No evidence of a rural-urban divide in prioritizing agricultural policy goals

Rural-urban divides have been found in various policy fields, but it remains unclear if they exist in agricultural policy. We analyzed the policy preferences of 1542 Swiss respondents, ranging from very rural to very urban. Respondents prioritized different pairs of conflicting goals, that is, two economic goals versus four conflicting agri-environmental goals. We find no evidence of a rural-urban divide in the prioritization of agricultural policy goals. Respondents prioritize economic goals over environmental goals. Efforts to make agriculture more environmentally sustainable do not per se create a rural-urban divide, but policies should focus on reducing trade-offs between economic and environmental goals.