Factors Influencing Conservation Practice Adoption in Agriculture: A Review of the Literature

Recent high commodity prices and other factors have resulted in a reduction in farmland acres devoted to conservation. This report provides discussion and synthesis of literature considering factors affecting adoption of conservation practices on working lands and in land retirement programs. Literature reviewed originates from research including producer and landowner input as elicited through surveys, interviews, and instruments obtaining their reactions to hypothetical choice sets including conservation practices. Literature reporting on research using secondary data was also reviewed. The literature supports use of the utility model, including both monetary and non‐monetary factors, to predict producer attitudes, intentions, and behavior regarding conservation practices and enrollment in conservation programs.