Farmers' Beliefs About Climate Action: Evidence From an Information Experiment

Farmers' adoption of climate change mitigation practices is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food production. One major source of these emissions is chemical fertilizer application. Introducing clover into grassland can mitigate emissions by reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. In this study, we conduct an information experiment with over 300 Irish dairy farmers to examine how information impacts their beliefs about clover adoption, and how this in turn influences subsequent intentions. Methodologically, we contribute to the literature by combining qualitative (i.e., open‐ended questions) and quantitative (i.e., point estimates) belief elicitation measures in our experimental design. This approach provides more detailed insights into farmers' beliefs, as it captures top‐of‐mind concerns without priming responses. Our qualitative belief elicitation reveals that after exposure to the information treatments, while most farmers did not change their opinions, some shifted from concerns such as ‘bloat’ and ‘difficult’ to terms like ‘reduction’ and ‘possible’. Our quantitative measures show that farmers underestimated clover's potential to reduce chemical fertilizer use. This finding is key for policymakers, as similar underestimations may apply to other GHG mitigation practices. Importantly, we provide causal evidence that information could reduce misperceptions. This highlights the need for strategies that positively shift beliefs to encourage more widespread uptake of climate change mitigation practices. Nonetheless, there was no meaningful impact of the updated beliefs on intentions, which underlines the complexity of adoption decisions.