NATURAL RESOURCE ECONOMICS AND CONSERVATION: CONTRIBUTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMISTS

Research by agricultural economists on natural resources has been distinguished by an interdisciplinary emphasis and a dynamic perspective. It has recognized technological and institutional constraints, has been oriented toward solving concrete resource management and policy problems, and has emphasized empirical and quantitative analysis. Agricultural economists have introduced methods for evaluating natural resource conservation efforts, for predicting adoption of resource conservation technologies, and for designing efficient and sustainable resource management policies. They have identified ways of improving land management and preventing land degradation, proposed reforms of institutions governing water allocation and water quality, and introduced policies for balancing environmental and efficiency considerations in the management of pests, biodiversity, and livestock diseases. Their research has had substantial impacts on the formulation of resource conservation policies.