The Anglian region case study is a social science approach to understanding farmer motivation for uptake of ‘best practice’ for farm management systems to mitigate on farm pesticide use with a specific reference to the use of metaldehyde (slug control), and its impact on drinking water bodies. The UoL study, in conjunction with Anglian Water(AW) is comparing three approaches to encourage behavioural change in farmers to reduce on-farm pesticide usage, across three different areas in the Anglian region:

1. Knowledge transfer through network engagement with agronomists and farmers by Anglian Water catchment advisors,
2. Product substitution for metaldehyde and subsidies to offset increase product cost to the farmer; the substitute product is easier to remove from drinking water. In these areas, the AW’s “Slug It Out” campaign in 2015, secured 100% farmer agreements on over 7,600ha, to switch to an alternative method of slug control using ferric phosphate. Water quality has been monitored. Farmers receive a financial incentives for:
   a) Joining the scheme
   b) Price difference in product price ( ferric phosphate is more expensive)
   c) Bonus if the whole catchment is below the WFD individual pesticide level (0.1µg/l)
3. In a catchment with minimum intervention by Anglian Water, looking at the development of innovative approaches to farmer engagement based on multiple actor platforms (MAPs) - this area is in the Cringle Brook Catchment. This approach will be monitored and compared to the two other modes of farmer engagement.

UoL (LIAT) are using surveys and interviews with farmers in the three study areas, to gather data around farmers’ current pesticide handling behaviour and practices, business characteristics, factors influencing practices and cost-effectiveness as well as wider effects.

1. Knowledge Transfer – unknown;
2. Product substitution – Yes, more than 75% of the addressees (post SIO will determine the sustainbility and adoption of this method);
3. MAP ( Cringle Brook) - Unknown 

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