Incorporating farmer heterogeneity in policy design to increase the adoption of biodiversity for pest management Case study on the Flemish outdoor vegetable sector

Details

Supervisors

Van den Broeck, Goedele

Faculty

Faculté des bioingénieurs

Degree label

Master [120] : bioingénieur en sciences et technologies de l'environnement, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

The excessive use of pesticides in modern agriculture has become one of the major environmental and health challenges. One of the alternatives to synthetic pesticides is Ecological Pest Management (EPM). This method relies on using a combination of different environmentally sustainable and ecologically balanced pest reduction methods such as habitat diversification, non-harmful cultural practices and the use of biological control agents. To promote the adoption of EPM measures, policy interventions are crucial. However, the adoption of these EPM practices remains low in the outdoor vegetable sector of Flanders. This can be attributed to policies that are not tailored to the heterogeneous needs of farmers, resulting in weak effects. The approach for tackling this problem in this master thesis is by making typologies of farmers to incorporate the heterogeneity among vegetable growers in the design of the policies. This research distinguishes itself from previous studies by including various types of interventions and analyzing different socio-psychological factors in the description of these typologies. The clustering results in two distinct groups: policy enthusiasts and policy critics. These groups differ in their acceptance towards interventions. Enthusiasts exhibit a higher level of acceptance for all measures compared to critics. Moreover, enthusiasts are characterized by higher education levels, a greater proportion of organic farms, strong emotional connections to their practices, higher intentions, and a greater willingness to take risks. To incorporate this heterogeneity among the respondents into the design of more targeted policy interventions, enhancing the diversity of available interventions through a policy mix is recommended. Educational interventions must be designed to simplify access to tailored information, which will help bridge knowledge gaps and foster the adoption of EPM practices. Hybrid payments play a crucial role in addressing financial barriers and compensating for efforts in the short term. Finally, even though they are challenging, regulatory measures such as a weighted pesticide tax, remain necessary to drive meaningful changes in pest control practices. By combining these approaches, policymakers can effectively address farmer heterogeneity and encourage the adoption of ecological pest control methods.