A study on biodiversity awareness shows that farmers and foresters in Germany are highly aware of the importance of biodiversity and are strongly motivated to take action to protect it. However, they lack suitable framework conditions and resources to enable biodiversity-friendly practices. The findings of the study, led by ISOE on behalf of the BMFTR Research Initiative for the Conservation of Biodiversity (FEdA), have now been published in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability.
Farmers and foresters manage around 80 per cent of Germany’s land area. They are therefore key agents of change in the protection of biodiversity – and are often accused of not doing enough to protect it. A research team led by Marion Mehring, who heads the Biodiversity and People research group at the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), wanted to find out what the actual state of awareness and motivation regarding the protection of biodiversity is amongst these stakeholder groups.
Their 2023 study, which surveyed more than 1,000 respondents, showed that these two groups certainly do not need further appeals for biodiversity conservation – quite the opposite. Awareness of the biodiversity crisis and the motivation to take action are high within the agricultural and forestry sectors. The research team developed a specific concept for biodiversity awareness to determine the extent to which stakeholders in agriculture and forestry are prepared to actively embrace and implement biodiversity targets.
The concept of biodiversity awareness: more than just a question of attitude
The concept of biodiversity awareness is now being made available to the international biodiversity research community for the first time – in a publication in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. Drawing on the concept of environmental awareness, it offers not only a theoretical definition of biodiversity awareness but also demonstrates how it can be systematically measured. Lead author Marion Mehring describes the concept as follows: “Biodiversity awareness contains three components. With regard to the cognitive component, we ask to what extent people agree that human-induced biodiversity loss is a fact. This is not a question of knowledge, but of attitude. However, emotions also play a role.”
In other words: what feelings and values do people associate with the loss of biodiversity? Does the issue of biodiversity loss emotionally affect them, or do they feel it is being greatly exaggerated? “Thirdly, there is a conative component. This describes the willingness to act: are people prepared to change their own behaviour? Do they support appropriate measures, or do they implement them themselves?”
What hinders biodiversity-friendly behaviour?
For biodiversity researcher Mehring, the concept is so relevant because it shows: “Someone can be very well informed about biodiversity without drawing any conclusions for their own behaviour.” This is a particularly important insight when it comes to communicating about the biodiversity crisis. “Anyone wishing to promote biodiversity-friendly behaviour should not only convey information, but also appeal to values, create emotional connections and highlight concrete opportunities for action.” This increases the likelihood that knowledge will actually be translated into behaviour that promotes biodiversity.
“We know from studies on environmental awareness that a comprehensive understanding of the environment, combined with a strong willingness to act, does not necessarily lead to corresponding action. In biodiversity research, we still need to understand why this is the case there too.” The results of the 2023 survey shed light on this: farmers and foresters stated that they wanted to do more for biodiversity. The study’s authors therefore also refer to them as “agents of change”. However, in order to translate their motivation into concrete action, incentives would need to be strengthened and barriers removed. This is because a large proportion of those surveyed stated that, despite their high motivation to protect biodiversity, they experience barriers.
Example: forestry and agriculture – the biggest challenges lie in implementation
The reason: the respondents faced significant challenges that made it difficult for them to implement nature conservation measures. Among farmers who were already implementing nature conservation measures, 84 per cent cited the high costs of land and leases as a problem. 83 per cent criticised the lack of flexibility in the guidelines for measures, whilst 82 per cent highlighted the considerable effort required for measurement and documentation.
Among foresters, the high administrative burden involved in applying for funding was the top concern, cited by 84 per cent. 77 per cent cited the lack of flexibility in the measures, and 76 per cent cited the time-consuming nature of the process as obstacles. 72 per cent stated that they often lacked sufficient resources to implement effective measures against biodiversity loss. Taking agriculture and forestry as examples, Marion Mehring observes: “Greater protection of biodiversity often fails not because of a lack of will, but because of a lack of opportunities.”
About the study
For the study “Farmers and foresters as agents of change for nature conservation in Germany – The role of biodiversity awareness’, commissioned by the BMFTR Research Initiative for the Conservation of Biodiversity (FEdA), researchers from ISOE and FEdA conducted a standardised survey of a total of 502 farmers and 503 private forest owners and foresters in Germany between May and September 2022. The samples were stratified according to various characteristics to reflect different types of farms and management practices. Among other things, the study analysed biodiversity awareness, personal values, perceived benefits and risks, as well as motives and barriers to the implementation of biodiversity-friendly measures.
Link to the study
Marion Mehring, Melina Stein, Naomi Bi, Anna S. Brietzke, Julius Frankenbach, Konrad Götz, Vladimir Gross, Volker Mosbrugger, Philipp P. Sprenger, Immanuel Stieß, Georg Sunderer, Julian Taffner (2026). Farmers and foresters as agents of change for nature conservation in Germany – the role of biodiversity awareness. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2026.2709953
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