ABSTRACT
This chapter examines what and how farmers think about and relate to the environment. Recognition of the environmental problems associated with agriculture, the Common Agricultural Policy and the apparent erosion of the role of farmers as stewards of the countryside led to farmers facing increasing pressure to respond to the challenge. There is widespread evidence of the ‘informal’ work undertaken by farmers in managing the environment. This shift of environmental concern to the heart of agricultural practice is also reflected in a growing concern for food quality defined by its environmental provenance. Evidence from the Sustainable Intensification Research Platform Baseline Survey indicates that actions to address environmental issues are becoming a widespread and inescapable part of farming. The environmental activities of farmers has been the subject of extensive research, with much of this work focusing on the effectiveness of agri-environmental policy and the factors affecting farmers’ participation in formal agri-environment schemes.
