Self-Perception of Sustainable Practices: A Comparison Between Conventional and Organic Farmers

Agricultural systems are facing the need to transform towards more sustainable production practices. Although organic farming emerged decades ago as a model for sustainable farm systems, conventional farmers are increasingly seeking to adopt practices that address specific sustainability issues. This paper assesses conventional and organic farmers' self-perceptions of their implementation of sustainable activities, how these self-perceptions differ between the two farming types, and the interconnections among sustainable practices. An online survey (n = 234) was conducted to capture German farmers´ self-perceptions in 2022. The open answers on sustainability practices were analysed using qualitative content and semantic network analysis. The qualitative content analysis revealed that organic farms primarily view their organic farming practices as sustainable practices themselves, while conventional farms mostly contribute to diverse cultural landscapes and optimised nutrient management. The semantic networks within the statements of the organic farms were more strongly interconnected compared to the network of statements from conventional farms. This signals that a common perception about how sustainable farming can be defined is more developed and more coherent among organic farmers. Respondents from both farm groups are making efforts to become more sustainable. However, organic farming seems to show limited dynamics in adopting new practices, while conventional farms seem to lack a systems-based perception of sustainability. In future, both farming types should strengthen efforts to learn from each other. These findings have important implications for designing agricultural policies that target a more sustainable agricultural system overall.