What Motivates Households with Very Small and Small Farms in Wales?

Abstract

SummaryIn the UK, as in many EU countries, farm businesses are mostly operated by households rather than as other institutional forms. These are not only economic units – they have social dimensions too. Household members will have personal aims and preferences, shaped by psychology and experiences, that are reflected in behaviour. In Wales there is special interest in the motives of operators of farms classed as economically Very Small or Small, as these account for 87 per cent of all Welsh farms and thus carry social and political weight in agricultural and rural matters; they also occupy 60 per cent of the agricultural land area. Using questions developed from a review of literature (and especially work published by Ruth Gasson), a survey in early 2021 of over 400 farm households found that respondents overwhelmingly reported intrinsic factors as very important reasons for them being in farming, a categorisation that included motives such as enjoyment of the various production activities of farming, providing a healthy outdoor life, and giving them independence and control. In contrast, less than a third cited instrumental reasons, such as generating an income for living, and this was weakest among the operators of Very Small farm businesses. Social and expressive reasons for being in farming took intermediate positions. The dominance of intrinsic motivations was confirmed when scoring also took account of lower levels of importance cited by respondents. Understanding motives can lead to better explanations for how farm households respond to policy signals, such as are associated with the UK leaving the EU (‘Brexit’) and the replacement of the Common Agricultural Policy with a national one in Wales. Over three‐quarters of these farmers see environmental conservation as extremely or very important to their futures, which suggests that this element of the post‐Brexit Welsh agricultural policy will meet a welcoming response.