Exploring farmer sentiment and decision-making on circular agricultural practices adoption in Europe: evidence from Italy, Norway and the UK

Transitioning towards more circular farming systems, which prioritise using renewable and recycled resources to reduce reliance on external inputs, offers potential to improve nutrient cycling, enhance farm profitability and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, widespread adoption remains limited. To support the wider adoption of circular farming practices across diverse rural and agroecological settings, we examined how psychological, contextual and motivational factors shape farmers’ sentiment and decision-making. A mixed-methods approach—combining sentiment and thematic analysis—was applied to interviews and focus groups with 96 farmers and industry stakeholders across Italy, Norway and the UK. Sentiment towards circular farming practices varied across national contexts, with UK farmers expressing more positive views overall than Norwegian farmers, and Italian farmers positioned in between. These differences reflected how well practices aligned with existing knowledge, values and farming systems, while negative sentiment was primarily associated with policy impracticalities, investment costs and local constraints, highlighting key political and structural barriers to adoption. The findings underscore the need to align circular strategies with local contexts. To support wider adoption, we recommend (1) enhancing psychological capability (e.g. aligning practices with farmers’ knowledge): through a flexible ‘toolbox’ of practices; (2) addressing physical opportunity barriers via co-designed, locally-adapted policies; and (3) strengthening reflective motivation by communicating and deliberating the broader co-benefits of circular practices. These informed insights provide more effective and inclusive strategies for sustainable agriculture and rural development across Europe.