EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON THE ADOPTION OF AGRIENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES BY CROP AND LIVESTOCK FARMS IN CANADA

Abstract

This paper investigates the extent to which agri-environrnental practices(AEPs) adopted by Canadian crop livestock farms were adjusted to thepresence of urbanization. Seven AEPs: (1) water management; (2) wildlifeconservation; (3) pesticide management; (4) fertilizer management; (5)manure management; (6) nutrient management; (7) grazing management,were considered.

It was hypothesized that farmers close to urbanized areas are more likely toadopt AEPs to minimize any conflict with their non-farm neighbors. The keyexplanatory variables included in the seven empirical models, whichcomprised of level of adoption of an AEP as the dependant variable, toexplain the degree of urbanization were: (the distance (km) "as the crowflies" from the geographical centre of each Census Sub-Division to that of thenearest Census Metropolitan Area in Canada, and (2) population density(number of persons/krrr') in the locale of each farming operation. In addition,a number of other standard control variables influencing the adoption ofAEPs (e.g. type and size of farm, age of operator, ownership, income etc.)were also included.

The data from the Statistics in Canada collected through the "FarmEnvironmental Management Survey - 2001" (n=16053) were used. Theresults based on Logit Regression analysis imply that there are significantdifferences with respect to the adoption of AEPs in crop and livestock farmslocated in low versus high population density regions. The results imply inturn that farmers in urbanized areas face greater social and economicconstraints, and thus likely higher costs, than their counterparts in more ruralareas .