PhD Project – Human Behaviour sustainable dairy farming

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Organisation: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

FBS
2026 13 Carroll qr / Human Behaviour Change for sustainable dairy farming

Dr Grace Carroll, Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

Professor Sokratis Stergiadis, University of Reading Professor Gareth Arnott, Queen’s University Belfast

Dairy farms are under pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, yet many practical and cost-effective methods remain under-used. Although tools and advisory services exist, farmers face varied constraints that affect what they can adopt in daily practice. These include limited time, financial pressures, uncertainty about benefits, and differing needs across farm systems. This project examines how human behaviour influences the uptake of sustainability practices on dairy farms and how tailored support can improve adoption.

Working with Dale Farm, the student will explore what helps or hinders change, develop ways to support farmers, and examine whether these approaches improve environmental outcomes. The aim is to help create solutions that work across different types of dairy farms, supporting a more sustainable and resilient sector.

Research aims:

• To identify what affects the adoption of sustainable dairy farming practices
• To design and test behaviour-change approaches that support farmers in implementing these practices across different farm systems.

What you will do:

The student will begin by reviewing preliminary survey data collected by Dale Farm, building a clear picture of key barriers to sustainable farming practices. They will then conduct interviews and focus groups with farmers, gaining rich, real-world perspectives on these issues. These findings will underpin the design of a behaviour-change intervention tailored to different farm types. Possible interventions include personalised feedback for farms, farmer-to-farmer learning opportunities, adapted advisory messages, or practical tools that address farmer capability, opportunity or motivation to address sustainability concerns.

Working hand-in-hand with Dale Farm, the student will help to deliver these approaches and track changes in practice adoption, participation in sustainability programmes, and estimated benefits to the environment, animals and the farmer. Quantitative and qualitative methods will be combined throughout, and the student will collaborate closely with academic supervisors and industry partners at each stage of the project.