Recordkeeping helps increase farmer confidence to change practices

Supporting more targeted comparative recordkeeping in decision making is proposed as a means to increase farmer confidence to change practices. A qualitative social research project found beef and sheep farmers in southern Australia who engaged in some form of comparative recordkeeping activity, either benchmarking with other enterprises or targeted recordkeeping within their enterprise, were more open to change. Benchmarking or other comparative recordkeeping provided farmers with confidence to assess future opportunities and make decisions that improve farm performance. In contrast, farmers who were not keeping and interpreting written or electronic records were more likely to approach change in a reactive or cautious manner. Formal benchmarking is not accessible or appropriate for all farmers but given the positive relationship between benchmarking and recordkeeping and confident decision making about future practices, providing more accessible forms of comparative recordkeeping through facilitative extension approaches could engage a wider range of farmers in successful change.