Using FADN data, we analyse farmers’ adoption decisions with respect to extensive wheat production, which is supported in Switzerland since 1992 with an ecological direct payment scheme. It shows that first year adoption was mainly characterized by free-riding effects. In particular small farms with low levels of input use and wheat yields adopted extensive wheat production. If later adoption phases are included, these differences in farm size between adopters and non-adopters vanish. However, the level of wheat yields is still an important adoption determinant. Less intensive producing farms (with lower yield levels) are much more likely to adopt extensive wheat production. In contrast, more intensively producing farms, i.e. those farms that may actually harm the environment, usually not adopt extensive wheat production. Thus, aggregated environmental effects of this programme may be limited and the effectiveness of voluntary participation in agricultural environmental protection programmes should be re-considered.