Context

Excess use of nitrogen fertilizer in agricultural landscapes is a threat to aquatic ecosystems, with effects manifesting at the scale of watersheds encompassing many farms. Collaborative processes involving farmers may be needed to achieve policies and decisions that are legitimate and sustainable in the long-term. Doing so depends on how arguments, positions and opinions are negotiated among farmers. We tested how framing theory may contribute to understanding such negotiations.

Objectives

The study has two objectives: (1) to evaluate the outcome of a series of experiments using framing methodology for analyzing collective decision making processes in agricultural landscapes, and (2) to discuss the potentials of using framing theory in agricultural landscape and nitrogen planning.

Methods

Collaborative scenario workshops with local stakeholders were organized in six case areas in Denmark. In each of the cases a participatory process was facilitated. The purpose of these meetings was to involve farmers in finding solutions to reduce nitrogen loads to aquatic recipients.

Results

Ten different frames were identified. These explain a majority of the variation among opinions. Analysis show that frames were understood homogeneously by the informants, indicating that frames represent established models of thinking about the agro-environment. We provide a brief outline of the frames identified.

Conclusions

We conclude that framing theory holds the potential to clarify key discussion about formation of opinions and standpoints in discourse and debates about land use and nitrogen management. It is discussed how to further progress along this line of inquiry.

中文翻译：

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框架理论增加了我们对氮管理集体决策的理解？

语境

在农业景观中过度使用氮肥对水生生态系统构成威胁，其影响体现在包括许多农场在内的流域规模。可能需要涉及农民的协作过程才能实现合法且长期可持续的政策和决策。这样做取决于农民之间如何协商争论、立场和意见。我们测试了框架理论如何有助于理解此类谈判。

目标

该研究有两个目标：（1）评估使用框架方法分析农业景观集体决策过程的一系列实验的结果，以及（2）讨论框架理论在农业景观和氮规划中的潜力。

方法

在丹麦的六个案例区域组织了与当地利益相关者的协作情景研讨会。在每一个案例中，都促进了参与过程。这些会议的目的是让农民参与寻找减少水生接受者氮负荷的解决方案。

结果

确定了十个不同的帧。这些解释了意见之间的大部分差异。分析表明，受访者对框架的理解是一致的，表明框架代表了对农业环境的既定思考模式。我们提供了识别出的框架的简要概述。

结论

我们得出的结论是，框架理论有可能澄清有关话语的观点和观点形成的关键讨论以及有关土地利用和氮素管理的辩论。讨论了如何沿着这条探究路线进一步取得进展。