More Like this

1. Role of Agricultural Simulation Games to Promote Youth-Adult Discussions Related to Agricultural Sustainability

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--35167  

   Rice, Nathan; Keshwani, Jennifer; Keshwani, Deepak (June 2020, 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access)
2. Agricultural Productivity and Climate Mitigation

   https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-101323-094349  

   Fuglie, Keith O; Hertel, Thomas W; Lobell, David B; Villoria, Nelson B (October 2024, Annual Review of Resource Economics)

   Agriculture will play a central role in meeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets, as the sector currently contributes ∼22% of global emissions. Because emissions are directly tied to resources employed in farm production, such as land, fertilizer, and ruminant animals, the productivity of input use tends to be inversely related to emissions intensity. We review evidence on how productivity gains in agriculture have contributed to historical changes in emissions, how they affect land use emissions both locally and globally, and how investments in research and development (R&D) affect productivity and therefore emissions. The world average agricultural emissions intensity fell by more than half since 1990, with a strong correlation between a region's agricultural productivity growth and reduction in emissions intensity. Additional investment in agricultural R&D offers an opportunity for cost-effective ( 

   more » « less
3. Agricultural risks from changing snowmelt

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0746-8  

   Qin, Yue; Abatzoglou, John T.; Siebert, Stefan; Huning, Laurie S.; AghaKouchak, Amir; Mankin, Justin S.; Hong, Chaopeng; Tong, Dan; Davis, Steven J.; Mueller, Nathaniel D. (May 2020, Nature Climate Change)
4. Agricultural Trade and Environmental Sustainability

   https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-101420-090453  

   Baylis, Kathy; Heckelei, Thomas; Hertel, Thomas W. (October 2021, Annual Review of Resource Economics)

   null (Ed.)

   Global agriculture consumes substantial resources and produces significant pollution. By shifting its production to new locations, and inducing changes in technology and input use, trade has a substantial impact on environmental sustainability of the world's food systems, but due to suboptimal environmental policy, the exact nature of these impacts is in dispute. We review the literature on agricultural trade and environmental sustainability, highlighting the different approaches taken in ecology versus economics. While useful in identifying environmental costs, much of the ecological literature does not compare these costs to a trade-free counterfactual and can therefore be misleading. Further, by moving production to places with more resources and increasing production efficiency, trade can reduce the environmental impact of food production. On the other hand, trade can also limit the effectiveness of domestic environmental policy because production can be shifted to countries with less stringent regulations. However, recently, consumers are leveraging trade policy to induce exporters to improve environmental sustainability. While such policies are gaining traction in wealthy countries, evidence suggests that such measures will not reach their potential without buy-in from decision makers in the countries where the environmental damages are occurring. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Resource Economics, Volume 13 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates. 

   more » « less
5. Agricultural conservation networks in Iowa

   Luxton, India; Ellis, Elizabeth; Arnold, Parker; Shakya, Prasiddha; Lee, Juliet; Ravetta, Emilia; Toombs, Ted; Mook, Anne; Cross, Jeni (September 2023, Colorado Statue University)

   Iowa's farmlands, celebrated for their remarkable agricultural productivity, are facing pressing environmental challenges, including soil erosion, waterway nitrogen pollution, and vulnerability to extreme weather events. These issues imperil the state's agricultural sector's long-term sustainability and economic stability. Despite substantial investments from governmental and non-governmental entities to encourage conservation practice use, adoption rates remain persistently low. In this report, we use quantitative, qualitative, and social network analysis on a sample of 38 farmers to understand how social networks shape their adoption of conservation practices. We analyze data through a systems framework and compare counties with high- and low-adoption of conservation practices to assess influences from the individual farmer level to the broader societal context. We conclude with a discussion of strategic implications to promote conservation adoption. 

   more » « less