Farmers' Preferences for Biodiversity Contracts in Europe

Farmers in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Czechia prefer results-based agri-environmental contracts for biodiversity conservation on arable land, with payments tied to measurable ecological outcomes. A discrete choice experiment with 1,925 farmers compared practice-based and results-based schemes, including collective bonuses. Results-based contracts offered 112–448 EUR/ha based on biodiversity indices, while practice-based contracts paid 200 EUR/ha plus performance bonuses. Key factors included ecological performance, farm characteristics, and regional biodiversity. Findings inform the design of future EU agri-environmental policies.