What is it about?
Farmers across Europe are paid to adopt eco-friendly practices through agri-environmental schemes (AECS). But many join for only a short time, limiting the environmental benefits these programmes can deliver. This study looks at what keeps Slovenian farms engaged over the long term. We find that larger farms and those with extra income sources are more likely to stay, while farms relying heavily on volatile market prices tend to drop out early. Prior participation also strongly increases the chances of staying in. These results can help policymakers design smarter incentives that make environmental schemes more attractive and sustainable for all types of farms.
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Why is it important?
This study is the first to examine long-term participation in agri-environmental schemes in Central and Eastern Europe, a region where small, family-run farms dominate and face unique challenges. By showing how economic resilience, income diversification, and prior experience shape commitment, our findings can help policymakers design smarter, more tailored incentives. This evidence comes at a crucial moment, as the EU prepares the post-2027 CAP reforms and seeks ways to deliver more durable environmental outcomes from public investments.
Perspectives
For me, this study highlights how crucial it is to look beyond simple adoption rates. What matters is not just getting farmers to sign up but helping them stay engaged long enough for meaningful environmental change to happen. I found it fascinating to see how factors like income stability and prior experience can make such a big difference. I hope these insights encourage policymakers to design more practical and flexible support that truly matches the realities of different farms.
Professor Imre Fertő
Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Exploring the drivers of farm sustained participation in agri-environmental programmes, Agricultural and Food Economics, August 2025, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1186/s40100-025-00396-0.
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