Flexible Incentives for the Adoption of Environmental Technologies in Agriculture identifies and structures more flexible economic incentives for the achievement of environmental goals in agriculture. It provides a conceptual framework and presents case studies that analyze how flexible incentives can address environmental problems that are caused by agricultural production. The book brings together economists, agency personnel and political economists for the purpose of exploring how new cutting-edge economic tools could be developed and applied to environmental problems. The goal of the book is to complement and to expand the economic theory of environmental regulation and technology adoption with new research findings.The key theme of this book is the important role technology takes when addressing environmental problems. New technologies and technical development are broadly defined to include economic instruments, innovative ways to communicate environmental information, new economic institutions, and education. This book is designed for public and private policymakers, government analysts, teachers, researchers and students who specialize in the fields of natural resources, agricultural economics and environmental regulation. It provides a fresh perspective on what types of incentives may be used to lead us to the desired environmental outcomes and offers new ideas about the types of economic instruments that may achieve these outcomes.

1 Introduction.- I: Overview of the Role of Environmental Regulations in Agriculture.- 2 Environmental Regulation in Agriculture and the Adoption of Environmental Technology.- 3 Evolution of EPA Programs and Policies that Impact Agriculture.- 4 Environmental Conservation Strategies: What Works and What Might Work Better.- II: Theoretical and Conceptual Framework.- 5 Flexible Incentives for Environmental Management in Agriculture: A Typology.- 6 Flexible Incentives: A Unifying Framework for Policy Analysis.- 7 Sustainability, Technology and Incentives.- III: Case Studies.- 8 Using Ecolabeling to Encourage the Adoption of Innovative Environmental Technologies in Agriculture.- 9 Environmental Externalities and International Trade: The Case of Methyl Bromide.- 10 Alcohol Fuel Tax Policy: Sugar, Corn and the Environment.- 11 Public versus Private Land Ownership to Preserve Wildlife Habitat.- 12 Environmental Policy and Technology Adoption in Animal Agriculture.- 13 Flexible Incentives and Water Quality Control Technologies for the Everglades Agricultural Area.- 14 Adoption of Water Conserving Technologies in Agriculture: the Role of Expected Profiles and Public Interest.- 15 Technological Innovation to Remove Water Pollutants.- 16 Health Risk Information to Reduce Water Pollution.- 17 Agricultural Production Contracts to Reduce Water Pollution.- 18 Design versus Performance Standards to Reduce Nitrogen Runoff: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Dairy Farms.- IV: Political Economy of Environmental Regulation.- 19 Regulatory Takings Issues: The Case of Grass Field-burning Restrictions in Eastern Washington State.- 20 Providing for the Common Good in an Era of Resurgent Individualism.- 21 Political Feasibility: Institutional Limits on Environmental Regulation.- V: Synthesis and Conclusions.- 22 From Adoption to Innovation of Environmental Technologies.