AOC-Ecosystem Services from Low-input Cropping Systems: Incentives to Produce Them and Value of Consuming Them

Swinton, S.M., F. Lupi, G.P. Robertson

Presented at the All Scientist Poster Reception (2007-05-14 to 2007-05-14 )

Scientists at the Long-term Ecological Research project in agricultural ecology (KBS-LTER) have identified a low-input rotation of corn, soybean and wheat that offers not crop yields, and environmental benefits including improved water quality, soil quality, climate stability and beneficial insect populations.

However, this low-input crop rotation is not widely adopted by farmers. To find out why, this NSF-HSD project will explore 4 null hypotheses (methods in parentheses):

1. benefits do not scale up from experimental plots to farm fields (scale-up to farm-scale fields planned at Kellogg Biological Station in Michigan),


2. farmers are unaware of the benefits of the low-input rotation (focus group interviews and survey),


3. farmers are aware but prefer not to adopt it (focus group interviews & survey), and


4. farmers are willing to adopt if offered a financial incentive (experimental auctions & survey of farmer willingness-to-accept).

The project also plans a survey of taxpayer willingness-to-pay for the ecosystem services provided by the low-input rotation system.