Does anyone know of cases where best management practices (or sustainable behavior) adoption has been increased by a public recognition program? I'm working with a Watershed Coordinator who's considering developing a recognition program for farmers who adopt best practices for soil erosion and water quality. He's wondering if there is any evidence that recognizing individuals publicly for adopting sustainable practices leads to increased adoption among other members of the same target audience. He's also wondering what are the most effective ways to recognize "good actors" - e.g., newsletter articles, sign in the yard, etc.
Joe Bonnell
Program Director
Watershed Management
United States
http://ohiowatersheds.osu.edu/
Soil Erosion Recognition Programs
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Joe (a bit too far away but you might get something out of the link) For Kate though the Australian Land Management Group (http://www.almg.org.au/index.htm) might be worth a phone call to Tony. The Australian Land Management Certification System (ALMCS) has been designed especially for commercial landholders and land managers. It is a whole-of-property, catchment-linked and externally-audited land management system that complies with the internationally accepted ISO14001 environmental management standard. The catchment linked bit is relevant to the GBR. The system is suitable for most commercial property holders and for areas of land that are being managed for purposes other than agriculture. Catchment-linkage ensures that land management on individual properties actively conforms to relevant regional priorities and contributes to meeting Resource Condition Targets. It is also the only system that has succeeded in securing an actual market premium (rather than simply applied as risk management tool secure market access) with the The Merino Company - a textile business based in Melbourne paying a 3% premium to its growers who get themselves ALMS certified - An Australian first. I'm aware of only one other such system based in the UK where a premium is paid. Fair trade has a very different market mechanism - it fixes prices. I'm not a farmer and not employed by these guys but it is a very good system. Amanda
Amanda Jones
Principal
Sideeffects
Australia
...
Hi Joe,
I don't have an answer for you but am interested to know the same things.
I am developing an incentives program to engage farmers in best practice for Reef health improvement (water quality and agri pollution) principally by using public recognition to influence behaviour. We will be setting up Pilot projects on advocate farms to extend to broader farming community.
Have you had some progress with your project since July?
Kate Steel
Project Manager - Reef Guardians
Great Barrier Reef marine Parks Authority
Australia