Place attachment and agroforestry adoption

Abstract Conventional row crop farming in the United States is associated with multiple environmental challenges including soil and water degradation and decreased biodiversity. Sustainable agriculture advocates have encouraged agroforestry, or the integration of woody perennial crops like trees and shrubs into agricultural systems, to ameliorate environmental challenges and provide on-farm benefits. Despite promised environmental benefits and efforts to increase adoption, rates of agroforestry practice remain low in the US. Researchers have long studied how agricultural decision-making is shaped by psychological, financial, institutional, and logistical challenges, but there is less attention on the role of emotional and cultural factors in the adoption of new agricultural practices. Through interviews with 31 farmers (both adopters and non-adopters of agroforestry) in Illinois, we examine how place attachment, or the cognitive and emotional bonds between people and place, influences the long-term investment decisions associated with agroforestry. We find that place attachment is expressed through distinct dimensions: place dependence, place identity, and place affect. While specific attachments like connection to nature and family legacy often motivate adoption, attachments related to economic dependence on the land and traditional farming identities are sometimes barriers to adoption. Our findings suggest that outreach and extension work on agroforestry may be improved by explicitly acknowledging place-specific values and emotions.