The Role of Conservation Program Design in Drought-Risk Adaptation

Amber Waves, July 2013

13 Pages Posted: 25 Feb 2016

See all articles by Steve Wallander

Steve Wallander

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS)

Daniel Hellerstein

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS), Resource and Rural Economics Division

Marcel Aillery

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS)

Date Written: July 23, 2013

Abstract

Since USDA conservation programs are voluntary, farmers base their participation decisions on local conditions, among other factors, and those decisions are influenced by the level of local drought risk; this is a form of climate adaptation.

Various aspects of conservation program design — including contract ranking, eligibility requirements, and participation constraints such as national and county enrollment caps — may limit how farmers are able to use these programs to adapt to drought risk; adjustments to any of these provisions will interact with underlying differences between farmers, including differences in exposure to drought risk.

USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program provides a clear example of the interactions between existing climate adaptation and existing program provisions, which are generally designed to serve program goals that are unrelated to encouraging adaptation.

Keywords: drought, conservatoin reserve program, conservation program design, drought risk

JEL Classification: Q25, Q18

Suggested Citation

Wallander, Steve and Hellerstein, Daniel and Aillery, Marcel, The Role of Conservation Program Design in Drought-Risk Adaptation (July 23, 2013). Amber Waves, July 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2737131

Steve Wallander (Contact Author)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS) ( email )

355 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024-3221
United States
(202) 694-5546 (Phone)

Daniel Hellerstein

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS), Resource and Rural Economics Division ( email )

Washington, DC 20024-3221
United States

Marcel Aillery

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS) ( email )

355 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024-3221
United States
202-694-5511 (Phone)

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