Factors affecting Missouri land managers' willingness-to-adopt agroforestry practices

Authors: STUBBLEFIELD, KELSI - University Of Missouri; SMITH, MATTHEW - Us Forest Service (FS); LOVELL, SARAH - University Of Missouri; WILSON, KELLY - University Of Missouri; HENDRICKSON, MARY - University Of Missouri; CAI, ZHEN - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Agroforestry Systems
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2024
Publication Date: 12/27/2024
Citation: Stubblefield, K., Smith, M., Lovell, S., Wilson, K., Hendrickson, M., Cai, Z. 2024. Factors affecting Missouri land managers' willingness-to-adopt agroforestry practices. Agroforestry Systems. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-024-01117-0.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-024-01117-0

Interpretive Summary: Agroforestry practices have gained attention for their ability to increase farm resilience while supporting profitability, yet much is still unknown about the exact level of financial assistance needed to successfully implement these complex systems. We surveyed 137 Missouri land managers and found that when establishment costs were held at $2,500 per acre, participants would accept varying incentive amounts to establish different agroforestry systems ($1,217 for forest farming, $3,080 for riparian forest buffers, $11,458 for urban food forests, etc.), yet respondents who were willing to adopt agroforestry valued technical assistance at $1,670 per acre and environmental benefits at $2,992 per acre, meaning they would be willing to forgo that amount of incentive payment if these features were present in assistance programs. Our results illustrate the importance of financial assistance programs for agroforestry and also suggest there is value in supporting technical assistance and promoting the environmental benefits of agroforestry practices.

Technical Abstract: Temperate agroforestry practices offer various ecological, social, and economic benefits. However, data surrounding drivers of adoption for agroforestry in the U.S. remains limited. A survey of Missouri agricultural land managers was conducted to determine the extent of agroforestry adoption in the state, current knowledge and perceptions of agroforestry, and interest in implementing agroforestry practices. A choice experiment model was employed to assess participants’ willingness to accept (WTA) payment for adopting agroforestry practices and to determine land managers’ valuation of technical assistance and environmental benefits. Across the sample, self-reported knowledge of agroforestry practices was minimal to low (33%-78%). Perceptions of agroforestry systems for management and economic aspects were mixed, while promotion of biodiversity and environmental services were especially positive. Using a mixed logit regression model, if cost to establish a given agroforestry system was $2,500 per acre, it was determined that the average Missouri land manager would accept a per acre payment of $8,795 for alley cropping, $1,217 for forest farming, $3,080 for riparian forest buffers, $-3,546 for silvopasture, $11,458 for urban food forests, and $19,154 for windbreaks. WTA payments were lower for existing adopters of agroforestry than non-adopters. Among those who were willing to adopt agroforestry, technical assistance was valued at $1,670 per acre, while environmental benefits were valued at $2,992 per acre. In a second model testing interaction variables, participants with greater knowledge of agroforestry practices or with higher incomes were significantly more willing to adopt agroforestry practices, while participants with larger farms were less likely to adopt agroforestry.