Representation of farmer's decisions faced with an agricultural-environmental policy: contributions of a knowledge engineering approach

Abstract

This paper presents the main results of the SILEX research project. Main objectives of this project were: (i) to point out success factors of environmental policies among farmers, (ii) to point out ways able to improve the methods used to hyghlight these factors, and (iii) to facilitate the transfer of these methods. Success factors of policies were pointed out by simulating decision process within target farms of the studied policies, then by analysing relations existing between the highlited decisions and the context of these decisions (farm features, economic and regulatory context). Concepts, relations among concepts, and inference structure of the farmer decision-making processes were modelled by using knowledge engeniering technnologies (KADS methodology). SILEX project produced: (i) methods to point out success factors of three types of environnmental policies, (ii) indications about success factors of these policies, and (iii) ways to improve the current methods.