Amending conservation programs through expanding choice architecture: A case study of forestry and livestock producers

James Davis and Gordon Rausser

Agricultural Systems, 2020, vol. 177, issue C

Abstract: Incentives designed to spur the adoption of agroforestry practices by farmers across the United States have largely been ineffective. Unfortunately, most Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts are composed of temporary grassland conversions, not permanent forest land conversions. Using data collected from forestry and livestock producers, we estimate the minimum payment necessary for producers to adopt the agroforestry practice of silvopasture. Results indicate that CRP contracts based on silvopasture or other integrated systems may be a more efficient alternative than contracts based on complete conversion to forest land. However, successful implementation of such a policy requires a well-informed producer base whose behavior can be nudged towards integrated systems.

Keywords: Agricultural economics contingent valuation; Agroforestry; Ecosystem services; Rangeland management; Forestry economics; Willingness-to-accept; Nudge theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agisys:v:177:y:2020:i:c:s0308521x19302124

DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102678

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