The Challenges of Developing and Implementing Agricultural Environmental Management Practices

Escalating human populations will increase the need for intensified food production and contribute to ongoing environmental degradation. Augmenting food production, while protecting resources, will require increased implementation of existing management practices as well as rapid development of innovative ways to mitigate the environmental impacts of agriculture. Such change requires whole-farm considerations. This chapter provides an extensive field-level overview of the challenges of developing and implementing sound agricultural environmental practices on the Central Coast of California. The ubiquitous use of the term "management practices" by various practice paradigms is noteworthy as it causes confusion and results in unmet expectations. A single term, Agronomic(E) Practice, is proposed to signify that a practice promotes dual goals of cost-effective agricultural production and environmental protection. Potential solutions to implementation barriers are listed along with the call for innovations. This chapter addresses all practice categories with particular focus on pesticides.