Noncompliance with Nitrates Regulations

Our research programme tackling farmers’ noncompliance with the EU Nitrates Regulations is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

Within this programme, we have conducted a series of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) designed to test communications to farmers. We have found that simplifying regulatory communication can increase compliance (results due soon).

We have also constructed a model designed to predict which farms are most at risk of noncompliance, using econometric techniques and machine learning algorithms. This model could be used to target the farms most likely to breach the regulations with interventions.