Understanding and guiding the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices through research on human values, knowledge, and institutional change

The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices as a form of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) has been prioritized on a global scale in response to environmental degradation from conventional farming techniques. My research closely examines the process of transitioning agricultural communities into more sustainable states using multiple forms of knowledge and mixed methods. In my first study, I sought to understand the role of values and knowledge in explaining PEB among 617 survey respondents in a Midwestern agrarian context. I also investigated how the past rate of adoption of sustainable practices could be used to differentiate among people living in the Kaskaskia River Watershed in Illinois, USA. I found that respondents could be classified as early adopters, late adopters, and non-adopters of sustainable practices, in line with the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, and observed significant latent mean differences in the values held by these subgroups. I also discovered that biospheric values significantly and positively predicted knowledge and PEB for all respondents, while altruistic values also played a role in understanding early adopters. My results further showed a significant mediating effect of knowledge on PEB through biospheric values. In my second study, I identified the farming practices associated with sustainable agriculture and investigated how technological advancements in agriculture and felt tensions of farmers in balancing the needs of 3-Ps - planet, people, and profit influenced farm management decisions, according to 25 farmers and allied residents in the Kaskaskia River watershed. Results from a thematic analysis of interview data showed that farmers associate practices such as no-till farming, cover crop cultivation, use of filter strips and grass waterways, and efficient nutrient management, among other techniques as sustainable options. My research also revealed that existing agricultural policies, market forces, cash-renting of farmland, farm technology, and the traditional mindset associated with commodity-based monocultures were contextual forces that influenced farmers’ decision-making regarding the implementation of more environmentally friendly practices. In my third study, I uncovered some of the predominant myths of modern agriculture and sustainable farming to deepen insights into how communities can be best positioned to embrace the environmental sustainability of agroecosystems. In my final study, I continued my quest to understand the process of creating more sustainable agricultural systems, fostering socio-ecological resilience, and ensuring that landscapes become well-functioning ecosystems. From an in-depth literature review, I showed through my findings that the improvement of soil health and a process of reversing land degradation were critical steps to consider for long-term agricultural sustainability based on the lessons of past successes and failures. This final study develops theoretical knowledge and offers management implications that can guide future policy initiatives. From my dissertation research, I conclude that advancing environmental sustainability in agricultural settings is a herculean task that necessitates collaboration and information exchange across different governmental organizations, institutions, and individual farmers who hold a range of values and different knowledge systems. Research to support the adoption of PEB is thus urgently needed for humanity to foster environmental stewardship and support a transition into more sustainable states.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Sharma, Suresh

Contributors dc:contributor

• van Riper, Carena J.
• Stewart, William P.
• Brazee, Richard J.
• Reisner, Ann E.

• Pro-environmental Behavior
• Diffusion Of Innovation
• Sustainable Agricultural Systems
• Conventional Farming
• Biospheric Values
• Soil Health
• Agricultural Policies

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Suresh Sharma

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122158

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F122158