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Agricultural Implications of Unconventional Natural Gas Development: Divergent Perceptions of Sustainable and Conventional Farmers
Author(s) -
Poulsen Melissa N.,
BaileyDavis Lisa,
DeWalle Joseph,
Mowery Jacob,
Schwartz Brian S.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
culture, agriculture, food and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2153-9561
pISSN - 2153-9553
DOI - 10.1111/cuag.12104
Subject(s) - business , agriculture , agricultural productivity , natural resource economics , certification , sustainable development , production (economics) , productivity , sustainable agriculture , agricultural economics , transparency (behavior) , natural disaster , economics , geography , economic growth , management , archaeology , political science , meteorology , law , macroeconomics
This study explored sustainable and conventional farmers’ perceptions of unconventional natural gas development ( UNGD ) as it relates to agricultural production and distribution. Farmers (n = 200) in Pennsylvania's Marcellus shale region with gas drilling infrastructure on or near their farmland completed questionnaires; a subset (n = 16) of survey respondents participated in semi‐structured interviews. Findings revealed sustainable farmers faced unique negative impacts from UNGD , including greater sensitivity to environmental impacts, risks to organic certification and market participation, declining consumer confidence, and depreciating value of sustainable operations. UNGD ‐related income and increased wealth within communities appeared to benefit agricultural production and sales, yet the most cited impact of UNGD on agricultural productivity was a decrease in crop production as farmland was used for UNGD . Findings also highlighted potential impacts on nascent local food markets in areas with UNGD , farmers’ expectations for outside oversight of UNGD , and limited transparency of environmental safety violations.