Attributing responsibility to farmers for environmental protection and climate action: insights from the European Union

The attribution of responsibility is an important aspect of democratic government and governance. This study is interested in explaining variation in the responsibility that the public attributes to farmers for tackling climate change and environmental degradation. It analyzes data for respondents based in the 27 member states of the European Union as offered by a special issue of the Eurobarometer. Theoretically, the study postulates that if individuals perceive agriculture as a cause of climate change and environmental degradation, then they are more likely to indicate that it is a responsibility of farmers to take environmental and climate action. It also hypothesizes that individuals with a left-leaning ideology are more likely to attribute responsibility to farmers than right-leaning ones. Empirically, we find that the attribution of responsibility to farmers for mitigating climate change and environmental degradation is highest among Danes and lowest among Estonians. In 19 out of the 27 member states, our hypothesis holds true that individuals who perceive agriculture as a cause of climate change and environmental degradation are also more likely to attribute farmers’ responsibility for taking climate and environmental action. And in 11 member states, left-leaning individuals have a significantly higher likelihood of attributing farmers’ responsibility for tackling climate change and environmental degradation.