Conservation Trends in Agriculture Reflect Policy, Technology, and Other Factors

The ERS report Agricultural Resource and Environment Indicators, 2019 provides a comprehensive source of data and analysis on the factors that affect resource use and quality in American agriculture. These factors include the biophysical characteristics of the farm and landscape, policy options and incentives for conservation, and availability of technology and other inputs. For example, USDA conservation programs provide nearly $6 billion annually for financial and technical assistance to support the adoption of conservation practices on U.S. farms. One such program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), focuses its funding on five conservation practices—cover crops, conservation tillage/residue management, conservation crop rotation, terraces and nutrient management.