Agri-environmental measures are applied on 80% of the farmland in Estonia. Nonetheless, as an Eastern European country, the history of intensification is shorter than in Western Europe and yield gaps mean that the pressure for intensification is still high. There are various land management measures that can relieve pressure on the environment, but the factors that trigger the adoption of such changes is unclear. This study analyses survey data on Estonian farmers. It concludes that farmers are more concerned about soil fertility issues than with wider environmental issues. By analysing the implementation of various farmland management measures, we conclude that general environmental awareness is playing a crucial role in the adoption, specifically these where link to private benefits is not so straightforward, i.e. biodiversity issues. Raising environmental awareness about land management measures that are beneficial for biodiversity deserves more attention by the policy makers and relevant agencies. The farmers who regard environmental issues as more important are also the ones who are more likely to implement environmentally beneficial land management measures.

爱沙尼亚 80% 的农田都采用了农业环境措施。尽管如此，作为东欧国家，集约化的历史比西欧短，单产差距意味着集约化的压力仍然很大。有多种土地管理措施可以缓解环境压力，但引发此类变化的因素尚不清楚。本研究分析了有关爱沙尼亚农民的调查数据。它的结论是，农民更关心土壤肥力问题，而不是更广泛的环境问题。通过分析各种农田管理措施的实施情况，我们得出结论，普遍的环境意识在采用中起着至关重要的作用，特别是在与私人利益的联系不是那么直接的情况下，即生物多样性问题。提高对有利于生物多样性的土地管理措施的环境意识值得政策制定者和相关机构更多关注。认为环境问题更重要的农民也更有可能实施对环境有益的土地管理措施。