Farmer compliance with environmental regulation: A preliminary look at the drivers and barriers for Canterbury dairy farmers

Abstract

In order to develop an effective regulatory framework, an understanding of what factors influence dairy farmer compliance levels is critical. The literature suggests that participation in environmental management programs and compliance behaviour on farm is multi-dimensional and may vary depending on the desired activity or outcome and locality. Consequently, compliance behaviour on farm must be investigated on a case-by-case basis. To this end, an email-based electronic questionnaire was sent to 548 Canterbury dairy farmers identified as dairy effluent discharge consent holders. A theoretical framework drawn from the Theory of Planned Behaviour and discrete choice theory informed the development of a behavioural model which was tested utilising the quantitative data collected. The preliminary results from this analysis will be discussed.