Matt Lobley

Social and ecological drivers of success in agri‐environment schemes: the roles of farmers and environmental context

Summary n1. Agri-environment schemes remain a controversial approach to reversing biodiversity losses, partly because the drivers of variation in outcomes are poorly understood. In particular, there is a lack of studies that consider both social and ecological factors. n2. We analysed variation across 48 farms in the quality and biodiversity outcomes of agri-environmental habitats designed to provide pollen and nectar for bumblebees and butterflies or winter seed for birds. We used interviews and ecological surveys to gather data on farmer experience and understanding of agri-environment schemes, and local and landscape environmental factors. n3. Multimodel inference indicated social factors had a strong impact on outcomes and that farmer experiential learning was a key process. The quality of the created habitat was affected positively by the farmer’s previous experience in environmental management. The farmer’s confidence in their ability to carry out the required management was negatively related to the provision of floral resources. Farmers with more wildlife-friendly motivations tended to produce more floral resources, but fewer seed resources. n4. Bird, bumblebee and butterfly biodiversity responses were strongly affected by the quantity of seed or floral resources. Shelter enhanced biodiversity directly, increased floral resources and decreased seed yield. Seasonal weather patterns had large effects on both measures. Surprisingly, larger species pools and amounts of semi-natural habitat in the surrounding landscape had negative effects on biodiversity, which may indicate use by fauna of alternative foraging resources. n5. Synthesis and application. This is the first study to show a direct role of farmer social variables on the success of agri-environment schemes in supporting farmland biodiversity. It suggests that farmers are not simply implementing agri-environment options, but are learning and improving outcomes by doing so. Better engagement with farmers and working with farmers who have a history of environmental management may therefore enhance success. The importance of a number of environmental factors may explain why agri-environment outcomes are variable, and suggests some – such as the weather – cannot be controlled. Others, such as shelter, could be incorporated into agri-environment prescriptions. The role of landscape factors remains complex and currently eludes simple conclusions about large-scale targeting of schemes. n nKeywords: birds; bumblebees; butterflies; experiential learning; farmer; farmland; habitat quality; interdisciplinary; landscape; multimodel inference

Local Organic Food for Local People? Organic Marketing Strategies in England and Wales

Lobley M., Butler A. and Winter M. Local organic food for local people? Organic marketing strategies in England and Wales, Regional Studies. Organic agriculture has a totemic role in debates about farming. Domestic organic production is thought to play a role in relocalized food networks. However, little is known about the market orientation of organic producers in England and Wales. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, this paper characterizes national, regional and local markets for organic food from a supply perspective. It identifies local, regional and national market orientations and considers the concentration of marketing channels using the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index. The analysis demonstrates the heterogeneity of the sector and an uneven geography of organic marketing in England and Wales. Lobley M., Butler A. and Winter M. 为地方居民提供的本地有机食物？英格兰与威尔士地区有机食物的市场策略，区域研究。有机农业已经成为有关农业讨论中的标志性议题。有观点指出，国内有机食物的生产扮演了食品网络再地方化的作用。然而，对于英格兰以及威尔士地区有机农物生产商的市场导向我们却知之甚少。本文采用整合的研究方法，从供给的角度对国家、地区以及地方性有机食物市场进行了分类。研究明确了地方、区域以及国家的市场导向，采用赫希曼—赫芬达尔指数测评了市场营销的密集度。分析表明，在英格兰以及威尔士地区存在部门异质性以及有机食物市场的不均衡地理学。 赫希曼—赫芬达尔指数u2003地方食物u2003营销密度u2003有机食物u2003英格兰与威尔士 Lobley M., Butler A. et Winter M. De lalimentation bio locale pour la population locale? Les stratégies commerciales en faveur des produits bio en Angleterre et au pays de Galles, Regional Studies. La production bio a un rôle symbolique dans les débats sur lagriculture. On considère que la production bio intérieure a un rôle à jouer dans la relocalisation des réseaux alimentaires. Cependant, on ne sy connaît pas grande chose au sujet de lorientation commerciale du marché des producteurs bio situés en Angleterre et au pays de Galles. Puisant dans lapproche des méthodes mixtes, cet article cherche à caractériser les marchés national, régional et local de lalimentation bio du point de vue de loffre. Employant lindice Herfindahl–Hirschman, on identifie lorientation des marchés local, régional et national, et considère la concentration des circuits de distribution. Lanalyse présente lhétérogénéité du secteur et la géographie irrégulière du marketing bio en Angleterre et au pays de Galles. Indice Herfindahl–Hirschmanu2003Alimentation localeu2003Concentration commercialeu2003Orientation commercialeu2003Alimentation biou2003Angleterre et pays de Galles Lobley M., Butler A. und Winter M. Lokale ökologische Lebensmittel für lokale Anwohner? Strategien bei der Vermarktung von ökologischen Lebensmitteln in England und Wales, Regional Studies. In den Debatten über Agrikultur spielt die ökologische Landwirtschaft eine hochgradig symbolische Rolle. Der einheimischen ökologischen Produktion wird eine Rolle in den neu lokalisierten Lebensmittelnetzwerken zugesprochen. Allerdings ist nur wenig über die Marktorientierung von ökologischen Landwirten in England und Wales bekannt. In diesem Beitrag werden mit Hilfe eines Ansatzes aus gemischten Methoden die nationalen, regionalen und lokalen Märkte für ökologische Lebensmittel aus der Perspektive der Anbieter charakterisiert. Wir identifizieren die lokale, regionale und nationale Orientierung des Marktes und untersuchen die Konzentration der Vermarktungskanäle mit Hilfe des Herfindahl–Hirschman-Index. Aus der Analyse gehen eine Heterogenität des Sektors und eine ungleichmäßige Geografie der Vermarktung von ökologischen Lebensmitteln in England und Wales hervor. Herfindahl–Hirschman-Indexu2003Lokale Lebensmittelu2003Konzentration der Vermarktungu2003Marktorientierungu2003Ökologische Lebensmittelu2003England und Wales Lobley M., Butler A. y Winter M. ¿Alimentos biológicos locales para autóctonos? Estrategias de comercialización para productos biológicos en Inglaterra y Gales, Regional Studies. La cultivos biológicos desempeñan un papel totémico en los debates sobre la agricultura. Se supone que la producción orgánica nacional es un factor que influye en la relocalización de las redes alimentarias. Sin embargo, poco se sabe de la orientación mercantil de los agricultores de alimentos biológicos en Inglaterra y Gales. Basándonos en un enfoque de métodos combinados, en este artículo describimos el mercado nacional, regional y local para productos biológicos desde la perspectiva de la oferta. Identificamos la orientación del mercado local, regional y nacional y consideramos la concentración de los canales mercantiles mediante el índice Herfindahl–Hirschman. El análisis demuestra la heterogeneidad del sector y una geografía desequilibrada de mercado de productos biológicos en Inglaterra y Gales. Índice Herfindahl–Hirschmanu2003Alimentos localesu2003Concentración mercantilu2003Orientación mercantilu2003Alimentos biológicosu2003Inglaterra y Gales

Agricultural restructuring and state assistance: competing or complementary rural policy paradigms?

The restructuring of European agriculture as a policy project has a long and complicated history. Since the late 1950s, policy makers have adopted a number of sometimes contradictory positions on this issue, a ‘developmental’ policy stance dedicated to assisting agricultural restructuring gradually giving way to, but never being entirely eclipsed by, a paradigmatic notion of state assistance designed actually to keep farmers on the land. This paper traces the nature of this policy evolution and explores the ways in which public policy has been empirically informed by a construction of farmers and farm households as both passive victims of an externally driven restructuring process and active seizers of opportunities for diversification and further restructuring. Commenting on the increasing ambiguity of the European policy stance and its differential presentation to international and domestic audiences, the paper focuses on the UK as a member state with one of the most robust, neo‐liberal postures on agricultural restructuring. It reviews recent empirical studies of the restructuring process and concludes that while there is little evidence to suggest that UK agriculture is yet on the brink of significant structural change, a steady diversification of the income base of many farm households is leading to the emergence of a community of land managers that is more diverse and decoupled from agricultural policy support than ever before. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of these trends for policy design and the concept of state assistance in a period of agricultural change.

Farmer attitudes to vaccination and culling of badgers in controlling bovine tuberculosis

Controversy persists in England, Wales and Northern Ireland concerning methods of controlling the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) between badgers and cattle. The National Trust, a major land-owning heritage organisation, in 2011, began a programme of vaccinating badgers against bTB on its Killerton Estate in Devon. Most of the estate is farmed by 18 tenant farmers, who thus have a strong interest in the Trusts approach, particularly as all have felt the effects of the disease. This article reports on a study of the attitudes to vaccination of badgers and to the alternative of a culling programme, using face-to-face interviews with 14 of the tenants. The results indicated first that the views of the respondents were more nuanced than the contemporary public debate about badger control would suggest. Secondly, the attitude of the interviewees to vaccination of badgers against bTB was generally one of resigned acceptance. Thirdly, most respondents would prefer a combination of an effective vaccination programme with an effective culling programme, the latter reducing population of density sufficiently (and preferably targeting the badgers most likely to be diseased) for vaccination to have a reasonable chance of success. While based on a small sample, these results will contribute to the vigorous debate concerning contrasting policy approaches to bTB control in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

'Born out of crisis': assessing the legacy of the Exmoor moorland management agreements.

Shortly after the designation of Exmoor National Park in 1954 the moorland that the park was charged with maintaining and enhancing came under threat from agricultural improvement. The ensuing ‘moorland conflict’ eventually led to a pioneering system of moorland management agreements. The moorland management agreements have an important place in the transformation of agricultural policy and the development and social acceptance amongst farmers and landowners of the concept that farmers should be paid for their stewardship of the environment. Drawing on published and unpublished documents, as well as extensive interviews, this paper revisits the origins of the problem of moorland reclamation, assesses the role played by key individuals in publicising the problem and promoting management agreements as a solution, considers the risks taken by those entering into management agreements, and identifies some of the tangible and intangible impacts of the moorland management agreement system.

Training as a social purpose: are economic and social benefits delivered?

This paper reports original research which measures the social and economic impact of training and skills development on individuals who participated in training provided by social purpose, nonprofit organizations. An implicit policy assumption is that such organizations contribute to social and economic regeneration. Examining the costs and benefits of training to trainees, an adapted Return on Investment methodology measures any economic benefit, while an Index of Social Benefit measures changes in individual well-being. The results demonstrate that while changes to both the economic and social wellbeing of trainees occur, it does not necessarily relate solely to the training they received. Instead, changes reflect other, often complex, aspects of trainees’ lives, although training may facilitate change. Furthermore, social purpose, nonprofit organizations need to evince the socioeconomic benefits of their training programmes to secure future funding, public or private, but proving their successful delivery may be difficult to determine.