Evaluation of key factors that lead to successful agri-environmental co-operative schemes

Abstract

Recommendation 5: Ensure enough flexibility in the scheme to permit local management solutions to develop.Recommendation 6: Allow some flexibility in local scheme objectives and mechanisms to enable re-orientation, if necessary.Farmer engagement 14.To effectively engage farmers in co-operative agri-environment schemes project officers/facilitators need to have a clear understanding of the history and culture of existing groups and the range of local issues.With this understanding they need to adapt and develop structures and processes to make them accessible and relevant to farmers.Without some local sensitivity, mechanisms for a new group scheme may fall short of engaging farmers effectively across the variety of likely target areas. Economic incentives15. Economic incentives can encourage engagement in agri-environment schemes and induce positive environmental behaviour amongst farmers, but more questionable is whether there is any corresponding attitude change.Scheme agencies will need to use their local knowledge to ascertain that farmers are fully signed up to the co-operative approach when offering economic payments.New groups could be offered seedcorn support for an initial planning stage after which they can apply for a full formal agreement using some form of independent legal status in order to release the scheme management funding.Recommendation 7: Offer payments that at least cover the cost of management activities associated with running and belonging to the group.Recommendation 8: Offer capital grants at an early stage and encourage the use of local contractors and suppliers to maximise the socio-economic benefits to the wider local economy.Recommendation 9: Offer two funding packages -a startup package and a longer term agri-environment scheme management package, following attainment of group legal status.Knowledge and information 16.The case studies have highlighted the value that farmers place on knowledge exchange and information to improve their economic situation.Recommendation 10: Offer farmers learning and training opportunities as an incentive to get involved. Marketing Advantage17. Farmers may wish to participate in a joint agri-environment scheme in order to develop an environmentally-friendly brand for their product.Schemes should promote farm products and the link between product quality and the upland environment and provide support for direct marketing.Recommendation 11: Provide assistance for groups in developing their own products and brands, either through a grant to employ consultants or through a scheme.Access to diversification funding 18.As the group matures and develops greater confidence, the facilitator should be tasked with helping it access funding for other activities.This prospect of further funding at a later stage would offer an additional incentive for farmers to become involved.v Recommendation 12: Allow facilitators to assist group in accessing other funding sources at a later stage as an incentive to group formation.Common concerns/conflict/interest 19.Many collective action projects appear to stem from shared interests and goals amongst members.In attempting to engage farmers in collective action it may be beneficial to identify local features or resources of value that are unique and threatened and which might be protected through their actions.Recommendation 13: Identify common value situations that can bring farmers together.Work with existing groups or networks 20.Existing groups or networks are more likely to succeed as they have developed factors of trust, familiarity, and respect that can only develop through time.When working with new groups, ideally members should be known to each other or be part of some existing local informal social networks, which will predispose them to work together.Successful groups will take time to establish, to develop into maturity and then to deliver real change in land management.Recommendation 14: Work with existing groups where they exist.Recommendation 15: If working with new groups, members should be known to each other through informal social networks.Recommendation 16: Allow 10 years for new groups to develop to full activity.Facilitation 21.The case studies highlighted the benefits of a facilitator or co-ordinator to support farmers in gaining access to information and knowledge, and developing collective action within farmer groups.Recommendation 17: Appoint or formally recognise a facilitator for each group, and identify individuals with the right personality, locally-based and respected by farmers.Recommendation 18: Set up a fund to pay for each facilitator and group establishment.Recommendation 19: Provide facilitators with training in facilitation skills and in participatory and communication methods.Start small and simple 22. Start with small groups of farmers, as it is easier to achieve good communication and effective monitoring with fewer numbers.Also aim to achieve simple land management changes early in the process to motivate farmers to join the scheme.Recommendation 20: Start with a small group of farmers aiming to achieve simple land management changes in order to increase chances of success.Recommendation 21: Start with options that produce tangible outcomes and benefits, such as small-scale capital works or promotional events.Group Structure 23.Provide assistance in establishing an appropriate legal entity and determining the group constitution, including membership criteria, allocation of responsibilities, decision-making procedures and financial management.Recommendation 22: Provide legal support in establishing a constituted group.vi Recommendation 23: Provide assistance in developing group decision-making processes and sanctions.Recommendation 24: Allow farmers to select membership of the group. Scheme payments24.The scheme should operate a payment system based around the delivery of a single payment to a locally based accountable structure that is in turn responsible for allocating the funds to individuals.This approach would reduce the amount of agency time spent on individual negotiations and leave the responsibility for resolving any disputes between members with the group itself.Recommendation 25: Where appropriate, offer a single payment to properly constituted groups, along with responsibility for dividing it up between members.Group monitoring and sanction setting 25.The case studies have demonstrated that less external compliance monitoring may be required with co-operative schemes, as there is usually an element of self-policing reinforced through peer pressure and reputation effects.Recommendation 26: Encourage a process of self-policing and sanction setting to ensure compliance with scheme agreements.Recommendations 27: Provide farmers with the opportunity to undertake their own monitoring activities.Expose group outcomes to public 26.Acknowledgement and interest by outsiders helped to increase group confidence and gave them the self-assurance to peruse other activities.Recommendation 28: Expose group activity success through local publicity, demonstration events, and achievement awards.Engaging other farmers 27.A tiered approach to new agri-environment schemes would allow the more reluctant farmers to develop confidence in an individual scheme before moving to a higher tier of collective action with neighbours.Recommendation 29: Adopt a tiered approach to new schemes enabling individuals to move to a higher-tier collective scheme when predisposed to.