Perceptions, Experiences, and Priorities Supporting Agro-ecosystem Management Decisions Differ Among Agricultural Producers, Consultants, and Researchers

dc.contributor.authorMcKenzie, Sean C.
dc.contributor.authorParkinson, Hilary A.
dc.contributor.authorMangold, Jane M.
dc.contributor.authorBurrows, Mary
dc.contributor.authorAhmed, Selena
dc.contributor.authorMenalled, Fabian D.
dc.date.accessioned2019-03-05T19:11:39Z
dc.date.available2019-03-05T19:11:39Z
dc.date.issued2018-11
dc.description.abstractThe sustainability of agriculture depends as much on the natural resources required for production as it does on the stakeholders that manage those resources. It is thus essential to understand the variables that influence the decision-making process of agricultural stakeholders to design educational programs, interventions, and policies geared towards their specific needs, a required step to enhance agricultural sustainability. This study employed a survey of multiple-choice and open-ended questions to examine the perceptions, experiences, and priorities that influence management decisions of agricultural stakeholders across Montana, United States. A total of 272 respondents completed a survey, representing five distinct agricultural stakeholder groups: 103 (34.9%) conventional producers, 78 (28.7%) consultants, 37 (13.6%) researchers, 33 (12.1%) organic grain producers, and 21 (7.7%) organic vegetable producers. The results revealed that, while stakeholder groups have distinct perceptions, experiences, and priorities, there were similarities across groups (pseudo-F = 22.92, p = 0.001). Specifically, organic vegetable and organic small-grain producers showed similar responses that were, in turn, divergent from those of conventional producers, researchers, and crop consultants. Conventional small-grain producers and researchers showed overlapping response patterns, while crop consultants formed an isolated group. Six clusters resulting from the classification of the multiple-choice response dataset associated with specific agricultural professions (χ2 = 549.72, p = 0.001). The classification of open-ended questions that assessed agronomic challenges and research needs resulted in six distinctive clusters, with specific associations between clusters and agricultural stakeholder groups (χ2 = 164.41, p = 0.001). These results reinforce the need for agricultural education and programs that address unique and shared experiences, priorities, and concerns of multiple stakeholder groups. This study endorses the call for a paradigm shift from the traditional top-down agricultural extension model to one that accounts for participants’ socio-ecological contexts to facilitate the adoption of sustainable agricultural systems that support environmental and human wellbeing.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMcKenzie, Sean, Hilary Parkinson, Jane Mangold, Mary Burrows, Selena Ahmed, and Fabian Menalled. "Perceptions, Experiences, and Priorities Supporting Agro-ecosystem Management Decisions Differ Among Agricultural Producers, Consultants, and Researchers." Sustainability 10, no. 11 (November 2018). DOI:10.3390/su10114096.en_US
dc.identifier.issn1937-0695
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/15317
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rightsCC BY: This license lets you distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon this work, even commercially, as long as you credit the original creator for this work. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcodeen_US
dc.titlePerceptions, Experiences, and Priorities Supporting Agro-ecosystem Management Decisions Differ Among Agricultural Producers, Consultants, and Researchersen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
mus.citation.issue11en_US
mus.citation.journaltitleSustainabilityen_US
mus.citation.volume10en_US
mus.contributor.orcidAhmed, Selena|0000-0001-5779-0697en_US
mus.data.thumbpage6en_US
mus.identifier.categoryLife Sciences & Earth Sciencesen_US
mus.identifier.doi10.3390/su10114096en_US
mus.relation.collegeCollege of Agricultureen_US
mus.relation.collegeCollege of Education, Health & Human Developmenten_US
mus.relation.departmentHealth & Human Development.en_US
mus.relation.universityMontana State University - Bozemanen_US

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
McKenzie_Sustainability_2018.pdf
Size:
1.94 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Perceptions, Experiences, and Priorities Supporting Agro-ecosystem Management Decisions Differ Among Agricultural Producers, Consultants, and Researchers (PDF)

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
826 B
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Copyright (c) 2002-2022, LYRASIS. All rights reserved.