Understanding and guiding the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices through research on human values, knowledge, and institutional change
My research closely examines the process of transitioning agricultural communities into more sustainable states using multiple forms of knowledge and mixed methods. First, I examined the role of values and knowledge in understanding pro-environmental behavior among three respondent groups: early, late, and non-adopters of sustainable practices in a Midwestern agrarian context. I found significant latent mean differences in values held by these groups, while discovering that biospheric values predicted knowledge and pro-environmental behavior for all subgroups while altruistic values influenced only early adopters. I also found that knowledge mediated the effect of values on behavior. Second, I identified the farming practices associated with sustainable agriculture and investigated how institutional and social drivers influenced adoption rates among 25 farmers and allied residents in central Illinois using thematic analysis of interview data. I found farmers adopted no-till, cover crops, filter strips, nutrient management, among other techniques. My research further revealed that existing agricultural policies, market forces, cash-renting, farm technology, a commodity-based farming mindset influenced farmer decision-making. Third, I conducted a systematic review to understand how previous researchers have helped to foster socio-ecological resilience and agricultural sustainability. I identified lessons of past successes and failures while clarifying the predominant myths associated with farming. This enabled me to establish a theoretical framework to guide agricultural sustainability with a particular focus on soil health improvement and reversing land degradation. Overall, my research advances knowledge of the process behind sustainability transitions in agriculture while providing insights into required policy steps and actions for its achievement.
