Social traps and incentives: Implications for low-input, sustainable agriculture

Excerpt

RECENT attention concerning low-input, sustainable agriculture systems brings to the forefront concern that conventional agricultural production methods result in a “social trap.” The term refers to situations in which an individual or society starts in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant or lethal, with no easy way to change or avoid the situation (7, 10, 11). A social trap typically occurs when conflicts exist between highly motivating, short-run rewards and long-run consequences.¹ A social trap also occurs when a personal reward or punishment conflicts with a group's goals. In this case an individual acts for his or her personal gain and in the process prevents the group from obtaining a reward or objective. In designing public policy to encourage sustainable agriculture, a major consideration is the tendency of individual behavior to be motivated more by immediate personal gain than by the long-run public interest—which leads to a social trap.

Current agricultural production methods may lead to social-trap problems. Producers use fertilizers and pesticides to increase short-run production levels and profits, with encouragement by current agricultural policies that attempt to maintain low food prices and …