UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Government

Name of Ministry/Agency:	Department of State

Country:	United States of America

Name of Focal Point:	Hiram Larew

Initiative Title:	Encouraging Conservation on Agricultural Lands through Incentives and Technical Assistance

Internet links:	http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs

Scope:	Global

Status:	Ongoing

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Lead Institution:	U.S. Department of Agriculture

Stakeholders/Partners:

Relevent issues:	- Land - Others - Natural resource conservation

Objectives/Challenges:

U.S. natural resources conservation programs (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program) help farmers reduce soil erosion, enhance water supplies, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and reduce damages caused by floods and other natural disasters. Public benefits include enhanced natural resources that help sustain agricultural productivity and environmental quality while supporting continued economic development, recreation, and scenic beauty.
Administered by USDA, conservation programs have been directed at several environmental priorities. In the 1980s, the focus was on taking highly erodible and sensitive lands out of production. In exchange for retiring land, producers receive rental or easement payments, plus cost sharing and technical assistance to aid in the establishment and maintenance of permanent cover. In 2002, the efforts added extra resources for wetland creation and for incentives aimed at improving practices on working lands (lands used for crop production and grazing). These programs make payments to farmers for adopting practices that achieve environmental targets for soil quality and water quality. The incentive programs are supported by education, extension and technical assistance programs.

Lessons Learned:

Targeted conservation programs can help farmers and ranchers meet environmental challenges on their land. Key to success is a focus on national environmental priorities (such as water quality, soil erosion, or wetland protection), deploying a range of options for financial incentives, and provision of technical assistance. To get high farmer participation, voluntary incentive programs depend upon making payments large enough to offset the costs of implementing the improved practices or for production that may be lost.

Policy Options:

Summary:

Key Results

• Wetlands – Well over 10,000 wetland restoration projects have been undertaken, providing 3.6 million acres of wetlands, along with 2 million acres of grass and forested buffers and grassed filter strips to protect water quality.

• Soil erosion -- Since the early 1980s the soil erosion rate on US cropland has been reduced by about 40%. The reserve programs have been instrumental in this decrease, but the decrease is also result of the wide adoption of conservation tillage.

• Nutrient management -- Since 1990, the amount of nitrogen being carried down the Mississippi river, the largest watershed in the U.S. has decreased by about 20%.