A new study examines the validity trade-offs when using farmer samples in economic experiments designed to inform agricultural policy. Economic experiments are increasingly used to test the design of agri-environmental policies before they are rolled out at scale. But most laboratory experiments use student volunteers rather than the farmers who would actually participate in such schemes. Does this matter? A new project-funded study published in Q Open directly addresses th

A new study finds that farmer identity influences contract choices more strongly than risk aversion, with implications for how biodiversity schemes are designed and offered. Agri-environmental schemes are a primary tool for encouraging farmers to manage land for biodiversity, but uptake varies widely. Understanding what drives farmers’ choices between different contract designs is essential for improving scheme effectiveness. A new project-funded study published in Q Open u