Landscape protection as a tool for managing agricultural landscapes in Norway

Norwegian Protected Landscapes aim to preserve landscape character. As most of the agricultural land in Protected Landscapes is privately owned, the attitudes and behaviour of farmers are crucial in achieving this goal. We present results of a nationwide questionnaire to farmers who owned or managed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & policy 2009-12, Vol.12 (8), p.1144-1152
Main Authors: Fjellstad, Wendy, Mittenzwei, Klaus, Dramstad, Wenche, Øvren, Eva
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural production
Attitudes
Cultural factors
Environmental protection
Farm management
Farmer attitudes
Governance
Governance processes
Landscape
Landscape protection
Norway
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Summary:Norwegian Protected Landscapes aim to preserve landscape character. As most of the agricultural land in Protected Landscapes is privately owned, the attitudes and behaviour of farmers are crucial in achieving this goal. We present results of a nationwide questionnaire to farmers who owned or managed farmland in Protected Landscapes. Thirty-eight percent of the respondents claimed that their farm business had been changed as a consequence of landscape protection. Niche products and alternative income possibilities, commonly forwarded as potential benefits of landscape protection status, had generally not been realised. Although we found that most farmers agreed on the importance of taking care of cultural landscapes, 76% felt that this was best done by using rather than protecting the landscape. The study revealed negative attitudes towards municipal authorities. A quarter of respondents were strongly against the establishment of new Protected Landscapes, even if they were compensated for economic losses. Based on results of the study we suggest that major improvements to the protection system could be made by improving communication between management authorities and farmers, and ensuring real involvement of farmers in making and carrying out management plans.
ISSN:1462-9011
1873-6416
DOI:10.1016/j.envsci.2009.01.009