TY - JOUR

T1 - More than spatial coordination

T2 - How Dutch agricultural collectives foster social capital for effective governance of agri-environmental measures

AU - Barghusen, Rena

AU - Sattler, Claudia

AU - Berner, Richard

AU - Matzdorf, Bettina

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the ZALF PhD project ‘Landscaper’ and the European Union's Horizon2020 research and innovation program Contracts2.0 under Grant 818,190 .

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - Collective approaches for agri-environmental measures are known for aiming at spatial coordination of measures to enhance ecological effectiveness. In the Netherlands, governance networks for agri-environmental measures are centered around agricultural collectives that function as intermediaries between individual farmers and governmental as well as non-governmental actors. Against the background that some agricultural collectives are bottom-up and other top-down initiated, we analyzed in how far they can build up social capital through formal and informal relations. We used the Net-Map method to collect qualitative and quantitative data for a Social Network Analysis to uncover the network characteristics that contribute to a certain level of social capital. The results revealed that the umbrella organization links the collectives to the national governmental level and to other collectives. This is especially important for top-down initiated collectives. The facilitation of internal meetings within the collectives is important for social learning. Furthermore, a formalization of the exchange between collectives and stakeholders of nature conservation could strengthen cooperation where traditionally conflicts dominate. By analyzing interaction in detail, the social reasoning to promote collective agri-environmental measures was highlighted. They enable collaboration of different stakeholders at multiple levels to the end that knowledge and resources are bundled.

AB - Collective approaches for agri-environmental measures are known for aiming at spatial coordination of measures to enhance ecological effectiveness. In the Netherlands, governance networks for agri-environmental measures are centered around agricultural collectives that function as intermediaries between individual farmers and governmental as well as non-governmental actors. Against the background that some agricultural collectives are bottom-up and other top-down initiated, we analyzed in how far they can build up social capital through formal and informal relations. We used the Net-Map method to collect qualitative and quantitative data for a Social Network Analysis to uncover the network characteristics that contribute to a certain level of social capital. The results revealed that the umbrella organization links the collectives to the national governmental level and to other collectives. This is especially important for top-down initiated collectives. The facilitation of internal meetings within the collectives is important for social learning. Furthermore, a formalization of the exchange between collectives and stakeholders of nature conservation could strengthen cooperation where traditionally conflicts dominate. By analyzing interaction in detail, the social reasoning to promote collective agri-environmental measures was highlighted. They enable collaboration of different stakeholders at multiple levels to the end that knowledge and resources are bundled.

KW - AECM

KW - Bottom-up vs. top-down initiated

KW - Governance of ecosystem services

KW - Net-map tool

KW - Social network analysis

KW - Social-ecological systems

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85142256318&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.10.023

DO - 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.10.023

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85142256318

VL - 96

SP - 246

EP - 258

JO - Journal of Rural Studies

JF - Journal of Rural Studies

SN - 0743-0167

ER -