ‘feasibility space’. The research has suggested that paying farmers alone will not free up farmer propensity to make change towards regenerative grazing, within the existing socio-ecological system constraints in which many farmers operate. Similarly, some well-intentioned policy and practitioner measures are currently unintentionally constraining farming change in some contexts. As such, the finding is not just how policy and practitioners can do more, but also about how they can stop doing less.
The research has drawn from the socio-ecological systems, resilience and rural sociology literature. Specifically, the systems perspective of complex socio-ecological catchment challenges taken here, has shed light on the tension between multiple catchment goals and their interdependencies. Understanding from a systems perspective, complementary to more conventional ways of addressing complex catchment problems, will ultimately help to facilitate change to regenerative grazing at scale.

Citation

Moore, F. Supporting farmers in agro-ecological transition: a systems perspective of farmer experimentation in regenerative grazing in Wales. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4871233

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 25, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Keywords: Management
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4871233
• Additional Information: Business School; University of Hull
• Award Date: Oct 3, 2024