More effectieve AES by professionalisation of farmer collectives.

The loss of biodiversity is a major problem in Europe. Agri-environmental schemes (AESs) are an important governance tool for increasing biodiversity in agricultural areas. There is still mixed evidence about their effectiveness in terms of their contribution to the enhancement of agricultural biodiversity (Batáry, Dicks, Kleijn, & Sutherland, 2015; Kleijn, Berendse, Smit, & Gilissen, 2001; Kleijn, Rundlöf, Scheper, Smith, & Tscharntke, 2011; Kleijn & Sutherland, 2003; RLI, 2013). Much research has therefore been conducted on how the contribution of AESs to agrobiodiversity can be increased. In the literature, we observe two distinct research perspectives: an ecological-technical perspective and a social scientific perspective. The first perspective is focused on achieving the best ecological conditions by optimising conservation measures (Carvell, Bourke, Osborne, & Heard, 2015; Grass et al., 2016; Melman et al., 2016; Zmihorski, Kotowska, Berg, & Pärt, 2016). The second research perspective deals with the human factor: for instance, how to ensure participation in AESs. Of key importance, given the voluntary nature of AESs, is farmer participation (Batáry et al., 2015; Guillem & Barnes, 2013; Runhaar et al., 2017). The proposed research fits within the second perspective in AES research. A relatively new subject in this perspective is collective action in AESs: collaboration between farmers and between farmer groups, governments and other organisations e.g. nature conservation groups, local voluntary organisations. Such collaboration is considered important to increase the effectiveness of AESs at landscape scale (Bruges, 2014; de Snoo et al., 2013; Emery & Franks, 2012; Josefsson, Lokhorst, Pärt, Berg, & Eggers, 2017; Runhaar et al., 2017; Stock, Forney, Emery, & Wittman, 2014; Termeer, Stuiver, Gerritsen, & Huntjens, 2013; van Dijk, Lokhorst, Berendse, & de Snoo, 2015; Wolf, 2008). The importance of farmer collaboration has also been recognised in practice. For instance, in the Netherlands, experiments have been conducted with giving farmer groups (called farmer collectives) responsibility for drafting conservation plans for AESs at landscape level and contracting farmers, and for monitoring and enforcement. Based on these experiments, in 2013 the new EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) made it possible for a group of farmers to be applicants for and final beneficiaries of subsidies for the period 2015 – 2020. The Dutch government even decided that the only beneficiaries of AESs for the period 2016 – 2022 would be farmer collectives (Runhaar et al., 2017). The question is whether working with voluntary farmer collectives instead of more hierarchical control in which governments contract individual farmers will lead to more effective AESs and, if so, how. What is important in the performance of farmer collectives to ensure they can contribute to more effective AESs? This is an unexplored field of research. In the proposed research we will address the abovementioned knowledge gap, employing the lens of ‘professionalisation’ in order to analyse the performance of farmer collectives. The concept of professionalisation originates from the sociology and management disciplines and is often used to analyse and improve organisations (Haapakorpi, 2012; Weggeman, 1992) or professions like teachers, lawyers and medical doctors (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002; Curnow & McGonigle, 2006). It is also used to analyse and improve the development of volunteer-driven organisations into more formal organisations: for instance, related to sports management (Dowling, Edwards, & Washington, 2014; Nagel, Schlesinger, Bayle, & Giauque, 2015). In order to use the lens of professionalisation to analyse and improve the development of volunteer organisations, a distinction is made between what the ideal organisation should meet and the process required to achieve this ideal. The objective of this research is to use the lens of professionalisation to gain insight into the functioning of voluntary farmer collectives in the new system of AESs and the contribution to more effective AESs. The main research question is: Seen through the lens of professionalisation, how do voluntary farmer collectives function in their contribution to more effective AESs? The subsidiary research questions are: 1. How can the functioning of the farmer collectives in the Netherlands be conceptualised and operationalised, using the lens of professionalisation of voluntarily organisations? 2. Which different development paths in the professionalisation process of the farmer collectives can be distinguished and explained? 3. What dilemmas do the farmer collectives encounter during their professionalisation process? 4. What is the relationship between the degree of professionalisation and the effectiveness of AESs? This research will contribute to new insights into the research fields of governance, AESs and the professionalisation of organisations (voluntary or otherwise).