Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Agri-Environmental Beneficial Management Practices in Manitoba: Evidence from Living Lab – Eastern Prairies

The report analyzes a 2020 survey of 70 Manitoba producers to identify drivers of beneficial management practice (BMP) adoption. It finds that younger, more educated producers operating larger farms, those receiving financial assistance, and those in Living Lab – Eastern Prairies watersheds are more likely to adopt BMPs. Primary barriers are economic, specifically high upfront costs, while the strongest incentives are improving soil health and farm profitability. The study emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer networks and tailored information delivery, noting that Living Lab participation generally improves producer relationships with government agencies and other farmers.

• Certain socio-demographic and situational factors correlate with a higher likelihood of adopting beneficial management practices (BMPs), specifically being under 55 years old, having post-secondary education, operating a farm larger than 1,200 acres, receiving financial assistance, and being located within a Living Lab – Eastern Prairies watershed.
• The most significant barriers to BMP adoption are economic, with high upfront costs identified as the highest-ranking barrier, followed by lack of financial assistance, high maintenance costs, lack of time, and uncertainty regarding economic benefits.
• The primary incentives for farmers to adopt BMPs are improving soil health (the highest-ranking incentive), increasing farm profitability, personal environmental stewardship, improving downstream water quality, and enhancing on-farm water-use efficiency.
• Producers highly value peer-to-peer information sharing, with other producers and producer associations cited as the most trusted sources of information. Preferred learning formats vary by demographic: while tours and field trips are generally preferred, younger and more educated producers show a stronger preference for group discussions, online courses, and e-newsletters.
• Participation in the Living Lab program has a positive effect on producer relationships, particularly with government agencies (reported by almost all participants), other producers (over half), and non-farmers in the community (half), while also increasing the likelihood of future BMP adoption.

APA

Puzyreva, M., Zhao, J., Patel, B., Awono, C., & Gunn, G. (2022). Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Agri-Environmental Beneficial Management Practices in Manitoba: Evidence from Living Lab – Eastern Prairies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/living-labs-adoption-agri-environmental-practices-manitoba.pdf

Chicago

Puzyreva, Marina, Jun Zhao, Bijal Patel, Cyprien Awono, and Geoffrey Gunn. Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Agri-Environmental Beneficial Management Practices in Manitoba: Evidence from Living Lab – Eastern Prairies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/living-labs-adoption-agri-environmental-practices-manitoba.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Puzyreva |first1=Marina |last2=Zhao |first2=Jun |last3=Patel |first3=Bijal |last4=Awono |first4=Cyprien |last5=Gunn |first5=Geoffrey |title=Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Agri-Environmental Beneficial Management Practices in Manitoba: Evidence from Living Lab – Eastern Prairies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/living-labs-adoption-agri-environmental-practices-manitoba.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{puzyreva2022socioeconomic, author = {Puzyreva, Marina and Zhao, Jun and Patel, Bijal and Awono, Cyprien and Gunn, Geoffrey}, title = {{Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Adoption of Agri-Environmental Beneficial Management Practices in Manitoba: Evidence from Living Lab – Eastern Prairies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/living-labs-adoption-agri-environmental-practices-manitoba.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }