Will farmers cooperate to conserve biodiversity? The use of collective bonus in the High Nature Value farmland in Slovenia

Abstract

Nature conservation in farmland is often based on the wide adoption of suitable farming practices, which are effectively coordinated at the landscape level. However, more advanced policy approaches to spatial coordination often require cooperation between farmers. We use quantitative analysis of 521 surveyed farmers and qualitative thematic analysis of 123 interviews in Natura 2000 sites Haloze and Kras in Slovenia to explore farmers' preferences towards a collective bonus, which could stimulate higher adoption of grassland conservation schemes. Abandonment of farming, low interest in agri-environmental schemes and changes in social relations (individualisation of farming and distrust among actors) were identified as critical barriers to farmer cooperation in the context of agri-environmental policy.