Farm-Level Response to Agricultural Effluent Control Strategies: The Case of the Willamette Valley

Abstract

This article examines economic incentives and other mechanisms to offset non-point source pollution from agriculture. A biophysical simulator to estimate technical relationships is linked to linear programming models for representative farms in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The models are then optimized for profit maximization under alternative non-point pollution control policies. The results indicate that site-specific resource conditions and production possibilities greatly influence policy effectiveness and the cost of achieving pollution abatement. Nevertheless, some abatement is possible on all farms for relatively little cost.

Keywords

• bmps
• bioeconomic modeling
• nitrogen effluent control
• on-farm costs
• water pollution