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Environmental Compliance In U.S. Agricultural Policy: Past Performance And Future Potential

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  • Claassen, Roger
  • Breneman, Vincent E.
  • Bucholtz, Shawn
  • Cattaneo, Andrea
  • Johansson, Robert C.
  • Morehart, Mitchell J.

Abstract

Since 1985, U.S. agricultural producers have been required to practice soil conservation on highly erodible cropland and conserve wetlands as a condition of farm program eligibility. This report discusses the general characteristics of compliance incentives, evaluates their effectiveness in reducing erosion in the program's current form, and explores the potential for expanding the compliance approach to address nutrient runoff from crop production. While soil erosion has, in fact, been reduced on land subject to Conservation Compliance, erosion is also down on land not subject to Conservation Compliance, indicating the influence of other factors. Analysis to isolate the influence of Conservation Compliance incentives from other factors suggests that about 25 percent of the decline in soil erosion between 1982 and 1997 can be attributed to Conservation Compliance. This report also finds that compliance incentives have likely deterred conversion of noncropped highly erodible land and wetland to cropland, and that a compliance approach could be used effectively to address nutrient runoff from crop production.

Suggested Citation

  • Claassen, Roger & Breneman, Vincent E. & Bucholtz, Shawn & Cattaneo, Andrea & Johansson, Robert C. & Morehart, Mitchell J., 2004. "Environmental Compliance In U.S. Agricultural Policy: Past Performance And Future Potential," Agricultural Economic Reports 34033, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uerser:34033
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.34033
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    Cited by:

    1. Roberts, Michael J. & Key, Nigel D., 2006. "Government Payments and Farmland Concentration," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21097, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    2. Ribaudo, Marc & Delgado, Jorge & Hansen, LeRoy T. & Livingston, Michael J. & Mosheim, Roberto & Williamson, James M., 2011. "Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems: Implications for Conservation Policy," Economic Research Report 118022, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Meyer, Claas & Matzdorf, Bettina & Müller, Klaus & Schleyer, Christian, 2014. "Cross Compliance as payment for public goods? Understanding EU and US agricultural policies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 185-194.
    4. Claassen, Roger, 2012. "The Future of Environmental Compliance Incentives in U.S. Agriculture: The Role of Commodity, Conservation, and Crop Insurance Programs," Economic Information Bulletin 121803, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Bartolini, Fabio & Gallerani, Vittorio & Raggi, Meri & Viaggi, Davide, 2005. "Contract Design and Targeting for the Production of Public Goods in Agriculture: The Impact of the 2003 Cap Reform," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24559, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Feng, Hongli & Jha, Manoj & Gassman, Philip W. & Parcel, Joshua D., 2007. "A Recent Trend in Ecological Economic Research: Quantifying the Benefits and Costs of Improving Ecosystem Services," ISU General Staff Papers 200701010800001812, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    7. Doering, Otto & Smith, Katherine R., 2012. "Examining the Relationship of Conservation Compliance and Farm Program Incentives," C-FARE Reports 156624, Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE).
    8. Marshall, Elizabeth & Aillery, Marcel & Ribaudo, Marc & Key, Nigel & Sneeringer, Stacy & Hansen, LeRoy & Malcolm, Scott & Riddle, Anne, 2018. "Reducing Nutrient Losses From Cropland in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin: Cost Efficiency and Regional Distribution," Economic Research Report 277567, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    9. Dobbs, Thomas L., 2006. "Working Lands Agri-environmental Policy Options and Issues for the Next United States Farm Bill," Economics Staff Papers 32013, South Dakota State University, Department of Economics.
    10. Mitchell, Paul D., 2011. "Economic Assessment of the Benefits of Chloro-s-triazine Herbicides to U.S. Corn, Sorghum, and Sugarcane Producers," Staff Paper Series 564, University of Wisconsin, Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    11. Marc Ribaudo & Nigel Key & Stacy Sneeringer, 2017. "The Potential Role for a Nitrogen Compliance Policy in Mitigating Gulf Hypoxia," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 39(3), pages 458-478.
    12. James Rude & Alfons Weersink, 2018. "The Potential for Cross‐Compliance in Canadian Agricultural Policy: Linking Environmental Goals with Business Risk Management Programs," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 66(3), pages 359-377, September.
    13. Dobbs, Thomas L., 2006. "Working Lands Agri-environmental Policy Options and Issues for the Next United States Farm Bill," Staff Papers 060003, South Dakota State University, Department of Economics.

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