The author of this study, which was prepared for the OECD Joint Working Party on Agriculture and the Environment (JWPAE), is Hiroki Sasaki. Other colleagues at the OECD Secretariat also provided comments on earlier drafts. The study builds on an earlier research paper prepared for the JWPAE on the linkages between external drivers, farm management decisions, farm practices and selected environmental outcomes in agriculture by Professor Nicola Shadbolt (Massey University, New Zealand) in 2007.

Farmers have a long record of adapting to climate change. The evolving nature of the present changes could, however, have a significant impact on agriculture that will challenge farmers to adapt even further as regards land use and production practices. Moreover, agriculture is expected to reduce its GHG emissions and to offset CO2 emissions from other sectors through carbon sequestration. These actions are closely related to farm management practices. It is therefore important to understand how the cultural and social factors (education, information, traditional local practices) in addition to policy incentives facilitate or hinder the implementation of adaptation and mitigation actions. Such an understanding is critical as many potential winwin options are not adopted. Drawing on the experiences of OECD countries, this report identifies policy options that would contribute to a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector in the context of climate change.

This study seeks to enrich the analysis of the factors that influence farmmanagement practices in relation to mitigation and adaptation to climate change mainly in OECD countries. It focuses on the many inter-related factors that influence decision-making by farmers, and identifies policies that can influence their behaviour.

This chapter reviews studies regarding the determinants of adoption of environmental management practices in agriculture in general and then specifically the determinants and motivational influences related to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This chapter examines drivers and barriers of behavioural change in more depth, applying theory and recent findings of behavioural economics. Behavioural economics could offer many insights, particularly with regard to internal influences on behaviour. In addition a systematic framework which integrates external, internal and social factors is provided in order to consider holistic policy design. Furthermore, recent actions in selected OECD countries to tackle farmer behaviour issues are reviewed.

There are a broad range of factors related to farm-management decisions that could improve the environment. Drawing on the experiences of OECD countries, this report identifies policy options that would contribute to a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector in the context of climate change.