A Rising Number of Women Farmers: Is There a Need to Adjust Conservation Incentives?

Marianna Khachaturyan, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Natalia V. Czap
Hans J. Czap
Mark Burbach, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Gary Lynne, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Document Type Article

Copyright 2017 University of Nebraska.

Abstract

Currently, male principal operators predominate the farming industry. However, the number of female operators is increasing. Hoppe and Korb (2013) reported the share of farms headed by females increased from 5.2% in 1978 to 13.9% in 2007. According to the US 2007 census, there were 300,000 principle female operators and about 700,000 secondary female operators on American farms (as cited by Hoppe and Korb, 2013). Women also tend to head smaller farms and are more likely to use sustainable agricultural practices (rather than conventional practices) than men (Fremstad and Paul, 2016). Simultaneously, there is a growing concern regarding the sustainability of agriculture and the effectiveness of financial incentives coupled with dwindling governmental support of conservation projects. In response to this concern, non-monetary incentives and soft nudges have been shown to be effective in some contexts (Akerlof and Kennedy, 2013). In light of these statistics and current developments, we set to investigate whether there is a difference between women’s and men’s response to financial incentives, empathy nudging, and the combination of both in the context of environmental conservation.