‘Farmer planting has dropped off a cliff’, Teagasc research shows
‘Research has found that while farmers generally express a willingness to adopt Small-Scale Afforestation Measures (SSAMs), social pressure and community approval significantly reduce the likelihood of their uptake’
A farmer’s decision to plant trees is overwhelmingly driven by subjective norms, commonly known as ‘what do the neighbours think?’
That’s according to research by Teagasc, who surveyed 563 farmers through the National Farm Survey, which shows that historically, farmers accounted for over 80pc of afforestation in Ireland, a figure that has fallen to less than 50pc.