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Review: The economics of soil health

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  • Stevens, Andrew W.

Abstract

Soil health plays an important role in agricultural productivity, food quality, environmental resiliency, and ecosystem sustainability. Consequently, there is great interest from policymakers for evidence-based research on the benefits and costs of investing in healthy soils. In this article, I endeavor to build a common understanding between economists, soil scientists, and policymakers about how to pursue research on the economics of soil health. First, I summarize the current understanding of soil health as a holistic and multidimensional concept beyond that of mere soil fertility. Second, I argue that optimal control models are particularly well suited to capture the underlying economics of soil management. Finally, I outline relevant implications of such an approach for setting soil health policy.

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  • Stevens, Andrew W., 2018. "Review: The economics of soil health," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1-9.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:80:y:2018:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2018.08.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Jean‐Paul Chavas & Giorgia Rivieccio & Salvatore Di Falco & Giovanni De Luca & Fabian Capitanio, 2022. "Agricultural diversification, productivity, and food security across time and space," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(S1), pages 41-58, November.
    2. Schuurman, Daniel & Weersink, Alfons & Delaporte, Aaron, 2021. "Optimal Sequential Crop Choices for Soil Carbon Management: A Dynamic Programming Approach," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 314042, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Kik, M.C. & Claassen, G.D.H. & Meuwissen, M.P.M. & Smit, A.B. & Saatkamp, H.W., 2021. "Actor analysis for sustainable soil management – A case study from the Netherlands," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Park, Dojin, 2021. "The Valuation of Soil Health Improvements and Ecosystem Services among Crop Producers in the U.S," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 314032, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Van Asselt, Joanna & Grogan, Kelly A., 2020. "Do Fertilizer Subsidies Improve Soil Quality: Myopic vs. Dynamic Analysis of Smallholder Farmers in Ghana," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304546, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Elena A. Mikhailova & Hamdi A. Zurqani & Lili Lin & Zhenbang Hao & Christopher J. Post & Mark A. Schlautman & Gregory C. Post & George B. Shepherd & Renee M. Dixon, 2023. "Quantifying Damages to Soil Health and Emissions from Land Development in the State of Illinois (USA)," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-21, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Soil health; Optimal control; Externalities; Information;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q24 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Land
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis

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