Amending conservation programs through expanding choice architecture: A case study of forestry and livestock producers

Abstract

Incentives designed to spur the adoption of agroforestry practices by farmers across the United States have largely been ineffective. Unfortunately, most Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts are composed of temporary grassland conversions, not permanent forest land conversions. Using data collected from forestry and livestock producers, we estimate the minimum payment necessary for producers to adopt the agroforestry practice of silvopasture. Results indicate that CRP contracts based on silvopasture or other integrated systems may be a more efficient alternative than contracts based on complete conversion to forest land. However, successful implementation of such a policy requires a well-informed producer base whose behavior can be nudged towards integrated systems.