Mandatory information-based policy tools facilitate California farmers’ learning about nitrogen management

Abstract

This article evaluates farmer learning in response to a nitrogen management policy adopted in California. California’s policy features a mandatory information-based approach, particularly education and plan-writing, wherein farmers must report their farm management practices and nitrogen application rates to regional water quality districts. Using survey data from farmers across three regions in California’s Central Valley, we employ a sequential ordered logistic regression to evaluate how this policy impacts farmer learning across two stages: a conceptual learning stage where farmers take in new information and re-think their farm management, and an applied learning stage where they report substantial change to behavior. Our findings show that behavioral drivers have different effects on learning across each stage. Early conceptual learning is driven by farmers’ awareness of agriculture’s environmental impact, positive attitudes towards environmental stewardship, and positive perceptions of the nitrogen management regulators. Later stage applied learning is driven primarily by high levels of informational support. We also find that farm and farmer resource variables such as farmer income and education are negative predictors of both learning stages, indicating that lower-resourced farmers are beneficiaries of mandatory plan-writing. Results suggest that mandatory information-based tools can prompt learning among lower-resourced farmers who are often slow to engage in voluntary conservation programs. For improving learning outcomes, policies for conservation behavior should tailor support to these different stages of learning.