There is evidence that the American agrifood system is a significant contributor to environmental, economic, social, and ethical-animal welfare damage to the earth and to society and is unsustainable, yet the worldview of a substantial percentage of the population conflicts with this assessment. A significant number of researchers, non-governmental organizations, and government entities assert that the detrimental effects of industrial agriculture must be addressed without delay and sustainable agricultural practices implemented. The transition from industrial to sustainable agriculture will not be a simple one. Attempting to change a worldview is not an easy task. A growing body of research in other disciplinary areas suggests that storytelling can serve as an effective method of fostering change. This mixed-methods study examines the role of storytelling in effecting positive change in worldview and attitudes toward sustainable agriculture. A review of the related literature revealed that no instrument was available to measure attitudes toward sustainable agriculture with consideration of economic, environmental, social, and ethical-animal welfare dimensions. The first objective of the study, therefore, was to design such an instrument. The instrument is called The Sustainable Agriculture Paradigm Scale and is used as a pre and post-test in the study. A number of open-ended questions were added to the post-test to solicit qualitative data. The study explores the effects of Story-based, that is, a told story and a read story, versus Information-based treatments, that is, a lecture and a read factsheet, on effecting positive change in attitudes toward sustainable agriculture. The qualitative data provides a secondary, supportive role exploring what characteristics of a story are associated with change. The hypothesis of the study is that Story-based treatments will be more effective in promoting positive change than will Information-based treatments. The findings of the study provide evidence supporting this hypothesis. The story characteristics found to be associated with positive change included: first-hand personal view, vivid description, and identification with the narrator. / Ph. D.

Costs and benefits associated with erosion reduction and adoption of soil conservation practices for a representative farm in a watershed in Honduras are examined in a linear programming framework. Special attention is paid to income-soil loss tradeoffs, income-risk tradeoffs, and on the effect of different farmers' planning horizons on net farm income. A representative farm model for the area was constructed to achieve the objectives of the study. Twelve farmers in the region were surveyed, crop budgets were prepared, and soil loss values were calculated to provide the information required to construct this representative farm. A linear programming model that maximizes net farm income is used to examine the effect of different soil loss levels on farm income. A MOTAD model that minimizes deviation in income (risk) is used to determine risk levels while income and/or soil loss levels restrictions are imposed. Results indicate that considerable reductions in the amount of soil loss can be achieved in the study area. Erosion is reduced from 328.24 ton./mn./year to 6.56 ton./mn./year1 when constraints are imposed on the model. The reduced erosion lowers income from L.5929.24/year for high erosion rates to L.2825.8l/year for low erosion rates. Low levels of soil erosion are achieved at the expense of higher levels of risk. High levels of income are associated with high levels of risk regardless of whether soil loss constraints exist or not. Small differences in income exist among the four planning horizons analyzed. The best soil conservation practices for this region turned out to be the cultivation of coffee on the highest slopes, the use of live barriers and terraces, and the use of conventional and minimum tillage. / Master of Science

With a rapidly growing world population and increased threats of climate change, Sub-Saharan Africa is most at risk for lower crop yields and facing hunger. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Senegal has some of the highest levels of anemia and micronutrient deficiencies among women and children. Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] is a pulse crop that has recently been successfully introduced in Senegal to diversify a primarily cereal-based diet consisting of millet, maize, and rice. The potential for mungbean to be harvested as a leafy green as well as a pulse could allow for a more balanced and nutrient-rich diet. This diversification could help combat micronutrient deficiencies while earlier harvest of the leaves could help alleviate the pressures of the "hunger season." To understand the effects of leaf harvest on mungbean grain yield, yield components, and nutrition, a field trial was conducted in Blacksburg, Virginia for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022. In a split-plot design, four frequencies of leaf harvest (0x, 1x, 2x, and 3x) on seven accessions of mungbean were tested in triplicate. The objective of this experiment was to determine if mungbean can be used as a dual-purpose crop as a leafy green vegetable without decreasing grain yield in Senegal. It was found that mungbeans could undergo up to two leaf harvest of immature leaves without reducing yield, total dry matter (TDM), or yield components. The harvested leaves were also found to be highly nutritious with 22.0% protein, 12.3% fiber and 8.5% ash with no significant differences between leaf harvest treatments. These results indicate that mungbean can be used as a dual-purpose crop for harvest as leafy greens and pulse in Senegal. Further, mungbeans were studied as a viable crop in southside Virginia. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of mungbeans as an alternative crop to tobacco farmers in Virginia. Field trials were conducted on farmers' fields and at Virginia Tech's Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center in 2021 and 2022. A split-plot experimental design was used with early and late planting dates in the beginning and end of June as the whole plots and two commercially-available cultivars, Berken and OK 2000, as the sub-plots. Due to highly variable rain patterns in 2021 and 2022, as well as differing management practices, there were no consistent effects of genotype or planting date on yield, plant height, pods per plant, seeds per pod, or seed size. Yield ranged from 0.19 MT ha-1 to 1.18 MT ha-1 with an average yield of 0.84 MT ha-1 in 2021 and 0.38 MT ha-1 in 2022. Though there was variation in yield, across planting dates, cultivars, locations, and years, the highest yield was higher than global averages. It was concluded that while there is great potential with the growing mungbean market, more studies of breeding and supply chain issues and development of a production guide are needed for mungbean to be successful in Virginia. A final study compared soybean, edamame, and mungbean nutritional components and volatiles, two characteristics of importance to breeding objectives and food processing regarding plant alternative proteins. It was found that mungbean had significantly less protein (21.1%) than soy (36.2%) and edamame (38.3%). Mungbean also had lower fat (0.769%) compared to soy (13.5%) and edamame (14.0%). Analysis of aromatic compounds revealed that soybean, edamame, and mungbean each had unique profiles that could be advantageous to the production of specific plant protein foods. Overall, these studies demonstrate the growing importance and potential of mungbean in both Senegal and in the United States. / Master of Science / With a rapidly growing world population and increased threats of climate change, Sub-Saharan Africa is most at risk for lower crop yields and facing hunger. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Senegal has some of the highest levels of anemia and micronutrient deficiencies among women and children. Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] is a pulse crop that has recently been successfully introduced in Senegal to diversify a primarily cereal-based diet consisting of millet, maize, and rice. The potential for mungbean to be harvested as a leafy green as well as a pulse could allow for a more balanced and nutrient-rich diet. This diversification could help combat micronutrient deficiencies while earlier harvest of the leaves could help alleviate the pressures of the "hunger season." To understand the effects of leaf harvest on mungbean grain yield, yield components, and nutrition, a field trial was conducted in Blacksburg, Virginia for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022. In a split-plot design, four frequencies of leaf harvest (0x, 1x, 2x, and 3x) on seven accessions of mungbean were tested in triplicate. The objective of this experiment was to determine if mungbean can be used as a dual-purpose crop as a leafy green vegetable without decreasing grain yield in Senegal. It was found that mungbeans could undergo up to two leaf harvest of immature leaves without reducing yield, total dry matter (TDM), or yield components. The harvested leaves were also found to be highly nutritious with 22.0% protein, 12.3% fiber and 8.5% ash with no significant differences between leaf harvest treatments. These results indicate that mungbean can be used as a dual-purpose crop for harvest as leafy greens and pulse in Senegal.

The US Department of Energy has focused research efforts on developing switchgrass into a bioenergy feedstock, helping to offset the use of non-renewable fossil fuels and make the US more energy independent. Bacterial endophytes, which reside inside plant tissues, are proven to increase yield and stress resistance in a number of plants. The primary objective of this dissertation was to explore the use of endophytes to improve biomass yields of switchgrass on lands not suitable for food crops and better understand the underlying mechanisms of the plant-endophyte interaction. Integration of this research into K-12 STEM education to increase interest in plant sciences and create the next generation of scientists with the motivation to help solve the challenges facing society in the twenty first century was the objective of the outreach component of this project. Chapter one demonstrates the ability of Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN to colonize switchgrass and promote plant growth under in vitro (approximately 50% higher), and growth chamber and greenhouse (48.6% higher biomass yields) conditions. The objectives of Chapter two were to determine stand establishment in the field with different nutrient levels. PsJN bacterization positively benefited growth and development of switchgrass seedlings in the field with both low and high nutrient content. Highly significant (p<0.001) stimulation of root and shoot growth, lateral root formation and number of tillers was recorded on soil with low fertility. PsJN bacterization also enhanced biomass accumulation during the two seasons of growth on both poor (p<0.001) and rich (p<0.05) soil, indicating the potential for the use of PsJN in a low-input switchgrass feedstock production system. Chapter three outlines differences in gene expression patterns upon bacterization, between the responsive cv. Alamo, and a non-responsive cv. Cave-in-Rock. Using EST microarrays and quantitative PCR up- and down-regulated genes were identified in both cultivars. One of the key genes identified was a member of the tau class, glutathione S-transferase (GST). GST enzymes are known to be involved in plants responses to stress. Using overexpression and knockout/knockdown techniques we demonstrated that GST is likely involved in the bacterization induced early plant growth promotion in switchgrass. Chapter four describes the potential for the utilization of beneficial bacterial endophytes capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen in a free-living state in the development of low-input switchgrass feedstock production systems. Sphingomonas sp. strain NSL isolated from switchgrass tissue was able to grow on nitrogen free medium and stimulated growth of switchgrass cv. Alamo under nitrogen deficient conditions. The ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen was also moved to Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN via horizontal gene transfer from the legume nodulating Burkholderia phymatum. The transformed PsJN was able to fix nitrogen and promote plant growth under nitrogen limited conditions. At every step of the research described in this dissertation efforts were made to include its elements into K-12 education. Chapter five describes four case studies aiming at the enhancement of youth interest in plant sciences in the socieoeconomically depressed areas of Southside Virginia. / Ph. D.

Agricultural nonpoint source nutrient pollution is the leading cause of water quality impairment in the Chesapeake Bay. Agroforestry, the integration of trees with crops or livestock production, or both, achieves production and conservation objectives on a single plot of land. Agroforestry is recognized by the Chesapeake Bay Program's strategy as a means of reducing nonpoint source pollution to improve water quality in the Bay. Despite this, agroforestry adoption remains limited and agroforestry is not recognized in Virginia's water quality trading program. To understand the potential of agroforestry nutrient credit trading, I studied the prospects of agroforestry from both a social and biophysical perspective. First, I surveyed 1,436 randomly selected landowners in four 5th level watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia for a mixed-methods analysis of agroforestry adoption interest. Second, I used the Chesapeake Bay Assessment Scenario Tool to analyze the water quality implications of intermediate forest conversion scenarios on four initial agricultural land uses on respondent properties. From these studies, I recommend landowner characteristics, concerns, and objectives concerning agroforestry need to shape research and outreach messaging. Furthermore, agroforestry practices has potential to significantly reduce nonpoint source nutrient pollution in a manner that preserves agricultural production, but the terrestrial nutrient dynamics of agroforestry will need to be better captured in modeling to aid in the design of these systems and to generate adequate and fair crediting standards. / Master of Science / Pollution from farming is one of the largest threats to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Retiring farmland is one method of reducing pollution. Water quality trading is a new strategy to encourage farmers to retire farmland. As part of this strategy, regulated polluters, such as a property developer, can offset their pollution by paying farmers to retire farmland and plant trees. Agroforestry practices involve the production of trees with crops or livestock on the same piece of land. These integrated systems could reduce pollution to the Bay while allowing farmers to continue farming, but few farmers have been willing to adopt these practices. Additionally, although agroforestry is recognized as part of a larger strategy to clean up the Bay, currently it is not recognized by Virginia's water quality trading program. To understand how agroforestry and water quality trading could help restore the bay, we asked farmers about their interest in agroforestry and used a computer program to estimate how increasing tree coverage on farms could reduce pollution to the Bay. We found that agroforestry could reduce a significant amount of pollution, while allowing farmers to continue farming to some degree. Though, knowledge of how agroforestry reduces pollution and technology that can assist in the design of these systems will need to advance for two reason. First, technology based on a better understanding of how agroforestry reduces pollution will allow us to properly credit farmers for adopting agroforestry. Second, it will assist in designing these systems. Outreach, research, and development of agroforestry should be informed by landowner perceptions, concerns, and objectives.

Local food production movements have claimed a central role in proposals to mitigate some of the negative effects of economic globalization. Although not meant to be a panacea for the ills of the neoliberal order, local food production is advocated as a sustainable solution to a portion of the environmental degradation caused by global capitalism, and as a mechanism by which to rebuild community networks undermined by the globalization of commerce and culture and create the type of sustainable development necessary to restore and preserve the carrying capacity of the planet. This study seeks to develop a conceptual framework for assessing the potential for communities to create and sustain local food production by addressing three major factors that influence a community's ability to localize its food system: the physical capacity of the region or locality to produce enough food to feed its inhabitants, successful policy and trade adjustments by governments to create and enable the survival of local food production systems, and the willingness of consumers to participate in a localized food production system, which includes the community's willingness and ability to bear the costs of instituting and maintaining the local system. / Master of Arts

Achieving food security in Bangladesh remains an arduous task, as the country struggles with several challenges. These challenges include the effects of climate change, occurrence of natural disasters, lack of proper access to credit facilities, and the anthropogenic modification of the agricultural landscape. The vulnerability of agricultural practice in the northern regions to drought, flood, and riverbank erosion, as well as the increased occurrence of coastal surges, waterlogging, cyclones, coastal floods, shrimp aquaculture and soil salinity in the southwestern region, poses a major threat to Bangladesh’s attainment of food security. In this context, we analyze the anthropogenic factors such as land use and land covers change, waterlogging, soil salinity and agriculture credit facilities which combinedly affecting the food security in the southwestern and northern regions of Bangladesh. Findings revealed that in the southwestern regions agricultural lands have decreased because of an increase in shrimp farming. Waterlogging and soil salinity are increasing due to increased shrimp farms also for poor drainage infrastructure and human modification. In our studied three interior coastal districts agricultural land in 2011 was 19,657.12 acres, 12,750.14 acres and 38,774.70 acres which changed to 12,668.70 acres (-36%), 7,151.27 acres (-44%) and 32,809.30 acres (-16%) in 2021. By utilizing CMIP5 data and RCP 4.5 scenarios, we also projected temperature and precipitation in the northern and southwestern regions for the years 2030, 2040, 2050, and 2060 the results indicated substantial variations between pre- and post-monsoon temperatures, with projected maximum, minimum, and mean temperature differences of > 5°C, < 3°C, and < 4°C, respectively. Structural equation modeling reveals that shrimp farming has a significant negative impact on farmers' income and dietary habits. Land use and land cover analyses in the exposed coastal area indicate that agricultural land has decreased by 321.83 km2 over more than thirty years. Structural equation modeling also revealed that agricultural credit influences the food security of marginal farmers. Our study serves as a guide for policymakers in Bangladesh and other developing countries, providing insights into the implementation of effective and sustainable agriculture and climate policies to address the constraints and challenges associated with food security.

by Mo Pan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-160). / Table of Contents --- p.i / List of Tables --- p.vi / List of Figures --- p.viii / List of Plates --- p.viii / Abstract --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Background of the Three Gorges Dam Project --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Conceptual background of the study --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives and significance --- p.16 / Chapter 1.4 --- Organization of the thesis --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Study Area and Experimental Design / Chapter 2.1 --- Zigui County --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2 --- Geology --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3 --- Climate --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4 --- Soil and vegetation --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5 --- Study area --- p.23 / Chapter 2.6 --- Experimental design --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Effect of Integrated Farming Practices on Soil Physical Properties / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methodology --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Sampling methods --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Soil texture --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Aggregate stability --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Effect of integrated farming practices on soil texture --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Effect of integrated farming practices on aggregate stability --- p.37 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.39 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Soil textural change in relation to integrated farming practices and cultivation --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Aggregate stability of the newly rehabilitated soils --- p.43 / Chapter 3.5 --- Conclusion --- p.45 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Effect of Integrated Farming Practices on Soil Chemical Properties / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.46 / Chapter 4.2 --- Methodology --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Sample treatment --- p.48 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Soil reaction --- p.49 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Organic carbon --- p.49 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) & available nitrogen (NH4-N and N03-N) --- p.50 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Total and available phosphorus --- p.50 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- "Exchangeable K, Ca & Mg" --- p.51 / Chapter 4.3 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.51 / Chapter 4.4 --- Results --- p.52 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on soil reaction --- p.52 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on soil organic matter --- p.53 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on available nitrogen --- p.55 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) --- p.57 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on available phosphorus --- p.58 / Chapter 4.4.6 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on total phosphorus --- p.60 / Chapter 4.4.7 --- Effect of integrated farming practices on exchangeable potassium --- p.61 / Chapter 4.4.8 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on exchangeable calcium --- p.63 / Chapter 4.4.9 --- Effects of integrated farming practices on exchangeable magnesium --- p.65 / Chapter 4.5 --- Discussion --- p.66 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- The forgotten importance of pH --- p.67 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- The myth of soil organic matter --- p.70 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Total Kjeldahl nitrogen and available nitrogen --- p.72 / Chapter 4.5.4 --- Total and available phosphorus --- p.77 / Chapter 4.5.5 --- The myth of exchangeable K and orchard growth --- p.78 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusion --- p.81 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Effect of Integrated Farming Practices on Erosion / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.84 / Chapter 5.2 --- Methodology --- p.90 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Rainfall simulation --- p.90 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Measurement of runoff and sediment --- p.92 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Determination of soil volumtric moisture --- p.92 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.93 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.93 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- "Effect of low intensity rainfall on time delay, duration, total runoff and mean discharge" --- p.93 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- "Effect of high intensity rainfall on time delay, duration, total runoff and mean discharge" --- p.95 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- "Effect of low intensity rainfall on sediment load, total soil loss and mean sediment loss rate" --- p.97 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- "Effect of high intensity rainfall on sediment load, total soil loss and mean sediment loss rate" --- p.98 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Effect of hedgerow and farming practices on soil moisture under low intensity rainfall --- p.101 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.102 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Effect of Vetivergrass hedgerow and integrated farming practices on runoff --- p.102 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Effect of Vetivergrass hedgerow and integrated farming practices on soil loss --- p.106 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Effect of Vetivergrass hedgerow and integrated farming practices on soil moisture --- p.110 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusion --- p.111 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Crop Productivity: A Production Efficiency Analysis between Integrated Farming Practices and Existing Farming Systems in Zigui County / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.113 / Chapter 6.2 --- Methodology --- p.115 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Wheat and soybean production --- p.115 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Socio-economic survey of agriculture in Zigui County --- p.116 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Production efficiency analysis --- p.118 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.119 / Chapter 6.3 --- Results --- p.119 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Effect of integrated farming practices on wheat production --- p.119 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Effect of integrated farming practices on soybean production --- p.120 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Production efficiency of integrated farming systems (experimental plots) --- p.121 / Chapter 6.3.4 --- Production efficiency of existing systems (agricultural survey) --- p.122 / Chapter 6.5 --- Discussion --- p.124 / Chapter 6.5.1 --- Effect of integrated farming on wheat yield --- p.124 / Chapter 6.5.2 --- Effect of integrated treatments on soybean yield --- p.127 / Chapter 6.5.3 --- Will there be enough food production under integrated farming? --- p.129 / Chapter 6.5.4 --- Production efficiency analysis --- p.132 / Chapter 6.6 --- Conclusion --- p.136 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Conclusion / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary of findings --- p.138 / Chapter 7.2 --- Implications of the study --- p.140 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Demonstration farms and application of results to other parts of the TGR --- p.140 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Commodity agriculture and regional specialization --- p.143 / Chapter 7.3 --- Limitation of the study --- p.145 / Chapter 7.4 --- Suggestion for further studies --- p.147 / Bibliography --- p.150 / Appendix A --- p.161

Thesis (MScAgric)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa, sustainable land use and management is paramount as the country’s agricultural natural resources are diverse, complex and vulnerable to degradation. To realise sustainable agricultural production and development, an agro-ecosystem-specific approach entailing soil, water and nutrient conservation agricultural practices is imperative. Conservation Agriculture is one of the agricultural production method that can be employed to ameliorate and prevent the degradation of South Africa’s agricultural land. The major aim of this study was to investigate how the uptake and adoption of conservation agriculture is influenced by economic policies and instruments in South Africa. To achieve this, an interactive research approach was followed initially involving an extensive literature review before scientific and empirical analysis was conducted. Firstly it was noted in the study that currently there is not any specific policy for conservation agriculture that has been promulgated in South Africa, but however there are a number of policies (i.e. Climate change policy, Carbon Tax policy, Land Reform policy, Trade policy, Water policy, Food and nutritional security policy, NEMBA regulations, CRDP, CARA, Organic production policy, Policy on Agriculture in sustainable development and the Environmental policy) that have been drafted which have the potential to positively influence the uptake and adoption of conservation agriculture by farmers across all the farming typologies (i.e. small scale, emerging and commercial farmers). The afore-mentioned policies were described and analysed with the purpose of establishing how they affect conservation agriculture using analysis criteria adopted from the field of political sciences. Criteria of effectiveness, unintended effects, equity, cost, feasibility and acceptability were constantly employed. In this regard, all the policies were tested to see how they affect conservation agriculture and to check if there was any alignment and harmonisation within the policy environment. It was found in this study that an alignment of the aforementioned policies is imperative in order to make the policies politically and administratively feasible which will lead to the swift implementation and effectiveness of the policies in meeting their core objectives. On this basis, it was deduced that the aforementioned policy mix has the potential to advance the uptake and adoption of conservation agriculture to further contribute to an enhanced food security and a sustainable resource base in South Africa. The policy mix analysed in this study, is however under specific constraints. These were identified and subsequently recommendations were made to ameliorate these constraints, in order to make the policies align with each other and to maximise the contribution of the policies towards the advancement of conservation agriculture in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volhoubare grondgebruik en bestuur is belangrik in Suid-Afrika as gevolg van diverse, komplekse en kwesbare natuurlike hulpbronne wat maklik degradeer. As gevolg hiervan moet volhoubare bewaringspraktyke gevolg word wat spesifiek is tot die grond, water en voedingswaarde kompleks van verskillende boerdery-omgewings gevolg word. In hierdie opsig is bewaringsboerdery een metode wat ontplooi kan word om grond-degradasie te voorkom. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was dus om te bepaal tot watter mate die aanvaarding van bewaringsboerdery praktyke deur ekonomiese beleid en -instrumente beïnvloed word. Hiervoor is ʼn interaktiewe benadering gevolg tussen ʼn uitgebreide literatuurstudie en ʼn wetenskaplike en empiriese analise. Die eerste belangrike bevinding is dat daar tans geen formele staatsbeleid oor bewaringsboerdery in Suid-Afrika bestaan nie, maar daar is wel verwante beleidsuitsprake (oor klimaatsverandering, die koolstof belasting, grondhervorming, internasionale handel, voedselen voedingsbeleid, NEMBA regulasies, CRDP, CARA, beleid oor organiese produksie, beleid oor volhoubare landbou-ontwikkeling en omgewingsbeleid) wat wel die aanvaarding van bewaringsboerdery praktyke kan versnel. Hierdie stel van beleidsuitsprake is beskryf en ontleed deur middel van ʼn analitiese raamwerk ontleen aan die politieke wetenskappe om hulle potensiële impak op bewaringsboerdery. Die spesifieke kriteria waarop gekonsentreer is sluit in doeltreffendheid, ongewensde gevolge, regverdigheid, koste, implementeerbaarheid en aanvaarbaarheid. Die doel van laasgenoemde was nie slegs om vas te stel hoe hulle bewaringsboerdery beïnvloed nie, maar ook of daar belyning bestaan tussen die verskillende beleidsuitsprake, omdat sulke belyning krities is tot suksesvolle implementering. Daar is dan bevind dat die huidige stel beleidsuitsprake wel die potensiaal het om by te dra tot die aanvaarding van bewaringsboerdery, en dus tot die volhoubare bestuur van Suid-Afrika se hulpbronne. Hierdie bestaande beleidsraamwerk word egter onderwerp aan spesifieke beperkings. Laasgenoemde is dan geïdentifiseer, en is aanbevelings gemaak om dié beperkings aan te spreek om sodoende beter belyning te kry en dus om hulle bydrae tot volhoubare boerdery te bevorder.