The farmer as a landscape steward: Comparing local understandings of landscape stewardship, landscape values, and land management actions

TY - JOUR

T1 - The farmer as a landscape steward

T2 - Comparing local understandings of landscape stewardship, landscape values, and land management actions

AU - Raymond, Christopher M.

AU - Bieling, Claudia

AU - Fagerholm, Nora

AU - Martin-Lopez, Berta

AU - Plieninger, Tobias

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - We develop a landscape stewardship classification which distinguishes between farmers’ understanding of landscape stewardship, their landscape values, and land management actions. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with small-holder (<5 acres), medium-holders (5–100 acres), and large-holders (>100 acres) in South-West Devon, UK. Thematic analysis revealed four types of stewardship understandings: (1) an environmental frame which emphasized the farmers’ role in conserving or restoring wildlife; (2) a primary production frame which emphasized the farmers’ role in taking care of primary production assets; (3) a holistic frame focusing on farmers’ role as a conservationist, primary producer, and manager of a range of landscape values, and; (4) an instrumental frame focusing on the financial benefits associated with compliance with agri-environmental schemes. We compare the landscape values and land management actions that emerged across stewardship types, and discuss the global implications of the landscape stewardship classification for the engagement of farmers in landscape management.

AB - We develop a landscape stewardship classification which distinguishes between farmers’ understanding of landscape stewardship, their landscape values, and land management actions. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with small-holder (<5 acres), medium-holders (5–100 acres), and large-holders (>100 acres) in South-West Devon, UK. Thematic analysis revealed four types of stewardship understandings: (1) an environmental frame which emphasized the farmers’ role in conserving or restoring wildlife; (2) a primary production frame which emphasized the farmers’ role in taking care of primary production assets; (3) a holistic frame focusing on farmers’ role as a conservationist, primary producer, and manager of a range of landscape values, and; (4) an instrumental frame focusing on the financial benefits associated with compliance with agri-environmental schemes. We compare the landscape values and land management actions that emerged across stewardship types, and discuss the global implications of the landscape stewardship classification for the engagement of farmers in landscape management.

KW - Conservation behavior

KW - Environmental management

KW - Pro-environmental behavior

KW - Production behavior

KW - Social values

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84940923780&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s13280-015-0694-0

DO - 10.1007/s13280-015-0694-0

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26346276

SN - 0301-0325

VL - 45

JO - Ambio Special Report

JF - Ambio Special Report

IS - 2

ER -