" "  
Search ERS

  Browse by Subject
  Diet, Health, & Safety
  Farm Economy
  Farm Practices & Management
  Food & Nutrition Assistance
  Food Sector
  Natural Resources & Environment
 Conservation Practices & Programs
 Cropping Practices
 Environmental Quality
 Fertilizer Use
 Invasive Species Management
 Irrigation & Water Use
 Land Use & Tenure
 Manure Management
 Organic Agriculture
 Pest Management
 Rural/Natural Amenities
 Soil Conservation
 Water Quality
  Policy Topics
  Research & Productivity
  Rural Economy
  Trade & International Markets
  Also Browse By


or

""

 

Search ERS

 
Natural Resources & Environment

Agriculture uses land, fertilizers, pesticides, water, and other inputs to produce food and fiber. How these inputs are used has implications for the health of the environment, including air quality, water quality, soil quality, wildlife, and human health. ERS tracks the use of inputs used in production, develops indicators for assessing conditions and trends of natural resource, and assesses linkages between agricultural and environmental policies and environmental quality.


Spotlights

Balancing the Multiple Objectives of Conservation Programs—Many of the Nation's conservation programs use an index approach to prioritize environmental and cost objectives. The weights used in these selection indices determine which lands are enrolled, and the mixture of environmental objectives achieved. This report finds that small changes in index weights do not markedly affect national levels of environmental benefits, but larger changes can have a moderate impact.

Conservation-Compatible Practices and Programs: Who Participates? —Financial incentives and desire for stewardship are important factors in farmers' decisions to adopt conservation practices. This report examines the business, operator, and household characteristics of farms that have adopted certain conservation-compatible practices.

Latest Releases

Publications (see all)

Data Sets (see all)

Related Briefing Rooms

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov