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School of Environment and Natural Resources

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Graduate Exit Seminar - Gillian Chesnut

Plan to join Gillian Chesnut's graduate exit seminar on April 11, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. in Kottman Hall 245. Gillian will present, "Examining the Effects of Industrialized Agriculture on Conservation Practice Adoption Among Farmers Using Structural Equation Modeling."

Abstract: The trends toward bigger, more productive, agricultural operations as well as increases in crop consolidation and economies of scale reflect the industrialization of agriculture. Industrialized agriculture can have negative environmental consequences, such as decreases in soil quality, greenhouse gas emissions and water contamination. To combat these consequences and encourage adoption, it is critical to understand the complicated relationships that exist between characteristics of the operation or farm (e.g., industrialization factors) and conservation adoption. Academics have posited over the factors that influence or discourage conservation practice adoption. Emerging themes from in-depth analyses of this research suggest that not all these factors are represented evenly, and results are often contradictory. This research seeks to address this documented gap in the literature by exploring how the effect of structural factors, like those tied to industrialization, might vary based on individual characteristics of the farmer. Teasing out when and why industrialized operations have a particular relationship with conservation practice adoption can help improve future efforts to reconcile (if needed) the relationship between the agricultural industry and conservation.

Advisor: Dr. Robyn Wilson