Agri-Environment Advisory Activities Effects on Best Management Practices Adoption

This study investigates the factors that determine producers’ participation in agri-environment (AE) extension activities and their adoption of best management practices (BMPs) in Quebec (Canada). Data were collected from farmers in telephone interviews and the impacts of AE extension activities were analyzed using average treatment effect and local average treatment effect, estimated with non-parametric approaches. The average effects of AE extension activities are statistically significant for the majority of BMPs. We also find a statistically significant formal diffusion effect of producer‘s membership in an AE advisory club. The informal diffusion effect is statistically significant for BMPs that have visible impacts.