Landowners are the ultimately decision makers on land use patterns that directly impact the environment and the provision of ecosystem services. This research aimed to: i. to identify the behavioral factors that influence the voluntary conservation of native vegetation by conducting semi-structured interviews with soy producers in the Cerrado´s MATOPIBA; and ii. to recommend behavior police interventions according to the main behavior change strategies available in the literature. The main behavioral drivers to the voluntary conservation of native vegetation are: i. the provision of a PSA; ii. the provision of regulatory, provisional, and cultural ecosystem services; iii. biocentric and altruistic values; iv. minimization of risks associated with soy cultivation; and v. the ability to increase productivity without expanding the area under cultivation. The main barriers are: i. the increase of the rural property value with the opening of new crop areas; ii. the maintenance of the habit of planting; iii. the possibility of diversifying economic activity; and iv. the right to deforestation guaranteed by the Brazilian Forest Code. Interventions for public and private policies are recommended based on the following behavioral principles: i. Messenger; ii. Financial incentives; iii. Social influences; iv. Salience; v. Priming; vi. Emotional appeals; vii. Commitment; viii. Ego; ix. Choice architecture; x. Information and education; xi. Regulation; xii. Modeling, capacity building and training; and xiii. Mental modeling. Understanding the behavior of target actors and how it can be changed is fundamental for the development of long-term, efficient environmental policies.