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No-cost barriers

Motu, in coordination with Landcare and AgResearch, recently finished a three-year project seeking to better understand why some apparent ‘no-cost’ options for agricultural mitigation (reduction of biological greenhouse gas emissions) remain non- or under-adopted in practice.

We consider “no-cost mitigation options” to be investments, technologies or practices whose adoption:

reduces the farm’s greenhouse gas emissions, and
does not reduce the profitability of the farm.

This work is conducted in collaboration with INRA (France), Teagasc (Ireland) and SRUC (Scotland) research partners.

The research objectives were to:

develop a typology of possible reasons (barriers) why under-adoption of no-cost mitigation options occurs
test and verify the no-cost status of selected mitigation options using farm-scale empirical analysis
explore with farmers (using interviews and a survey) if ‘no-cost’ options do exist, what are the barriers to their adoption, and how these could be addressed.

The research provides insights to improve the understanding of what sort of policies and/or market interventions could be implemented to foment the adoption of GHG mitigation options that could maintain an economically viable, while emissions-friendly, agricultural sector in NZ. This research included a combination of empirical analysis employing secondary data (farm-level data) and primary data (interviews and survey).

Funders

Funded by the New Zealand Government to support the objectives of the Livestock Research Group of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases

Publications

Cows, cash and climate: Low stocking rates, high-performing cows, emissions and profitability across New Zealand farms

Authors: Edmund Lou | David Fleming | Suzi Kerr

Working Paper

Better cows are good.
Doubt about low stocking rates.
Farms are complex things.

Using the New Zealand Monitor Farm Data (NZMFD), this paper explores the cost-effectiveness of two mitigation options to reduce biological greenhouse gas…

Identifying barriers to adoption of “no-cost” greenhouse gas mitigation practices in pastoral systems

Working Paper

Raise awareness of
practices that mitigate
on farms at no cost.

New Zealand scientists have suggested that multiple pastoral farming practices could reduce on-farm biological greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining (and in some circumstances…

Barriers to adoption of win–win mitigation farm practices: evidence from New Zealand pastoral farmers

Authors: David Fleming | Pike Brown | Jorie Knook

Other

Farmers are unsure
if no-cost practices are
practical for them.

This paper uses survey data from 167 New Zealand sheep/beef and dairy farmers to explore the non-financial barriers that affect their decision-making when…

Barriers to adoption of no-cost agricultural mitigation practices

Note

Combine better cows
and low stocking to reduce
costs and emissions.

For New Zealand to transition to a low-emissions economy, pastoral farmers need to reduce the biological greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that come from their…

Analysis of a New Zealand-specific no-cost option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms

Authors: Cecile de Klein | Robyn Dynes

Other

This technical paper was produced by Ag Research for Motu.

The Ministry for Primary Industries contracted Motu to identify and address barriers to adoption of apparent ‘no-cost’ greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation options on farms in New…

Database of evidence on barriers to adoption in agriculture in New Zealand and overseas

Author: Loic Henry

Dataset

This dataset lists scientific papers looking at different barriers that farmers may face when deciding one whether to adopt new practices or mitigation options.

The database references a Motu Note providing a typology of the different…

New Zealand Monitor Farm Data

Authors: Edmund Lou | David Fleming | Loic Henry

Other

The New Zealand Monitor Farm Data (NZMFD) is a merged dataset of two sources. The first source, called financial data, contains information on the financial status of farms. These data were collected by the Ministry…

Barriers to Adoption of No-Cost Options for Mitigation of Agricultural Emissions: A Typology

Author: Adam Jaffe

Note

Something stops farmers
Mitigating emissions.
Find the barriers.

This typology is intended as background for assessing the existence and significance of barriers to adoption of no-cost mitigation options in agriculture. It is based on a literature review, including the…