Farmer perspectives on collaboration: Evidence from agricultural landscapes in Arizona, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania

Abstract

We examine how contextual factors affect farmer perspectives on collaborative environmental management in Arizona, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania, U.S., through a qualitative and comparative study. In doing so, we explore how contextual factors identified in foundational collaborative environmental governance research play out specifically in three agricultural cases. Findings from this study reveal four key cross-case themes from farmer perspectives on collaboration: (1) prior participation, (2) flexible agenda, (3) willingness to learn, and (4) agency influence. Further, we find positions that are more open or closed on each theme are shaped by three contextual factors: farmer interdependence with non-farmers, the nature of salient water resource issues, and protection from versus vulnerability to regulatory agencies. These findings are useful for guiding future collaborative forums aiming to elicit farmer participation in environmental management.