Are we ready to transition to sustainable sheep production in New Zealand? A critical analysis from the perspectives of transition intention and sustainable tool adoption

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand New Zealand sheep farmers’ readiness toward sustainability transition by assessing their intentions of transition and adoption of sustainability tools, with information collection considered to mediate the intention–adoption relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the data collected from a survey of New Zealand sheep farmers in 2021, the empirical analysis was developed to investigate farmers’ perceptions of and attitudes toward readiness to move toward a sustainability transition. Structural equation modeling associated with principal component analysis was used to empirically test the theory of planned behavior constructs.

Findings

The results show that pressure from the public and the sheep industry, and the perceived controls of transition drive the intention of sustainability transition; farmers with higher intention of sustainability transition are found to be more likely to adopt sustainability tools. However, there is an attitude–behavior gap, wherein positive attitudes toward sustainability transition may not lead to a higher likelihood of adopting sustainability tools. There is no evidence of the mediating role of information collection on the intention–adoption relationship, while a positive effect was found in information collection on the adoption of sustainability tools.

Practical implications

The empirical evidence indicates that policymakers need to help increase the awareness of sustainable production and help farmers overcome barriers to achieving sustainable production by finding ways to turn intentions into adoption.

Originality/value

Being the first attempt to empirically assess farmers’ readiness toward sustainability transition, the study fills the gap of limited understanding of the link between sustainability transition intention and sustainable tools adoption in sustainability transition.

Citation

Yang, W., Phong, L.Q., De Silva, T.-A. and Penelope, J. (2023), "Are we ready to transition to sustainable sheep production in New Zealand? A critical analysis from the perspectives of transition intention and sustainable tool adoption", British Food Journal, Vol. 125 No. 12, pp. 4445-4469. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-10-2022-0863