How Do Scottish Farmers Approach Change and What Does This Mean for Future Decisions?

Abstract Understanding farmers’ orientation toward change can inform policies supporting adaptation and sustainability. This study examines Scottish farmers’ self-reported orientation toward change and its associations with farmer characteristics, stated intentions and engagement in sustainable practices. Data were drawn from 981 respondents randomly selected to complete an orientation toward change module within the 2023 Farmer Intentions Survey. Thirteen farm-specific items adapted from Oreg’s Resistance to Change Scale were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and combined into a change-cautious orientation (CCO) index. Regression and group-comparison models assessed associations between CCO and respondent characteristics, intentions and practices. The items reflected two dimensions, discomfort with change and cognitive rigidity. Farmers exhibited moderate CCO, with scores concentrated near the scale midpoint, indicating neither strong change caution nor strong openness across the sample. Respondents identifying as business persons and those belonging to farmer groups reported lower CCO, while higher CCO was observed among crofters, hobbyists and smallholders, respondents aged 75 and over and those deriving more than three-quarters of household income from farming. Gender and climate perceptions were not significantly associated with CCO. Lower CCO was associated with intentions to increase technological investment and agri-environmental activity. Higher CCO was generally associated with lower engagement in several sustainable practices and lower adoption intensity, although associations differed across practices and farm types. Practice-specific associations appeared strongest among arable farms. The findings indicate that behavioural orientation should complement structural and economic factors when designing differentiated advisory and policy support.