Risk study for arable farmers

Researchers from the James Hutton Institute (JHI) are calling on arable farmers from across Scotland to help them develop a greater understanding of attitudes towards risk management as part of an international study.

JHI researcher Laure Kuhfuss

The researchers said that managing uncertainty was more important than ever in farmers’ daily activities – playing a vital role as it was intrinsic to agricultural production with regards to factors such as yield, prices, weather, technology and finances, all of which were often hugely difficult to predict in advance.

The JHI are partners in a project tasked with gathering data on risk perceptions as part of a major study to inform policy development includes which includes many universities and European research institutes.

The project has created a short anonymous survey covering a wide spectrum of opinions on how risk can be managed, with participants being asked to answer questions about their attitudes along with socio-demographic information.

JHI researcher, Laure Kuhfuss, said the survey takes approximately 20 minutes and participants will get an initial payment of £10 for completing the survey – but individuals can lose up to £3.20 from the initial payment or win up to £13, the exact amount depending on selections made during the survey.

The survey will be open for participation until the 10th of October:

“Better understanding decision making can help adjust the support provided to farmers and stakeholders to better anticipate and reduce consequences of risk. It can also help inform and enhance agricultural policies,” said Kuhfuss.