Bridging the communication gap between Irish farmers and policy makers to support engagement in sustainable agriculture practices

Purpose
Farmers are under increased pressure to adopt new practices and policies around climate change and sustainability. An important aspect of this is effective communication and inclusive policy development, particularly in the context of escalating global climate change challenges. This study integrates a scoping review of existing literature with qualitative insights drawn from focus groups to examine the key issues that impede productive dialogue and collaboration between farmers and policy makers. The dual method approach was designed to provide evidence both from stakeholders and the existing literature to allow us to understand systemic communication barriers and identify strategies that will build trust, mutual respect, and the co-creation of policies that resonate with the lived experiences of the farming community.

Method
The scoping review surveyed research addressing farmers and policymakers in western industrialised countries to understand the experiences, values, and attitudes of these populations in relation to climate change adaptation – particularly in relation to topics that occasion ambivalence, dilemmas and controversy. In parallel, focus groups were conducted with three distinct stakeholder groups: farmers; agricultural advisors and support professionals; and policy makers and climate advocates. These sessions were structured to probe perceptions regarding sustainable farming practices, the efficacy of current climate change policies, and the viability of novel communication approaches like Motivational Interviewing (MI; Miller et al., 2023) which is specifically designed to manage ambivalence in service of motivating behavioural change.

Findings
Through the scoping review, positive views of the potential for successful adoption of climate-smart agriculture in this sector were found, with policymakers seeing potential for collaboration (Raymond & Robinson, 2013) and farmers showing a range of heterogenous ambivalent perspectives on climate adaptation relevant to the development of MI-based tools, but generally held values of care for nature and the environment (Barnes et al., 2013; Stupak et al., 2019). Recurring barriers to climate adaptation for farmers included financial concern, trust, disengagement in the development of governing policies, and sense of familial tradition. Recommendations for future research utilising specific techniques for engagement including MI are made, with suggestions for stronger reporting conventions and the exploration of specific theoretical frameworks given.

In the focus group, participants from the farming community reported feeling marginalized and criticized by policy directives that fail to account for on the ground operational challenges. From the focus groups it was evident that policies often require farmers to make difficult choices that challenge the already tight practical constraints that they are working within. Policy makers also acknowledged the difficulty of translating complex scientific data into actionable guidance without the benefit of direct farmer input. Agricultural advisors, who often have a foot in both camps, pointed to a need for improved tools that facilitate two way knowledge exchange that would support farmers in adapting to new practices and for resolving ambivalence.

Practical and theoretical implications
Stakeholders from all three groups expressed that incorporating MI techniques could provide a structured framework to encourage open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving in relation to the farming-related dilemmas posed by climate change . Taken together the combined insights from the scoping review and focus group discussions illuminate critical issues in current communication practices and policy development. They strongly advocate for co created, evidence based interventions that address the mistrust and disconnect between farmers and policy makers. By grounding policy development in the lived experience of farmers and employing communication strategies like MI, there is an opportunity to improve the credibility and acceptability of climate change initiatives. Ultimately, these findings offer a roadmap for developing more inclusive, effective, and sustainable agricultural policies that not only support environmental goals but also uphold the values and livelihoods of the farming community.