The relationship between farmer demographics, social identity and tillage behavior: Evidence from Michigan soybean producers

Effectively promoting sustainable agricultural practices like conservation tillage (CT) is of critical importance for developing more efficient and sustainable value chains. While many studies have considered what factors might lead to tillage reduction, few have considered the role of social and structural determinants in farmer decision-making. Fewer still have considered tillage intensity as existing on a continuous spectrum that ranges from no-till to conventional tillage. Using primary data collected from Michigan soybean growers and an adapted Theory of Planned Behavior model, this article identifies key relationships between growers' demographics, social connections and their tillage practices. Results indicate that farmers with lower household income, more farming experience and weaker social network connectivity may be more likely to adopt CT technologies in Michigan soybean production. In addition to these factors, accounting for farmers’ subjective perspectives on the efficacy of CT, particularly its ability to save labor and conserve soil, may increase the success of future outreach encouraging CT in this context. These results have important implications for ongoing extension programs, as they suggest that adoption of sustainable agricultural practices such as CT is not only a function of individual level farm or farmer characteristics, but also of farmer perceptions of the opinions and practices of their unique social networks. • A Theory of Planned Behavior model accurately predicts farmers' tillage behavior. • Those with more income and experience are more likely to adopt conservation tillage. • Quantifying social network connectivity improved prediction of tillage behavior. • Social network connectivity may increase the risk of tillage innovation among farmers.