Implementing Soil and Water Conservation Production Systems at the Farm Level

Abstract: Factors influencing adoption of soil and water conservation production systems at the farm level are discussed in the context of their influence for motivating land owner-operators to adopt and to use conservation technologies and practices. Research focused on United States (US) farmers are examined to assess how social, economic, farm structure, and conservation program-participation factors affect adoption behaviors at the farm level. Research findings suggest that contemporary conservation programs that place emphasis on the provision of information, education, technical assistance, and economic subsidies probably will not be successful in achieving societal conservation goals. Study findings basically demonstrated that factors commonly argued to influence adoption of conservation production systems at the farm level were not useful for that purpose. Alternative approaches to achieving conservation goals within the US are examined