Moral hazard in agroecosystems: risks and benefits of weed control strategies

Janssen Horton, University of Reading

Link to project: Improving the Success of Agri-Environment Schemes

The aim of the studentship is to investigate the efficacy of different policy mechanisms aimed at reducing pesticide usage, especially focussing on issues of ‘moral hazard’ associated with self assessment and voluntary incentive schemes. Moral hazard refers to the risk that one party to a contract can change their behaviour to the detriment of the other party once the contract has been agreed. In this context it refers to the risk that farmers participating in the VI or AES do not comply with management prescriptions.

Methodology

The work will focus on attitudes to different policy mechanisms designed to reduce herbicide usage on arable land and their impacts on plant and bird populations. The research comprises four components:

1. Recruitment of farmers, surveys of farmer attitude and characteristics of farm and farmer.

2. Ecological field surveys, gathering of information of actual land management

3. Modelling of impacts on farmland bird populations

4. Synthesis of ecological and socio-economic components