Incentives vs Participation
Sociocultural elements are important aspects of sustainable agriculture because human relationships with agricultural systems are the prime determinants of the form the system eventually takes (Foran, 1993).
The sustainability of agricultural systems is as much dependent on developing stakeholder processes which achieve uptake of sustainable practices and technologies, as is determining what the production technologies are. Understanding the motives, incentives and relative importance of factors that influence farmers and growers is critical. The issue for scientists is what research is needed to influence farmer and grower decision making.
The purpose of policy is to encourage behaviour change in decision makers (MAF, 1996(b)).
In general, three sets of policy instruments are used to achieve behavioural change, namely:
- economic instruments - mechanisms such as charges, subsidies, deposit refund schemes, transferable rights, performance bonds and non-compliance fees and offsets;
- regulatory instruments - rules, standards, regulations and compliance conditions that define contracts and limits for what is acceptable or not - the command and control approach; and
- participatory processes - learning processes.
Figure Two: Attaining Sustainable Agriculture Outcomes
These are shown diagrammatically in figure two.
The traditional reliance on regulatory methods has not proven satisfactory as means to halt pollution problems (Meister and Sharp, 1993), or wider natural resource degradation (Bradson, 1990). Whilst, in theory, newer economic instruments may have appeal, there is clear evidence that reliance on market mechanisms will also not deliver sustainable resource management outcomes.
Increasingly, therefore, it is becoming recognised that effective participatory processes hold the key to sustainable (policy) outcomes - complemented by economic and regulatory approaches. The consultative process required by the Resource Management Act acknowledges this, but we question whether current practice goes far enough along the public involvement continuum (Donaldson, 1995). Legislation is not the end point of policy advice or government strategy. Rather, the end point is successful implementation of a policy objective by individuals asstakeholders. Consequently, applying the principles and practices of behaviour changing facilitation are fundamental to a sustainable outcome. In many instances planners and policyadvisers do not have the necessary understanding, knowledge or skills to use such processes. Therefore, they tend to revert to the use of regulatory and economic instruments with which they might feel more comfortable; and then wonder why the outcomes sought don't happen!
The challenge for the future is to better understand and apply the theoretical and practical concepts underpinning effective participatory processes to utilise the full complement of policyinstruments necessary for behaviour change.
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