A public-private partnership to enhance the voluntary approach to nutrient stewardship

Abstract

D espite growing evidence acknowledging the benefits of voluntary, incentive-based approaches to encourage nutrient stewardship, some organizations and agencies continue to be skeptical. However, among the fertilizer industry, many conservation organizations, and other agricultural groups, there is general agreement that the voluntary approach provides a catalyst for nutrient stewardship on agricultural land and that strategic opportunities exist to increase its effectiveness. One of the ways to realize opportunities associated with voluntary measures is enhanced collaboration between agricultural retailers and conservation districts as they work with farmers to plan and implement nutrient management practices. To better understand the existing professional relationships between these groups, to evaluate the impact of their relationships on nutrient stewardship, and to identify strategies for improving their working relationships, agricultural retailer and conservation district employees were surveyed in 2013. BACKGROUND Among the many challenges facing agriculture is ensuring long-term, profitable production while also meeting society's additional economic and environmental priorities. The challenge for farmers (enhancing nutrient stewardship while producing food, fiber, and fuel) lies at the confluence of many powerful forces. These external forces include evolving commodity program policy; changing crop insurance rules; expanding federal, state, and local environmental regulations; uncertain commodity prices; rising production…