CONTEXT: Modern silvopastoral systems offer benefits that are important for farm climate change adaptation, including shade for grazing animals, microclimate regulation, and contributions to biodiversity conservation. In 2023, Germany revised its regulatory framework to facilitate the adoption of agroforestry systems. Despite the benefits, farmers hesitate to adopt these systems. OBJECTIVE: Understanding farmer perceptions of silvopastoral systems and adoption barriers is essential for policy makers who aim to foster their adoption. This study investigates behavioral factors that influence cattle farmers’ intentions to adopt modern silvopastoral systems for cattle grazing in combination with timber production. METHODS: We develop a model based on a dual appraisal approach and hypothesize that farmers’ technical and social appraisals of the silvopastoral system as well as their appraisals of their current pasture systems and perceptions of climate change risk predict the intention to adopt these systems. Using survey data of 174 cattle farms that hold cattle on pasture in Germany, we test our hypotheses using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We find that farmers perceive benefits from silvopastoral systems, in particular for animal wellbeing on pasture and biodiversity conservation. Along with the identification with the system, perceptions of the benefits for biodiversity and farm profitability, economic concerns, as well as the farms’ perceived capability of adoption show the strongest associations with adoption intentions. The farmers’ perceptions of the climate change risk of their current system influences their intentions to adopt indirectly through their attitude towards keeping the current system and perceived benefits of silvopasture. The results suggest that to increase adoption of silvopastoral systems, economic concerns should be targeted and opportunities supported.