Linking emotional bonds, scientific knowledge, and conservation behavior among Peruvian farmers: Implications for soil science education

Abstract

Soil science education is widely considered essential for improving land management and promoting sustainable soil use. This study investigated the role of both connection to soil (affective) and soil science knowledge (cognitive) in predicting farmers’ conservation behavior. Peruvian farmers ( N  = 288) who independently control soil practices on their farms participated in this study. Data were collected through surveys which employed three validated scales: soil science knowledge, connection to soil, and soil conservation behavior. Farmers’ connection to soil was identified as a stronger correlate of their behavior ( r  = 0.46 [0.36–0.55], p  < 0.001), than their understanding of soil science ( r  = 0.27 [0.16–0.38], p  < 0.001), a difference that was statistically significant ( t  = 2.7, p  = 0.008), indicating that farmers’ connection to soil was a stronger correlate of their behavior than their understanding of soil science. The relationships between variables remained unaffected when controlling for residence area, age, gender, and education level, suggesting the relationships were not due to farmers’ individual sociodemographic differences. These findings suggest that soil science education may benefit from integrating emotional and knowledge‐based dimensions of farmers’ relationships with soil, thus providing valuable contributions to soil science education. The proposed holistic approach that takes into account both farmers’ knowledge of soil science and their emotional connection to soil is predicted to help protect soil resources for future generations.