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From Insight to Action: Applying
Behavior Science for Social Change
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Abhishek Lonari, Service Designer & Researcher
@Social Innovation Studio
COM-B
January 31st, 2025
What’s Inside:
If you’ve ever worked in the social sector long enough, you’ve probably asked yourself: How do we create long-term behavior change? How do we leave something truly meaningful behind—something that lasts?
In our article on the COM-B Model, we introduced the model. COM-B, short for Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior, is a framework developed by Susan Michie, Maartje van Stralen, and Robert West in 2011. It helps explain what drives behavior change and how we can support it.
This time, let’s see how the model is used in practice. We are taking the example of farmers in Maharashtra and Karnataka who are still practicing monocropping.
Introduction
Monocropping has a lot of downsides:
It’s high risk—one pest outbreak can wipe out everything.
It means long waits between harvests.
It’s highly vulnerable to climate change.
Agroforestry, on the other hand, is a game-changer. By blending crops with trees, farmers get diverse income streams, healthier soil, and reduced risks. Sounds great, right? But making the switch isn’t easy, and farmers face plenty of challenges.
Here we map out the capabilities the farmer would need to adopt agroforestry
Physical Skills:
Stamina and physical strength to manage multiple crops and trees simultaneously.
Intellectual Skills:
Understanding of agroforestry & the long-term benefits, such as improved soil health, biodiversity, and economic stability.
Ability to identify appropriate tree and crop species suitable for the local climate and soil.
Problem-solving skills for managing pests, water, and crop/tree competition.
Emotional Skills:
Confidence to adopt a new farming system after years of monocropping.
Resilience to cope with initial setbacks, such as reduced yields during the transition phase.
Willingness to step out of the comfort zone and embrace uncertainty.
Social Skills:
Communication skills to collaborate with local agroforestry experts and peers.
Participation in farmer groups or cooperatives for shared learning and market access.
Now, we list down a few opportunities the farmer would need to adopt agroforestry
Physical Opportunity
Access to agroforestry training programs and workshops.
Availability of seeds, saplings, and necessary equipment for agroforestry practices.
Reliable irrigation facilities to support multiple crops and trees.
Social Opportunity
Support from local government or NGOs promoting agroforestry initiatives.
Platforms for knowledge-sharing, such as farmer groups or WhatsApp communities.
We start by identifying the motivations that a farmer has to adopt agroforestry
Automatic Motivation
The desire to increase income and improve economic stability.
Concerns about declining soil fertility and crop yields in monocropping systems.
Awareness of visible benefits like shade, reduced water runoff, or biodiversity from agroforestry.
Reflective Motivation
Aspirations to leave a sustainable farming legacy for future generations.
Increased sense of control and agency over diverse crops and income sources.
Ethical or environmental motivations to restore soil health and combat climate change.
Opportunity
Next Steps: Building Support for Change
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Why is Monocropping a Problem?
Many farmers hesitate because they:
Don’t fully understand the long-term benefits.
Worry about the time (up to 4 years!) and investment it takes before seeing returns.
Lack access to support systems, training, and tools.
What’s Stopping Farmers from Adopting Agroforestry?
Capability
Motivation
Thus, to help farmers adopt agroforestry, we need to:
Boost their skills with practical training programs and resources.
Create opportunities by ensuring access to seeds, tools, and strong farmer networks.
Fuel motivation by sharing success stories and showcasing the visible benefits of agroforestry.
Want to know more about the key behaviour design tools you can use to go from insights to action? Click here to ready the article.
Breaking Down the Behaviour Change Framework using a case study
February 7th, 2025
Ankita Mirani, Social Designer and Founder @Social Innovation Studio
COM-B
Why Farmers Struggle to Adopt Agroforestry?
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