Motivation of agroecology for biodiversity conservation in China: a juxtaposition of traditional knowledge and modern ecology in tea farmers’ practice

In the context of tea agroecology, farmers’ motivations for participation are typically discussed in the context of shifting from conventional management, with less emphasis on direct biodiversity conservation. This study aims to explore the factors and pathways influencing farmers’ perception and decision making regarding agroecological practices within a protected area context. To address this aim, we employ a mixed analytical approach combining descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, binary logistic regression, and fs/QCA (fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis) in a traditional tea-growing region under protected area management. Findings indicate that the interplay of land use history and conservation policies significantly influences farmers’ perception of agroecology, establishing path dependencies for their decision making in this domain. Agroecology, viewed as a platform for knowledge co-production blending traditional knowledge and modern ecology, serves the dual purposes of biodiversity conservation and restoration, aligning with national park management objectives at the landscape scale. Results reveal diverse factors facilitating positive feedback after agroecology initiation, mediated by historical-institutional interplay. Despite the apparent rural community homogeneity, influencing pathways vary yet are scalable into a framework highlighting context-dependent synergies between knowledge co-production and institutional incentives. Policy implementation requires economic nudges to sustain agroecology, while tea agroecosystems should expand beyond monocultures to incorporate culturally embedded landscape values for enhanced valorisation.