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Sustainable Family Farming Futures: Exploring the Challenges of Family Farm Decision Making through an Emotional Lens of ‘Belonging’

Author

Listed:
  • Lorraine A. Holloway

    (Geography, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • Gemma Catney

    (Geography, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

  • Aileen Stockdale

    (Planning, School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
    Deceased 27 March 2021.)

  • Roy Nelson

    (School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK)

Abstract

This paper illustrates the importance of moving beyond an economic focus, and towards an emotional one, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of why farmers can be reluctant to retire and/or pass their farm onto the next generation. We report on a two-phase qualitative study of family farm decision-making processes in Northern Ireland, drawing on 62 in-depth oral life history interviews with farmers, farmers’ spouses, and farm successors. In an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the emotional aspects of retirement and succession decision-making processes, and their relationship with place belonging, in the first phase of this research we employed an innovative ‘Work and Talk’ method, whereby interviews were conducted while shadowing, or in some cases, co-working, with farmers on their land. The second phase of this research responded to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and involved remote telephone or online interviews with family farm members. This research revealed the complex relationships between a ‘longing for belonging’ and emotional attachment to the family farm, and the challenges associated with patrilineal farming structures, expectations and identities, in planning for succession. The emotional impacts of strained relationships with policy makers around support for retirement emerged as a surprisingly dominant theme throughout the interview process, suggesting the need for greater emphasis on the emotional aspects of farming retirement and succession planning to inform future rural development policies targeted towards the sustainability of family farms.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorraine A. Holloway & Gemma Catney & Aileen Stockdale & Roy Nelson, 2021. "Sustainable Family Farming Futures: Exploring the Challenges of Family Farm Decision Making through an Emotional Lens of ‘Belonging’," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-20, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:21:p:12271-:d:673715
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. Conway, Shane Francis & McDonagh, John & Farrell, Maura & Kinsella, Anne, 2018. "Till death do us part: Exploring the Irish farmer-farm relationship in later life through the lens of ‘Insideness'," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 7(1), July.
    3. Rieple, Alison & Snijders, Sylvia, 2018. "The role of emotions in the choice to adopt, or resist, innovations by Irish dairy farmers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 23-31.
    4. Tine Buffel & Liesbeth De Donder & Chris Phillipson & Nico De Witte & Sarah Dury & Dominique Vert�, 2014. "Place Attachment Among Older Adults Living in Four Communities in Flanders, Belgium," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(6), pages 800-822, September.
    5. Garner, Elisabeth & de la O Campos, Ana Paula, 2014. "Identifying the family farm. An informal discussion of the concepts and definitions," ESA Working Papers 288978, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
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    Cited by:

    1. Ingrid R. Epezagne Assamala & Wenyuan Li & Sheikh Farhan Ashraf & Nausheen Syed & He Di & Mehrab Nazir, 2022. "Mediation-Moderation Model: An Empirical Examination of Sustainable Women Entrepreneurial Performance towards Agricultural SMEs in Ivory Coast," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-21, May.
    2. Binglu Wu & Wenzhuo Liang & Jiening Wang & Dongxu Cui, 2022. "Rural Residents’ Perceptions of Ecosystem Services: A Study from Three Topographic Areas in Shandong Province, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Shane Francis Conway & Maura Farrell & John McDonagh & Anne Kinsella, 2022. "‘Farmers Don’t Retire’: Re-Evaluating How We Engage with and Understand the ‘Older’ Farmer’s Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-11, February.

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