The value of integrated CEAP-ARMS survey data in conservation program analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article examines the value-added of integrating onsite, farm-level environmental data with farm enterprise, resource, and household economic data when evaluating production-practice decisions and conservation program participation. Conservation practice acreage allocation and erosion plan adoption models are estimated to account for both program participation and land heterogeneity. We test whether inferences about operator behavior and conservation practices differ when aggregated environmental data is used instead of onsite information. Inference about producer behavior with respect to acres allocated to conservation structures and the probability of adopting an erosion plan differs significantly, depending on the resolution of the environmental variables used in the models. Detailed onsite information about the physical environment, management practices, and the farm household provides the analyst with a means to integrate more completely landscape heterogeneity and farm diversity within the design, implementation, and evaluation of conservation programs, thereby improving their overall cost effectiveness.