2023
Overview
Farmer decision-making is the process by which agricultural producers choose among courses of action to manage their land, crops, livestock, and resources under conditions of uncertainty. It encompasses choices about what and when to plant, how to allocate labor, water, fertilizer, and capital, which technologies or practices to adopt, and how to respond to weather, pests, markets, and policy. These decisions are shaped by a combination of economic considerations, available information, risk tolerance, access to credit and inputs, environmental conditions, social and cultural norms, and personal experience. Understanding farmer decision-making is central to agricultural economics, extension, and sustainability research, because the aggregate effect of individual choices influences productivity, food security, resource use, and environmental outcomes. Researchers study these processes to design more effective extension services, incentives, and tools that help farmers manage risk and adopt practices that improve both livelihoods and long-term sustainability. Within the broad scope of Farming, this collection includes work touching on sustainable practice adoption, including a study applying permaculture practices to improve sustainable agriculture in the Maltese Islands. The page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to agricultural practice, resource management, and the choices that shape farming systems.
Research published in this journal
1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.