Effect of Farmland Arrangements for the Protection of Natural Areas on the Basic Psychological Needs of the Farmers Involved

Abstract Some studies question the effectiveness of incentive-based environmental public policies (IEPPS) on inducing changes in farmers’ practices due to certain psychological mechanisms. Rooted in self-determination theory, the extant literature notably focuses on the motivation crowding phenomenon while overlooking the central concept of the basic psychological needs (BPN) of humans: autonomy, competence and social relatedness. This article explores farmers’ BPNs and their fulfillment in the case of farmland arrangements for the protection of natural areas (FAPAs). These IEPPs grant access to land at low rents under conditions of environmentally friendly agricultural practices. We analyze interviews with farmers engaged in FAPAs in a French basin with computer-assisted text-based qualitative data analysis methods. FAPAs create a social context that thwarts farmers’ BPN for autonomy due to a noninclusive design that extends beyond constraints on practices. An inclusive FAPA design and support to BPNs for competence and relatedness could improve farmers’ engagement in action.