2026/05/13 by Emmeline Topp, Cristina Quintas‐Soriano, Harun Cicek +7 · 1 voice
Computer Science · Engineering · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Cognitive Science and Mapping #Spatial Cognition and Navigation #Agricultural Innovations and Practices
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11625-026-01850-8
openalex publication_date 2026/05/13 · openalex created_date 2026/05/14 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Abstract Conservation agriculture is a promising approach to address the sustainability challenge of soil degradation facing Mediterranean farming systems. We documented the collective mental model of pioneering conservation agriculture farmers in Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia, including their motivations, perceived benefits, and how they overcome barriers in implementation. We find that pioneer farmers identify interlinked benefits including improved soil health and diversified farm incomes, and are motivated and aided in implementation by social factors that vary across spatial and temporal scales, ranging from individual agency to national policies. We discuss the implications of these factors for facilitating societal transition to conservation agriculture.