Wetland restoration is central to climate mitigation in Europe, yet uptake of voluntary Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) remains limited. This article examines why some Danish land managers hesitate to participate in wetland restoration schemes, despite financial compensation and growing political pressure for large-scale rewetting. Drawing on fourteen semi-structured interviews with land managers managing carbon-rich soils, we analyse how decisions are shaped by economic concerns, moral and social values, and everyday farm logistics. Combining Graeber’s value theory, Mills et al.’s willingness–ability–engagement framework, and Burton’s concept of the “good farmer,” we show that land managers’ reasoning extends far beyond financial payoff. For many, land embodies family continuity, place-based identity, and stewardship obligations, while practical constraints, farm fragmentation, administrative burdens, and uncertainty about long-term regulations - further limit perceived feasibility. Our findings highlight a misalignment between policy assumptions of economic rationality and the multidimensional value worlds within which land managers operate. We argue that improving scheme uptake requires policy designs that integrate non-economic motivations, strengthen farmer engagement, and address long-term trust and operational constraints. As Denmark positions itself as an early and ambitious implementer of wetland restoration, these insights hold broader relevance for European efforts to accelerate nature restoration on privately owned farmland.
Krabbe et al. (Thu,) studied this question.