Campus Units
Sociology, Extension and Outreach
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
2013
Journal or Book Title
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Volume
68
Issue
2
First Page
99
Last Page
109
DOI
10.2489/jswc.68.2.99
Abstract
Conservation Compliance, which since its inception in 1985 has led to substantial reductions in soil erosion by linking eligibility for some Farm Bill programs to erosion control on highly erodible land, is at a critical juncture. Agricultural economic and budget factors have reduced the effectiveness of compliance incentives, and numerous groups are calling for enhancement of incentives and/or for extension of compliance beyond erosion control to cover concerns such as water quality impairment. This study analyzed survey data measuring Iowa farmers' support for four increasingly stringent Conservation Compliance scenarios ranging from the current configuration to a requirement that all farmers control nutrient runoff regardless of participation in Farm Bill programs. Overall, the results indicate that Iowa farmers have a generally positive view of Conservation Compliance policy, both as currently configured and in potentially more stringent and extensive forms. Farmers with stronger conservationist identities and attitudes were more likely to endorse increasing the scope and stringency of Conservation Compliance, while farmers who expressed greater levels of concern about the property rights implications of government intervention and those with more productivist orientations were less likely to support such policy changes. Taken as a whole, the results suggest that most Iowa farmers think that Conservation Compliance is a good idea, should be continued, and should be extended to more farmers and other resource concerns.
Copyright Owner
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Copyright Date
2013
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Arbuckle, J. G. Jr., "Farmer support for extending Conservation Compliance beyond soil erosion: Evidence from Iowa" (2013). Sociology Publications. 50.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/soc_las_pubs/50
Included in
Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons, Agriculture Commons, Environmental Policy Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Rural Sociology Commons, University Extension Commons
Comments
This article is published as Arbuckle, J. Gordon. "Farmer support for extending Conservation Compliance beyond soil erosion: Evidence from Iowa." Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 68, no. 2 (2013): 99-109. doi: 10.2489/jswc.68.2.99. Posted with permission.