This Work Package is centred around the Farmer Intentions Survey (FIS), a longitudinal survey of Scottish farmers, crofters and smallholders organised by The James Hutton Institute and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC). The aim of the FIS is to better understand farmer intentions towards future planning and activity, and the way farmers respond to ongoing changes in the agricultural industry. Findings from the survey will be used to assess changes over time to standards of basic and best-fit practices, and to identify how trigger events are implicated within these changes.
The sample size of the FIS (2,500 farmers) enables breakdowns of findings between and within sectors and systems, farm size, and geographic variance. Survey questions also address the influence of public support. Earlier waves of the survey have yielded insights into farm diversification, afforestation, non-commercial farming, technological innovation, new entrants, crofting, Brexit response, and reliability of respondent predictions.
Data collection is scheduled to take place between June and October 2023. Previous waves of the FIS were implemented in 2013 and 2018.
Publications
- February 2023. Baseline practices of Scottish farmers from the Farmer Intention Survey
Stanislav Martinat; Lee-Ann Sutherland; Andrew Barnes; Jenny McMillan; Jonathan Hopkins. - August 2022. Policy brief on barriers to up-take of practices
Lee-Ann M. Sutherland; Kit MacLeod; Laure Kuhfuss; Kirsty Blackstock; Stanislav Martinat. - All publications linked to Farmer Intentions Survey