The Yellow Pages as a sampling frame for farm surveys: Assessing potential bias in agri-environmental research

The Yellow Pages business directory has often been used as a sampling frame to select respondents for farm surveys. Studies in the UK have suggested that the directory both provides a sufficiently accurate estimate of population parameters for most purposes and offers the best alternative when the comprehensive MAFF lists are not available. However, two recent studies of farmers in the Marston Value Community Forest and the Cambrian Mountains ESA scheme demonstrate that drawing samples from the Yellow Pages may exclude less-commercial or ‘life-style’ farmers. These farmers, although still deriving much of their income from farming (unlike ‘hobby’ farmers), are generally more conservation-oriented in their environmental management approach and farm on a lower profit margin. Consequently, it is strongly recommended that caution be exercised when using the Yellow Pages as a sampling frame for environmental management research.