Between Forestry and Farming: Policy and Environmental Implications of the Barriers to Agroforestry Adoption

Farming and forestry are practices with clearly defined institutions, markets, and policies. These are not as clearly defined for agroforestry, a practice experiencing increased interest in the USA. This study examined the barriers preventing the adoption of agroforestry within a household level theoretical framework informed by transaction costs and multifunctionality, using survey data from 353 Missouri (USA) landowners. Costs of establishing or managing trees, the time required to manage, and the lack of tree management experience are perceived as the most influential barriers limiting implementation of agroforestry on the farm. A principal component factor analysis of the perceived barriers identified two factors: the first, labeled Transaction Costs, related to information access and perceived establishment costs; the second factor, labeled Profitability Concerns, was associated with perceptions of the effects of agroforestry on farm profitability and agricultural production. Overall, Transaction Costs appears to be a greater barrier to implementation of agroforestry. Cluster analysis yielded three types of landowners: environmentalists, agriculturalists, and disengaged, who differ in their perceptions of these barriers. Statistical tests revealed differences among clusters on their farmland attributes, multifunctionality indicators, and their resources for adopting agroforestry. Environmentalists appear as more likely to adopt agroforestry, followed by the agriculturalists. Policy implications are also discussed.