Behavioural sciences are increasingly informing policy-making, including agricultural policies. Their unique contribution to policy lies in the first-hand evidence they provide regarding how people think and behave. For the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to be a success, it is necessary to understand farmers' decision-making and viewpoints beyond the assumptions made by neoclassical economics, because farmers' motivations are not only driven by profit maximisation. The background documents on the economic and environmental challenges facing agriculture and rural areas – which accompany the Communication on the Future of Food and Farming – include reviews of the behavioural sciences literature. In this context, a qualitative study was conducted to better understand farmers' experience with the three CAP instruments designed to motivate them to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices: cross compliance, green direct payments (i.e., "greening") and voluntary agri-environmental and climate measures. A particular focus was farmers' views and understanding of the logic behind these mandatory, conditional and voluntary schemes. Given the qualitative nature of data collection, the objective was to present narratives, discourses and perceptions expressed by farmers who participated in the exercise. The present report was published as an annex to the Impact Assessment accompanying the Proposals for a Regulation establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy.