Comparative analysis of the policy framework ICLS adoption

(PIs: Rachael Garrett, Meredith Niles)

Project Overview

To date there has been very little analysis at the national or international scale to understand how the policy context in each country incentivizes and/or enables the adoption of ICLS. In this study we develop a set of indicators to characterize the degree to which policies in each region incentivize or enable the adoption of integrated crop and livestock practices (ICLS). Thus far, our analysis indicates that the policy environments in Brazil and New Zealand provide the most incentives to adopt ICLS coupled with the most programs to enable such adoption, while the US offers the fewest incentives and enabling programs. To promote transitions to ICLS in these regions it will be necessary to reconsider 1) agricultural support policies that keep segregated practices lucrative and buffer farmers from risks, 2) environmental policies that fail to punish environmental pollution and extensive livestock production, and 3) trade policies that allow for the low cost import of feeds and fertilizers. It will also be necessary to consider investing more in research and development in all countries to identify the most profitable ICLS technologies in each region. We aim to apply our indicator set to a much larger set of countries, and combined with statistical analysis, to determine the most common barriers to ICLS adoption across regions and help set priorities for sustainable agriculture policy throughout the world.