The Change towards the Integration of Agri-environmental Practices (CIAEP) into farmer’s practices system: An affective, cognitive, and behavioural process

This article contributes to the research characterising agri-environmental practices (AEPs) adoption processes. Although the adoption of AEPs by farmers has long been recognised as a process, existing conceptualisations vary significantly and face theoretical and operational limitations that limit the ability of research to accurately describe and understand these processes. In this paper, we propose a new conceptualisation of AEPs adoption processes, supported by psychological theories and data from a longitudinal case study of 20 farmers in Quebec, Canada. We develop an empirically informed operational framework for analysing AEP adoption processes: the Change towards the Integration of Agri-environmental Practices (CIAEP) framework. The CIAEP focuses on the internal processes farmers undergo to integrate AEPs, framing integration as a process involving cognitive, affective, and behavioural changes, including the acceptance of the loss of previous practices. It defines a seven-stage process with associated indicators, ranging from no intention to change to the integration of an AEP into a farming practices system. By including affective dimensions alongside established cognitive and behavioural components, the CIAEP enriches existing conceptualisations of AEP adoption processes. It introduces new stages that explain how farmers decide to commit to adopting AEPs and defines integration as the technical, affective, and cognitive mastery of an AEP, offering a fresh perspective on the concept of adoption. This article outlines the development of the CIAEP framework, its application in the case study, and provides two examples of its use based on partial longitudinal data. Finally, we discuss the benefits, limitations, and research opportunities presented by the CIAEP framework.