Public policies and private decisions: Their impacts on lake erie water quality and farm economy

ABSTRACT:

Since the early 1970s, pollution abatement efforts have recognized nonpoint sources and, particularly, agriculture, as major causes of pollution in the Lake Erie region. The first objective of this research is to summarize federal and state agricultural pollution abatement programs that encouraged farmers to adopt conservation practices. Next, the economic impacts of changes in farming practices are reviewed. Statistical analyses farm-level accounting data and a farm simulation model are used to investigate the economic effects of conservation practices in the region. Finally, simulated farm pollutant emissions in 1985 and 1995 are compared to actual pollutant loadings. This comparison offers evidence that improvements in water quality are attributable to changes in farming practices, (e.g., conservation tillage adoption).