The Missing Ingredients in the Recipe for Improving U.S. Water Quality: The Leadership and Values of the American Farmer

摘要

DESPITE DECADES OF EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THEwater quality of lakes and rivers within agriculturallandscapes, more progress is needed to attain ournation’s goal of swimmable and fishable waters.Payments to farmers through various government programs are used to incentivize farmers to implementconservation practices like grass waterways andcover crops to improve water quality. But too fewfarmers participate in these programs to substantiallyimprove water quality. One reason they cite is the redtape associated with government programs. The lackof progress raises pressure to regulate agriculturerather than relying on the current voluntary approachusing incentive payments. Avoiding future regulationmeans an improved, sensible, voluntary, farmer-ledapproach is needed to achieve meaningful water qualityimprovement.