Data for: Social assessment of miscanthus cultivation in Croatia: Assessing farmers’ preferences and willingness to cultivate the crop

Social aspects of miscanthus cultivation have been investigated in a
limited way in the scientific literature. Adopting existing frameworks for
Social Life-Cycle Assessment enables assessments to include numerous
social aspects; however, the relevance of these aspects depends on the
local context. This study aims to identify the most relevant social
aspects from the farmers’ perspective using a previously proposed
framework for the assessment of the stakeholder 'farmer'. It is
based on a case study of miscanthus production in Sisak Moslavina in
Croatia. The existence of abandoned lands in Croatia presents an
opportunity for the cultivation of miscanthus as a potential source of
biomass for the production of bio-based materials and fuels. The study
seeks to assess the feasibility of cultivating miscanthus in the region,
taking into account potential challenges and opportunities, as well as the
farmers’ willingness to adopt the crop, and to understand the reasons
behind land abandonment. We conducted a survey among 44 farmers in the
region and used a scoring method to identify the most relevant social
aspects. The aspects most valued by the farmers were: health and safety,
access to water, land consolidation and rights, income and local
employment, and food security. Responses to the question of whether they
would adopt the crop highlight the importance of an established market,
good trading conditions and profitability of cultivation. The survey also
enabled an understanding of farmers’ preferences with respect to the
production conditions of crops. The farmers regarded the provision of
subsidies as one of the main factors that render a crop attractive.
Opportunities for the adoption of miscanthus cultivation include high
yields and low input requirements. Barriers include land conflicts and
land availability. Despite the opportunities for miscanthus development in
the region, there are important challenges to consider for successful
implementation of the crop.