Understanding signals

More than ever farmers and their stakeholders want to drive change on-farm to achieve social, environmental, and business outcomes. As such, many people and organisations are providing farmers with information, resources, and expertise about what and how to change on-farm.

The result is a vast range of signals from government policy, markets, the natural environment, social and cultural interactions, and other sources of information, which range in levels of effectiveness.

Signals are information that could enable or prevent a farmer from moving along a constructive change process. Information can come from the farming system or the operating environment. Signals can come from on- or off-farm.

Our research suggests that understanding signals means advisors are able to deliver more relevant and effective information to farmers, in order to influence action on-farm.