8 April 2026

What must we understand to support climate action on farms?

Dr. Mohammad Mohammdrezaei, Teagasc Researcher tells us about the EMIT-CHANGE Project, which will explore how Irish farmers adopt climate mitigation actions and what is needed to support on-farm climate action.

Agriculture remains the largest contributor to Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Farmers are therefore expected to implement a range of climate mitigation actions to help meet national reduction targets and support the transition to a net-zero agricultural sector.

A new research project, EMIT-CHANGE, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), is examining what additional understanding is needed to better inform policy and knowledge-exchange efforts that support the adoption of climate actions at farm level.

The project is led by researchers from Teagasc, in collaboration with researchers from Cork University Business School, University College Cork (UCC).

The research investigates how a combination of policy, technological, social, cultural and economic factors influence farmers’ decision-making around climate mitigation. Using a bottom-up behavioural approach, the project aims to generate new insights that can help policymakers, advisors and industry stakeholders to support farmers to take climate actions.

A new behavioural framework

Using a multi‑actor, inclusive approach, the research team is closely examining viable climate‑action options, assessing their potential value and the effort required to implement them.

“By engaging stakeholders on the consequences of proposed actions, across climate, economic, human, social and contextual perspectives, we can gain a fuller understanding of each action and generate richer insights on how best to proceed.” said Professor Mary McCarthy, UCC.

Project lead Dr Mohammad Mohammadrezaei explained: “The project goes beyond simply identifying barriers and motivations. It takes a broader approach to understand how policies and knowledge exchange can better support farmers in adopting the most challenging climate actions – those that are costly, complex, less socially accepted, or difficult in practice, but with greater impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will also identify practical policy options and recommendations to support these changes.”

“The project team involved diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, industry representatives, advisors, and farmers, in the development of the research design and sought to include different perspectives to ensure the relevance and maximise the impact of the project outcomes.” he added.

An advisory group has also been established with representatives from the Teagasc Climate Centre, the Signpost Programme, DAFM, and researchers from technical, social and behavioural disciplines. This collaborative structure helps ensure that the research approach reflects the needs of policymakers, advisors and farmers.

Project objectives

The EMIT-CHANGE project aims to:

Map decision pathways for climate mitigation actions perceived as “effortless” versus “effortful” across technical, economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions.
Assess adoption levels and behaviour-change stages across the most challenging climate measures, identifying leaders and laggards.
Understand decision-making lock-ins, including economic and socio-cognitive barriers.
Develop a typology of farmers based on their decision-making patterns.

Farmer survey and next steps

The project is applying both quantitative and qualitative methods, with a strong focus on farmers and farm advisors.

A nationwide farmer survey, designed using the project’s behavioural framework and developed with input from multiple stakeholders, will soon be launched. The survey aims to collect responses from a representative cohort of 300 – 400 livestock and tillage farmers across Ireland.

In addition to the nationwide survey, the research will include a programme of in-depth qualitative work. This will involve detailed interviews with approximately 30 farmers, allowing the project team to explore attitudes, motivations, barriers, and contextual factors that shape on-farm decision-making in greater depth. These interviews will complement the survey findings by providing richer, narrative-based insights into farmers’ experiences and perspectives.

A series of focus groups with farm advisors will also be conducted. These sessions will gather input from professionals who work directly with farmers and play a key role in influencing practice change. Their insights will help identify the types of supports, communication approaches, and advisory processes that can most effectively encourage behavioural change across the sector.

Together, the survey, interviews, and advisor focus groups will provide a robust evidence base to inform the project’s recommendations.

Preliminary findings will be shared with a wider audience later this year. In addition, a knowledge-exchange workshop will be organised at the end of the project in March 2027, bringing together stakeholders from policy, research, industry and advisory sectors to discuss potential policy and knowledge-exchange solutions.

Further information about the EMIT-CHANGE project can be found here