A3 Policies and incentives towards eco-friendly farming

SP A3 analyses how preferences and needs of farmers especially in the global south can be considered in the promotion and dissemination of environmentally-friendly agricultural practices. Agricultural production activities are major sources of several environmental problems. For instance, the overuse of mineral fertilizer and livestock manure leads to nitrogen emissions and high nitrogen loads in the environment, with detrimental impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Embracing and implementing more environmentally sustainable farming methods can mitigate these effects and simultaneously combat natural degradation. Importantly, such practices often have a positive impact on the livelihoods of those involved. Although there is a common perception that eco-friendly farming and beneficial livelihood outcomes are incompatible, our objective is to minimize these trade-offs by considering the preferences and needs of potential practitioners to increase adoption and retention of environmentally friendly farming.

Possible dissertation topics:

• Smallholders preferences for environmental and economic outcomes of natural regeneration practices
• Impact analysis of eco-friendly farm policies: Triangulating normative and experimental methods
• Effectiveness of “soft” policy tools to foster the adoption of eco-friendly farming practices

Leading PI:
Oliver Mußhoff

Doctoral researcher of the first cohort:
Luisa Müting