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Farmers' Motivations for Adopting Conservation Practices along Riparian Zones in a Mid-western Agricultural Watershed

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  • Robert Ryan
  • Donna Erickson
  • Raymond De Young

Abstract

In the agricultural Mid-west, riparian corridors are vital for protecting biodiversity and water quality. The cumulative management decisions of hundreds of private landowners have a tremendous impact on this riparian zone. This study of 268 farmers in a typical Mid-western watershed in Michigan looked at farmer's motivations for adopting conservation practices, their current management practices along their rivers and drains as well as their future management plans. The results of the study showed that farmers are intrinsically motivated to practise conservation by such factors as their attachment to their land, rather than by motivations such as receiving economic compensation. Farmers are also likely to engage in conservation practices that make their farm appear well-managed. Furthermore, those farmers with strong intrinsic motivations were likely to adopt conservation practices that protect streams, such as maintaining a woody vegetative buffer or practicing no-till farming. This study shows that protecting riparian resources in agricultural watersheds requires strategies for conservation that respect farmers' attachment to their land and their desire to practise good stewardship.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Ryan & Donna Erickson & Raymond De Young, 2003. "Farmers' Motivations for Adopting Conservation Practices along Riparian Zones in a Mid-western Agricultural Watershed," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(1), pages 19-37.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jenpmg:v:46:y:2003:i:1:p:19-37
    DOI: 10.1080/713676702
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    1. Nathan J. Shipley & William P. Stewart & Carena J. Riper, 2022. "Negotiating agricultural change in the Midwestern US: seeking compatibility between farmer narratives of efficiency and legacy," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1465-1476, December.
    2. Prager, Katrin & Schuler, Johannes & Helming, Katharina & Zander, Peter & Ratinger, Tomas & Hagedorn, Konrad, 2011. "An analytical framework for soil degradation, farming practices, institutions and policy responses," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114773, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Kreye, Melissa M. & Adams, Damian C. & Ober, Holly K., 2018. "Protecting Imperiled Wildlife Species on Private Lands: Forest Owner Values and Response to Government Interventions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 254-264.
    4. Soe Paing Oo & Koichi Usami, 2020. "Farmers’ Perception of Good Agricultural Practices in Rice Production in Myanmar: A Case Study of Myaungmya District, Ayeyarwady Region," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Thahamina Bagum & Md. Kamal Uddin & Salim Hassan & Nitty Hirawaty Kamarulzaman & Md. Zulfikar Rahman & Ahmad Numery Ashfaqul Haque, 2021. "Contribution of Selected Factors on Farmers’ Work Performance towards Fertilizer Application in Rice of Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-15, September.
    6. David Conner & Jennifer Miller & Asim Zia & Qingbin Wang & Heather Darby, 2016. "Conjoint Analysis of Farmers’ Response to Conservation Incentives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-15, July.
    7. Buckley, Cathal & Howley, Peter & Jordan, Phil, 2015. "The role of differing farming motivations on the adoption of nutrient management practices," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 4(4), July.
    8. Steele, Scott R., 2009. "Expanding the solution set: Organizational economics and agri-environmental policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 398-405, December.
    9. McKee, Gregory J., 2011. "Coordinated pest management decisions in the presence of management externalities: The case of greenhouse whitefly in California-grown strawberries," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 104(1), pages 94-103, January.
    10. Frey, Gregory E. & Meier, Justin T. & Kilgore, Michael A. & Snyder, Stephanie A. & Blinn, Charles R., 2019. "Factors associated with family forest landowner enrollment in state preferential forest property tax programs in the United States," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    11. Xingping Cao & Zeyuan Luo & Manli He & Yan Liu & Junlin Qiu, 2021. "Does the Self-Identity of Chinese Farmers in Rural Tourism Destinations Affect Their Land-Responsibility Behaviour Intention? The Mediating Effect of Multifunction Agriculture Perception," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-14, July.
    12. Mäntymaa, Erkki & Pouta, Eija & Hiedanpää, Juha, 2021. "Forest owners' interest in participation and their compensation claims in voluntary landscape value trading: The case of wind power parks in Finland," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    13. Braito, Michael & Leonhardt, Heidi & Penker, Marianne & Schauppenlehner-Kloyber, Elisabeth & Thaler, Georg & Flint, Courtney G., 2020. "The plurality of farmers’ views on soil management calls for a policy mix," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    14. Hayley H. Chouinard & Tobias Paterson & Philip R. Wandschneider & Adrienne M. Ohler, 2008. "Will Farmers Trade Profits for Stewardship? Heterogeneous Motivations for Farm Practice Selection," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 84(1), pages 66-82.
    15. Jimena Gonzalez-Ramirez & Poonam Arora & Guillermo Podesta, 2018. "Using Insights from Prospect Theory to Enhance Sustainable Decision Making by Agribusinesses in Argentina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-15, August.
    16. Tingting Liu & Randall J. F. Bruins & Matthew T. Heberling, 2018. "Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Best Management Practices: A Review and Synthesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-26, February.
    17. Zimmerman, Brianne R. & Collins, Alan R. & Lacombe, Don, 2017. "Analyzing the Spatial Distribution of NRCS Conservation Programs in West Virginia," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258378, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Bose, Arshiya & Garcia, Claude & Vira, Bhaskar, 2019. "Mottled motivations and narrow incentives: Exploring limitations of direct incentive policies in the Western Ghats, India," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 511-518.
    19. Moros, Lina & Vélez, María Alejandra & Corbera, Esteve, 2019. "Payments for Ecosystem Services and Motivational Crowding in Colombia's Amazon Piedmont," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 468-488.
    20. Watkins, K. Bradley & Hill, Jason L. & Anders, Merle M. & Windham, Tony E., 2006. "Whole-Farm Evaluation of No-Till Profitability in Rice Production using Mixed Integer Programming," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 38(3), pages 1-17, December.
    21. Ioanna Grammatikopoulou & Eija Pouta & Sami Myyrä, 2016. "Exploring the determinants for adopting water conservation measures. What is the tendency of landowners when the resource is already at risk?," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(6), pages 993-1014, June.
    22. Phoebe Koundouri & Andrew J. Boulton & Thibault Datry & Ioannis Souliotis, 2017. "Ecosystem Services, Values, And Societal Perceptions Of Intermittent Rivers And Ephemeral Streams," DEOS Working Papers 1712, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    23. Raelin Kronenberg & Sarah Lovell & Bhuwan Thapa & Christine Spinka & Corinne Valdivia & Michael Gold & Sougata Bardhan, 2023. "Survey of Missouri Landowners to Explore the Potential of Woody Perennials to Integrate Conservation and Production," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-17, October.
    24. Gachango, Florence Gathoni & Andersen, Laura Mørch & Pedersen, Søren Marcus, 2015. "Adoption of voluntary water-pollution reduction technologies and water quality perception among Danish farmers," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 235-244.

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