Advantages, disadvantages, and reasons for non-adoption of rotational grazing, herbal leys, trees on farms and ley-arable rotations on English livestock farms

Abstract

Adoption of rotational grazing or multi-species herbal leys, planting trees and integrating livestock into arable rotations can increase agricultural productivity and carbon storage on temperate ruminant livestock farms. However, farmers frequently have rational reasons for not adopting seemingly beneficial management practices. Here, we conduct semi-structured interviews with sheep and beef cattle farmers and industry representatives in England, to determine the advantages, disadvantages, and reasons for non-adoption of these four management practices. We find key reasons that farmers rationally do not adopt these practices include capital outlay, incompatibility with farming objectives, and the risk that desired benefits are not delivered.