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Farmers' Intended Weed Management after a Potential Glyphosate Ban in Austria
Teresa Matousek1, Hermine Mitter2, Bernadette Kropf1
1Institute for Sustainable Economic Development, Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Feistmantelstraße 4, 1180, Vienna, Austria.
Environmental Management
|February 25, 2022
Summary
Farmers are exploring alternatives to glyphosate, focusing on mechanical or chemical weed management. Acceptance of a glyphosate ban hinges on the availability of equally effective and affordable alternatives.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Environmental Science
- Social Science
Background:
- Glyphosate use is controversial due to potential health and environmental impacts.
- The European Union's approval of glyphosate is set to expire, prompting national policy discussions, including a potential ban in Austria.
- Limited research exists on farmers' adaptive strategies for upcoming pesticide policy changes, particularly concerning glyphosate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore Austrian farmers' intended weed management strategies in the absence of glyphosate-based herbicides.
- To understand farmer behavioral intentions regarding a potential national glyphosate ban using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).
- To identify farmer typologies based on their intentions for glyphosate-free weed management.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 41 qualitative semi-structured interviews with Austrian farmers.
- Systematically analyzed interview data using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control.
- Grouped farmers based on behavioral intentions and assigned TPB attributes to identify distinct farmer types.
Main Results:
- Farmers intend to adopt mechanical or chemical weed management alternatives, potentially combined with cultivation practice changes.
- Attitude toward the behavior, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence farmers' intentions.
- Injunctive norms showed little variation among farmers, while a majority would accept a glyphosate ban if effective and cost-equivalent alternatives were available.
Conclusions:
- Farmer acceptance of a glyphosate ban is contingent upon the availability of viable weed management alternatives.
- Understanding farmers' attitudes, norms, and perceived control is crucial for developing effective agricultural policy and alternative weed management solutions.
- The study identified four distinct farmer types regarding glyphosate-free weed management, offering insights for targeted policy interventions.
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