A recent Estonian blogpost featured the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU), a SHOWCASE partner, and junior researcher Aki Kadulin who contributed to two new European studies revealing that farmers’ decisions to conserve biodiversity depend strongly on their personal values, perceived costs and social context. The same support measure may inspire one farmer but discourage another, highlighting the need for more flexible, locally tailored policies.

To provide context, semi-natural grasslands, such as coastal and wooded meadows, are among the most species-rich habitats in Europe. These unique landscapes, formed through centuries of moderate grazing and mowing, depend on continued management by farmers. Yet maintaining them is often time-consuming, financially challenging and offers little direct economic return under the current intensive agricultural model.

According to Aki Kadulin, junior researcher in agriculture at EMU, the survival of these habitats is directly linked to the will and actions of farmers and largely depends on financial support from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). CAP measures are often the last safety net keeping these heritage landscapes alive.

The studies, authored by SHOWCASE partners and published in Biological Conservation and Ecological Economics, stress that one-size-fits-all policies don’t work. More flexible, locally tailored measures are needed to align farmers’ motivations with Europe’s biodiversity goals.

Read the full article here.