Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Agri-Environmental Beneficial Management Practices in Manitoba
Evidence from Living Lab - Eastern Prairies
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Age, education, farm size, and financial assistance have significant impacts on producers' adoption of agri-environmental BMPs.
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The top barriers to BMP adoption are high upfront costs, a lack of financial assistance, and high maintenance costs.
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Most respondents who have participated in the Living Lab indicated that their participation increased the likelihood of adopting other BMPs in the future.
In 2020, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) collaboratively developed a survey to understand socio-economic factors affecting the adoption of agri-environmental beneficial management practices (BMPs) in Manitoba. BMPs are a growing suite of farm practices designed to mitigate the environmental impacts of agricultural operations.
The survey was administered in partnership with the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW), Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), and the Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association (MFGA) in the four Living Lab – Eastern Prairies participating watersheds and other watersheds in Manitoba. Seventy producers responded to the survey. The results provide important insights into BMP adoption decisions and help inform BMP-related policies and programs. These insights include:
- The socio-economic factors affecting BMP adoption
- Producers’ trusted sources of agri-environmental information
- The barriers and incentives to BMP adoption
- The impacts of Living Lab participation on producers’ perceptions around BMPs and their relationships with agencies and other producers.
Participating experts
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