Social Indicators for Agri-environment Schemes: Final Report

Mills, Jane ORCID: 0000-0003-3835-3058, Gaskell, Peter ORCID: 0000-0001-8830-5252, Courtney, Paul ORCID: 0000-0002-5683-8502, Chiswell, Hannah Marie ORCID: 0000-0003-4504-1319, Cusworth, George ORCID: 0000-0002-7623-938X, Short, Christopher J ORCID: 0000-0003-0429-1143, Reed, Matt ORCID: 0000-0003-1105-9625 and Lobley, Matt (2019) Social Indicators for Agri-environment Schemes: Final Report. Project Report. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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Abstract

Natural England and Defra operate a monitoring and evaluation programme aimed at providing evidence for the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes (AES). This monitoring and evaluation work has largely focused on identifying the environmental outcomes and the economic impacts of the schemes. Less attention has been placed on understanding the intentional or unintentional social outcomes of AES as they relate to the social world of the agreement holders. A better understanding of these social outcomes is salient as there is increasing evidence that they have important impacts on environmental outcomes and, in particular, the agreement holder’s willingness to undertake environmental activities in the longer-term. The Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) and the University of Exeter were contracted to undertake a comprehensive review of relevant literature from which to select and then test indicators which could be used to provide an enhanced understanding of how the quality of engagement with and social outcomes from AES can be monitored and evaluated. In addition, the project provides an improved understanding of how these engagement factors and social outcomes link to environmental outcomes. To achieve the aims of the project two types of social indicators were identified: Engagement factors which measure the nature and ‘quality’ of farmer (or other land managers) engagement with their agreement within an AES. For example, we can measure the agreement holder’s level of interest in wildlife which is likely to reflect their level of engagement with AES. The evidence suggests that improved quality of engagement can lead to long-term and long-lasting environmental behavioural changes, manifesting in, for example, land managers’ voluntarily undertaking unsubsidised environmental management practices. Social outcomes which measure outcomes, such, new skills, job satisfaction and mental health and wellbeing. These social outcomes can all contribute to the social sustainability of an AES. They can be positive (e.g. increased pride or confidence) or negative (e.g. increased stress or reduced motivation to engage in future AES). Other social outcomes from an AES might relate to the contribution of AES to wider society and quality of life in the rural community (e.g. employment provision or cultural ecosystem services), rather than to the individual. However, as the possibility of monitoring these wider impacts at the farm-level during aftercare visits is unlikely, this impact type was considered outside the scope of the project.

Item Type:	Monograph (Project Report)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Agriculture; Environmental Stewardship; Farming; Social Sciences
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) > S604.5 Agricultural conservation
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > Countryside and Community Research Institute
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Jane Mills
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2022 15:55
Last Modified:	16 Dec 2022 11:23
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/11710

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