A New Approach to Conservation

Fertilizer and manure help crops grow, but when the phosphorus it contains runs off into streams and lakes, it can lead to algal blooms and dead zones, damaging water quality for people and wildlife.

Current conservation programs for agriculture aim to reduce pollution in our waters, but often do so without quantifying those reductions or tracking water quality improvements. We've got a better idea:

Let's reward farmers according to science-based outcomes.

1

Farmers implement the most appropriate and cost-effective strategies for their farm

Farmers implement specific conservation practices and are reimbursed a portion of the cost

2

Science-based models predict less phosphorus enters the stream

Unknown levels of phosphorus enter the water system with unknown environmental impacts

3

Farmers can be paid based on modeled farm-level results

4

Water quality improvements are monitored and verified

5

Farmers can be paid based on monitored watershed-level results

The Status Quo: Pay for Practice

Current conservation programs spend over $4 billion annually to reimburse farmers for implementing a limited set of conservation practices without tracking environmental outcomes.

Pay For Performance

This data-driven, performance-based approach tracks the environmental conservation practices and offers impacts of farmer-selected payments based on verified environmental improvements.

Who Pays Farmers?

  • Wastewater treatment plants or other downstream entities that need to meet water quality obligations
  • Conservation programs that want to show measureable water quality outcomes

Why Pay For Performance?

  • Data-driven and science-based
  • Measurable water quality improvements
  • Cost-effective for farmers and conservation programs
  • Provides flexibility and allows for farmer innovation
  • Expands market opportunities for water quality trading

The Milwaukee River Pay for Performance project is a collaboration of Winrock International, Sand County Foundation, and Delta Institute with capital support provided by the Great Lakes Protection Fund.

Follow @WinrockIntl @SandCountyFdn @DeltaGreatLakes @GLPFund

And share your ideas using #PFPConservation