Introduction
The survey used in this project is part of a larger project which aims to evaluate agricultural greenhouse gas reduction and sequestering practices based on their impact and appeal to farmers. The survey was administered online through a third party, which was able to screen out farmers with operations earning less than $10,000 per year and those whose primary products were not crop or beef cattle, while obtaining over 300 comprehensive survey responses. We specified that at least 30% of respondents should be beef producers.
The survey consisted of 43 questions about a broad variety of topics about the specifics of the farm operation and the respondents’ values, preferences, views on climate change, and other related information. In addition to the survey, interviews were conducted with a smaller sub-sample of farmers, and a separate inquiry into the effectiveness of greenhouse gas reduction for each given greenhouse gas reduction practice is planned. |
In this project, my goal was to find out which farm practices were most appealing based on the survey responses, and which values are most important to farmers. The results will help determine which practices to compare in terms of greenhouse gas reduction impact based on their relative appeal and level of adoption. Furthermore, by analyzing which farms are most likely to be willing to adopt more practices, we can target programs towards those groups. Based on the results so far, it looks like farmers with smaller farms who do more than one type of farming activity are more likely to benefit from support to implement practices that reduce greenhouse gas emission. Another finding is that soil and water quality are the highest valued goals among the respondents.
Optimally, we can use the findings to suggest ways to incentivize farmers to adopt greenhouse gas reduction practices and projects which are already appealing to them and which will have a significant impact to reduce emissions. This way policy can be drafted to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in to most efficient and socially acceptable way. |