Cost-share contracts, offered through working lands programs, are instrumental in addressing environmental externalities from agriculture and generating ecosystem services. However, the persistent trend of noncompliance with cost-share contractual terms has become a problem for funding agencies and policymakers. This paper aims to study noncompliance issues within the US working lands programs using historical county-level panel data (1997–2019) from Louisiana. The results show that noncompliance is attributed more to cancellations than terminations due to flexible provisions within the cancellation option. The significant incentive effect of payment obligations reveals that revisiting payment rates could reduce contract noncompliance and mitigate moral hazard.

The working lands programs in the United States are specifically tailored to support farmers in initiating or enhancing conservation practices. The expectation is that farmers receiving financial assistance will continue implementing these practices even after their initial contracts end, thereby increasing the programs' cost-effectiveness and promoting natural resources conservation. However, little is known about the likelihood of persistence and disadoption of conservation practices once the initial cost-share contracts expire. Using the first-order Markov chain framework on state-level conservation practices acreage data from the Mississippi Delta region (2005-2022), this study provides quantitative estimates of changing (dis)adoption patterns of four conservation practices: cover crops (CCs), conservation tillage (CT), nutrient and irrigation management (NIM), and conservation crop rotation (CCR). The findings reveal a higher probability of persistence of NIM practices. In contrast, acres devoted to CCs and CT tend to transition into other alternative practices, indicating a greater likelihood of disadoption. Importantly, the likelihood of acres that initially adopt conservation practices with funding shifting to a condition of no conservation activity is minimal. The transition probability estimates facilitate the prediction of future adoption rates of conservation practices and aid funding agencies in prioritizing their conservation efforts. Conservation practices face risk of disadoption after the end of funding period.Cover crops and conservation tillage are disadopted more, while nutrient and irrigation management practices persist.Farmers chose alternative conservation practices instead of moving to the state of no conservation.

Rural communities are resource-constrained and at higher risk of obesity and obesity-related conditions. Thus, studying self-assessed health status and underlying vulnerabilities is critical to provide insights to the program planners for effective and efficient planning of obesity prevention programs. This study aims to investigate the correlates of self-assessed health status and subsequently determine the obesity vulnerability level of residents in rural communities. Randomly sampled data were obtained from in-person community surveys in three rural Louisiana counties–East Carroll, Saint Helena, and Tensas–in June 2021. The association of social-demographic factors, grocery store choice, and exercise frequency with self-assessed health was investigated using the ordered logit model. An obesity vulnerability index was constructed using the weights obtained from the principal component analysis. The results show that gender, race, education, possession of children, exercise frequency, and grocery store choice significantly influence self-assessed health status. Around 20% of respondents fall into the most-vulnerable segment and 65% of respondents are vulnerable to obesity. The obesity vulnerability index ranged from -4.036 to 4.565, indicating a wide heterogeneity in the vulnerability level of rural residents. The findings show that the self-assessed health status of rural residents is not promising along with a high level of vulnerability to obesity. The findings from this study could serve as a reference in the policy discussion regarding an effective and efficient suite of interventions in rural communities to address obesity and promote well-being.

Forest owners face many challenges regarding forest management due to the long period from planting to harvest. Along with the economic and environmental factors that influence management actions, the owners' attitude to risk plays a crucial role in forest management decisions. This study shows that understanding the effects of the owner's risk preference for management actions is an important step to form an effective forest policy. The objectives of the study are to (1) assess the economic advantage of forest management alternatives over a range of risk aversion coefficients and (2) determine the financial incentive (risk premium) corresponding to a forest owners' risk attitude. We implemented the stochastic efficiency with respect to a function framework to evaluate a set of fertilization, herbicide, and thinning management alternatives at mid-rotation loblolly pine plantations in Louisiana. Results from this study indicate that forest owner's risk preference affects their decision to select management actions. Financial incentives are substantially different for specific management alternatives between risk-neutral and risk-averse forest owners. The results can guide forest policy development where agencies can modify financial assistance programs to improve the adoption of management actions.

The agriculture of the Texas High Plains (THP) region is primarily dependent on groundwater irrigation. Changing weather patterns along with competing demands for water resources and other anthropogenic effects have dramatically increased withdrawals from the Ogallala aquifer. In addition to on-farm changes, policy tools based on off-farm mechanisms are equally indispensable in addressing sustainable groundwater use in the THP. One such policy tool is water pricing using estimates of price elasticity of irrigation water demand. This paper estimates the elasticity of irrigation water demand in the THP and assesses the influence of water price on major inputs used in dominant irrigated crops such as corn and cotton. Using the translog profit function on an annual county-level dataset of THP crop production, spanning 23 years (1998–2020), we find that irrigation water demand is price elastic for cotton ( η = – 1.58) but inelastic for corn ( η = – 0.81). Our findings suggest that a non-uniform pricing policy could be a useful tool to promote the efficient use of groundwater for irrigation.

Conservation practices focusing on improving the soil and water quality of working lands are implemented across the United States, supported partially through the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service cost-share or incentive payment programs. We assess whether participation in federal conservation support programs induces a change in the number of conservation practices adopted by farmers. We also identify the factors that affect the adoption intensity of different best management practices. We use survey data collected from Louisiana farmers and estimate models using the matching method and Poisson quasi-likelihood model. We find that participation in the cost-share or incentive program leads to an increase in the number of conservation practices on the farms. Similarly, the use of precision technology application and farm being integrated are likely to have a higher number of on-farm conservation practices. Results have implications for federal working lands conservation support programs in the United States.

Understanding farmer heterogeneity regarding nutrient management decisions is crucial for the success of any nonpoint source pollution prevention programs. Data from a farm- level experiment of cover crops in corn production were used in the Stochastic Efficiency with Respect to a Function framework to examine preference for nitrogen strategies over a range of risk aversion levels. We show the highest net return and certainty equivalent to the consideration of N supplied by cover crops. The results provide insights into policy discussions about the level of conservation incentives and plans that offer solutions to mitigate nonpoint source pollution.

Summary Landowners can engage in voluntary conservation with the help of incentive programs. Recommended conservation practices are selected based on management intentions as well as the contribution of those practices to the overall net returns. However, conservation motives are heterogeneous and based on individual risk behavior. Existing cost-share programs might either under-fund or over-fund conservation, which could lead to inefficient management of natural resources. The current analysis evaluates the economic feasibility of variable cover crop strategies, multiple seeding rates, within a soybean production system in silt loam and clay soils. The study utilizes stochastic efficiency with respect to a function, referred to as SERF, for determining the preferred strategies under various risk preferences. The SERF method accounts for the heterogeneity of individual decision-making with regards to conservation adoption. Results indicate that most risk-averse farmers chose tillage radish with medium seeding rate as their preferred strategy. However, as the risk-bearing capacity of an individual increases, the current level of incentives does not motivate to implement conservation. The most preferred plan for risk-neutral farmers is the fallow system in both silt loam and clay soils. The economic and risk assessment framework can improve understanding of the temporal dynamics of different practices and inform policy on conservation structure that promotes agricultural systems that are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable.

Several alternative conservation practices that address farmers' concerns over natural resource stewardship are currently available. Such conservation practices as the planting of cover crops and conservation tillage are some of the most widely promoted practices throughout the U.S. today. Based on three-years (2016–2018) of field data and historical market price, crop yield, crop price, and fuel and fertilizer price are simulated to create net return distributions. To evaluate the profitability of conservation alternatives and the risk efficiency of these alternatives, the stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF) method is used for analyzing the no-till and cover crop management systems in Louisiana soybean production. SERF estimates certainty equivalents (CE) in order to rank a set of risk-efficient alternatives over a range of risk aversion preferences. Results indicate that CE values are higher for conventional tillage practices than for no-till and risk premiums are positive across all risk-aversion values; however, for risk-averse farmers, premiums are almost zero if their current system is either a no-till or conventional tillage system where the farmer has already implemented a cover crop.

The extent of recommended conservation practices is crucial for addressing natural resource concerns on the farms. The practices implementation is supported by working lands conservation programs, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. The paper applies a propensity score matching approach to evaluate the effects of enrollment in the two federal conservation programs on irrigation water conservation practices adoption in Louisiana row crop agriculture. The analysis reveals that enrollment in the programs leads to statistically significant greater adoption of water management practices. The analysis provides correction for selection bias in adoption that can result from not accounting for the differences between program participants and non-participants. The analysis enables to provide a stronger and relatively accurate argument about the impact of conservation support programs on the adoption of conservation on the ground.

On April 30, 2019, a forest fire broke out in Liangshan Prefecture that resulted in the deaths of 27 firefighters and four local officials, which sparked a heated debate on the Weibo social media site. Therefore, this case was chosen to examine the evolution of disaster-induced public internet opinion in China to reduce the possibility of 'secondary harm' to victims and the risk of panic, and to promote administrative transparency. Life cycle theory, social network analysis, and crawler technology were applied to examine the public online discussion, from which it was found that: female contributors were more likely to share information and feelings on social media than males; people in coastal areas contributed more to the conversations than people from the central and western regions; opinion leaders with significant influence played guiding roles in the discussion; and influential users in various fields, and especially internet celebrities and fan leaders, affected the speed of the information dissemination. From the results, some practical recommendations were developed: social media could be used to retrieve valuable information to help determine disaster damage and plan disaster relief, and government agencies need to strengthen their interactions with the general population, rather than only providing one-way communication.

This article introduces the Regional Conservation Partnership Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. The program encourages partnerships among Extension professionals, conservation agency representatives, and farmers that focus on addressing natural resources concerns through the development and implementation of regional watershed plans. These plans assist farmers in practicing sustainable crop and animal production methods. Extension professionals will find the program useful as a tool for building collaborations at watershed and regional scales to promote agricultural production practices that enhance natural resources conservation.

This study investigates owner and tenant characteristics and differences between these two groups in their participation in federal conservation initiatives. Bivariate probit model analysis, based on a 2016–2017 Louisiana row-crop producer’s survey show that owners, relative to tenant farmers, are more likely to adopt conservation in early years of ownership. The results emphasize the need for mechanisms for tenants in short-term contracts to invest in long-term conservation. Moreover, conservation initiatives should be tailored, as tenant farmers are increasingly farming more land and policies should carefully account for this growing group of farmers.

ABSTRACT We present in this article estimates of the extent to which conservation cost-share programs and extension services are additional, using farm-level survey data from Louisiana. Farmers’ adoption decisions for 12 soil conservation practices on agricultural land are analyzed, using the propensity score matching approach. We find a varying impact of financial incentives and technical assistance across different soil management practices. Results reveal positive additionality for farm-specific conservation plans, conservation tillage, and zero-grade fields. Payment to avoid the burning of crop residue is nonadditional. These findings guide funding agencies in making conservation investments cost-effective while also attaining environmental goals.

We, the Soil and Water Conservation Society ("Society"), maintain that natural resources are a nation's heritage. Soil, water, wildlife, and other ecosystem resources must be protected for future generations. Over decades of research and deliberations of researchers, educators, and practitioners, the Society has identified and developed the following principles for conservation on private lands. This paper is a commentary on working lands for the 2018 Farm Bill and is not meant to be an exhaustive synthesis of all principles held by the Society. Here we describe eight Society principles for soil, water, wildlife, and ecosystem conservation to inform future farm bill discussions and guide development and review of agricultural policies and funding.

Nutrient management, water quality protection, and irrigation efficiency top the list of on-farm resource concerns indicating a need to address them through conservation strategies. A suite of Best Management Practices (BMPs) has been identified and recommended, through several outlets, to farmers to ameliorate these concerns. This research examines the adoption of strategies that ameliorate the resource concerns as a joint decision, using a bivariate model. Data from the 2016 Nutrient Management Survey, conducted by the Louisiana Master Farmer Program, are used to examine the factors affecting adoption of these conservation practices. A bivariate probit regression found significant results for explanatory variables and emphasize the effect of perception regarding the role of on-farm practices, ownership of land, participation in conservation programs in the past, and producers educational attainment on the likelihood of adopting the conservation practices. Implications for policy development and educational programs are discussed.

Addressing irrigation water efficiency continues to emerge as one of the potential solutions to minimize irrigation water use, improve water quality, and enhance soil health. Despite the clear importance of financial information in decision-making regarding adoption of irrigation tools, little information is available regarding the profitability outlook of such adoption. Lack of assessment of costs and returns could lead to producers resisting adoption citing profit reductions. Hence, a cost-assessment using the financial information is necessary to evaluate the tools' economic outlook. By using long-term projections of input prices, crop yield, and crop prices, this paper develops a financial analysis of irrigation using surge valves by calculating annual cash flows and net present value. The analysis is based on demonstration plot results and anecdotal estimates related to water savings and yield improvements in corn and soybeans in Louisiana and Mississippi. The positive estimates for net present value indicate that an investment in irrigation efficiency improvement is an economically sound choice. These estimates can enhance the adoption of irrigation-efficiency improvement practices by providing an initial understanding of the overall profitability independent of short-term management decisions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.