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Abstract
As new policy concepts emerge, their informed evolution is
often hampered by unarticulated differences in individual and group interpretations
of what they embody. Such is the case with "whole farm planning (WFP),"
a systems-based concept for agroenvironmental management. If WFP is to
move from preliminary concept to institutionalized policy tool. problems of
definition, goal-setting, and implementation strategies must be resolved. An
initial step to resolving those problems, or "getting to yes," requires clear
articulation of the diverse views.
This report is meant to accomplish two objectives. First, it provides a
"primer" on the concept of whole farm planning and the issues involved in the
development of whole farm planning policy. Second, it reports new information
resulting from a structured interaction among a diverse set of interest groups,
which adds richness to the idea of incorporating WFP into policy and identifies
areas of common interest and potential disagreement among stakeholding
groups in whole farm planning policy.
No particular position on whole farm planning policy is advocated in
this report. Rather, it is designed to elucidate the policy issues, identify key
features that stakeholding groups see as essential for policy effectiveness, and
make clearer the potential opportunities and challenges confronting policy
makers if they pursue WFP policy.
Partial funding for the effort was provided by the Soil and Water
Conservation Society and the u.S. Environmental Protection Agency. All of the
report's contents and conclusions, however, are solely the responsibility of the
authors and the Wallace Institute.
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