Mental models for transition to conservation agriculture: the case of Mediterranean pioneer farmers

Conservation agriculture is a promising approach to address the sustainability challenge of soil degradation facing Mediterranean farming systems. We documented the collective mental model of pioneering conservation agriculture farmers in Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia, including their motivations, perceived benefits, and how they overcome barriers in implementation. We find that pioneer farmers identify interlinked benefits including improved soil health and diversified farm incomes, and are motivated and aided in implementation by social factors that vary across spatial and temporal scales, ranging from individual agency to national policies. We discuss the implications of these factors for facilitating societal transition to conservation agriculture.