Social and cultural factors that influence the adoption of sustainable farm practices

As part of the first case study 'Barriers and constraints to the adoption of sustainable farming techniques in the sheep/wheat industry: the sociological context', the large body of sociological theory which seeks to explain farmer behaviour is focused on. An ethnographic interview survey of 104 farm people was conducted in two Riverina NSW communities. A picture of the systems of social standing in these communities developed during the fieldwork. This picture is of a farming culture that is divided hierarchically in terms of 'good' farming practice and the relevant cultural and symbolic attitudes that farmers find are required to achieve this. However, 'good' farming practice is found to change over time and to be contested by different farmers.