Farming in turbulent times: personal values, social networks and the reshaping of agricultural advisory services

Purpose We explored how farmers and their advisors prepare for and navigate the increasing magnitude and frequency of environmental, social, and economic stressors in agricultural systems. Some farmers’ responses are more successful than others, but we found that advisers’ understanding of these responses may be limited by their stereotypical views of farmers’ decision-making processes. We propose that a deeper understanding of farmers’ personal values and social networks could reshape the provision of agricultural advice to accommodate increasing environmental and societal turbulence in the years ahead.Design/Methodology/Approach From October 2021 to August 2022, we collected qualitative and quantitative data through semi-structured interviews and surveys with 34 farmers and 11 farm advisors to understand their experiences navigating current challenges and preparing for future ones in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia.Findings We found that differences in personal values and social networks revealed three distinct farmer types, each with different strategies, decision-making styles, and knowledge-seeking practices that influenced their engagement with extension services.Practical Implications Recognising and engaging with farmers based on their values and knowledge networks would allow agricultural advisors to tailor their advice to the specific needs of different farmer types.Theoretical Implications Schwartz’s theory of personal values enabled the classification of farmers according to their decision-making behaviours, and social network analysis showed where they sought the information to guide these decisions.Originality/Value This paper presents a novel approach to tailoring extension services, grounded in an original typology that merges theoretical concepts with empirical data.