Deciphering arable farmers’ intentions: Attitudes, norms, perceived advantages, and the influential role of group discussions on insect frass adoption

Circularity in agriculture regarding the recycling of by-products from one form of production for use as inputs in another has become an urgent initiative as resources become more scarce and valuable. One potential example of circular agriculture is recycling the by-products of insect production (frass) as a crop and soil health promoter. This research investigates the drivers of arable farmers’ intentions to trial insect frass as an input on their farms using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Innovation Decision Process. In addition, the influence of group discussion participation on the drivers of farmers’ intentions is investigated to identify potential opportunities to influence the uptake of frass. Two questionnaires at two time-points (t₁ and t₂) were distributed to forty-six Dutch arable farmers. Between these time-points, half of the farmers participated in group discussions where their first impressions of frass were shared amongst each other. The results from several regression models suggest that in t₁, farmers’ attitudes, perceived (descriptive) social norms and perceived behavioural control drive their intentions to trial frass. By t₂, for those not in group discussions, attitudes were the only significant predictors of their intentions. For those who participated in the group discussion, the descriptive norm had a larger association with intentions than for those who did not. The results of this research contribute to an informed discussion on how group discussions, alongside policy-driven approaches, can serve as a mechanism for shaping perceptions and beliefs and influence the adoption of agricultural innovations like frass.