Increasing the adoption intensity of sustainable agricultural practices in Europe: Farm and practice level insights

Understanding what influences the adoption of multiple sustainable farming practices, a concept we call adoption intensity, is critical to the sustainable development of our food system. Drawing on a survey of European farmers, and using structural equation modelling, we found dispositional influences important for adoption intensity at the farm-level but not as important for adoption intensity across all aspects of farm management. Productivity objectives were negatively associated with adoption intensity, but value chain support was positively associated, indicating the important role of the supply chain at the farm level. Participation in agri-environment schemes was not associated with farm-level adoption intensity but did have a positive association with adoption intensity in three farm management categories. These results have important implications for sustainable agricultural policy development and highlight the need to consider different incentives based on the scale of the change to be achieved. •Influences on adoption intensity different at farm and practice level.•Attitudinal influences more important at farm than practice level.•Being productive and adopting more sustainable practices not seen as compatible.•Influence of buyers important for farm level adoption.•Commercial incentives currently lacking for crop diversity and rotation.