Factors influencing the participation in environmental stewardship programs: a case study of the agricultural and forestry sectors in Louisiana

Considerable research has been conducted to evaluate the adoption of agricultural best management practices and their overall impact on improving environmental quality. However, limited studies have been conducted to evaluate the behavioral factors that influence the adoption of these practices in the context of educational programs The goal of this study is to determine the factors that influence farmer conservation behavior that might lead to an increased probability of improving agriculture and forestry watersheds. A conceptual model was developed to identify the: 1) identify landowner participation in watershed conservation projects, and 2) determine the factors influencing agriculture and forestry landowners to participate in watershed conservation projects. The model includes four major sets of explanatory variables including: 1) social-psychological, 2) farm structural, 3) ecological, and 4) institutional. This study indicates that both farmers and loggers that are younger, more educated and of Caucasian ethnicity tend to participate in environmental stewardship programs which lead to the implementation of conservation practices. Farmers with strong local organization relationships have a greater tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs which leads to the adoption of conservation practices. Agricultural producers with higher income resulting from farming, higher total acres, and farms legal structure indicated as incorporated tended to participate in environmental stewardship programs. Loggers that produced larger loads per week, which is an indicator of size, tended to participate in environmental stewardship programs. The study also found that agricultural producers who spend more time in a job off-farm and have a family owned operation have a lower tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs. The study indicates that farmers that have modified their operation due to the Clean Water Act as well as awareness of efforts to control non-point source pollution through the Clean Water Act have a lower tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs, thus viewed upon as institutional barriers. Also found was loggers with negative relationships toward regulatory agencies and lending institutions have a lower tendency to participate in environmental stewardship programs. Farmers have mixed attitudes toward government involvement in agriculture. These conclusions are supported by earlier studies

The Do\u27s and Don\u27ts of Working with Local Communities: Tips for Successful Community-Based Public Meetings

Communities must be provided with a forum to express residents\u27 opinions on proposed public policies through effective community-based public meetings. Planning is essential to conducting an effective public meeting. To be successful, an effective public policy education process must be implemented before, during, and after the public meeting

Use of Gene Editing in USDA Research

The Science Advisory Council was established in FY2016 as a subcommittee of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board by the Chief Scientist as a result of recommendations from the 2012 report on Agricultural Preparedness by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The Council\u27s charge is to provide advice and guidance, on a scientific basis, on the overall strength, practicality, and direction of agricultural research, including emerging technology and scientific issues and report any findings publicly to the NAREEE Advisory Board. The USDA Chief Scientist first asked the Council to examine rigor and reproducibility in USDA science. The second was to review the technology of Gene Editing in view of its possible use by USDA to address challenges. The term gene editing or genome editing is a generally considered a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted or replaced in the genome of a living organism using engineered nucleases, sometimes referred to using a common description of molecular scissors. The nucleases used in this function create breaks in the target locations in the genome. These breaks are repaired leading to specific edits. There are currently a series of engineered nucleases being used to affect these edits. One of the most commonly known is the CRISPR-Cas system. In traditional breeding, a desired phenotype is observed and then if the approach is available, the expense warrants it and the tools are available; the genetic basis for the phenotype is studied and elucidated. In the use of a gene editing approach, a reverse of traditional breeding is done in that a sequence of DNA is modified and a phenotypic response is monitored. In this sense of study, gene editing holds great promise to understand better the role of single genes and their possible effect on a product and to modify them for improved human value. Gene editing is a tool to be used by molecular researchers, hopefully in consultations with breeders, to enhance the search for improved products and solutions. It joins many other tools used by USDA scientists such as selective breeding, cross breeding, marker assisted selection / genomic selection, etc. to improve agricultural production, sustainability and health