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Sammanfattning

Research based on farmer surveys is a cornerstone of agricultural economics. Farmer surveys provide unique insights into behavioural variables-such as values, motivations, attitudes, behaviours, and preferences-that are unavailable in secondary datasets. However, the decline in farm numbers across most European countries, combined with a growing number of surveys, is posing a threat to farmer survey research. This paper synthesises current practices in farmer surveys in the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden. Our approach is meta-scientific, drawing on a survey aimed at researchers responsible for 34 farmer surveys conducted between January 2019 and August 2024. This analysis is complemented by a document analysis and critical reflection workshops. We identify three key challenges: (i) limited consistency and standardisation of socio-economic survey questions, (ii) long surveys, which are associated with high attrition and low response rates, and (iii) low adoption of open science practices. To address these challenges, we propose a set of best practices to enhance the transparency, comparability, standardisation, and reusability of farmer survey data. These best practices aim to strengthen the quality of survey-based research in agricultural economics and ensure that farmer surveys continue to support evidence-based policymaking.

Nyckelord

agriculture; attrition; meta-science; open science; response rate; survey methodology

Publicerad i

Journal of Agricultural Economics
2026

SLU författare

UKÄ forskningsämne

Jordbruksekonomi och landsbygdsutveckling

Publikationens identifierare

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.70024

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/145607