A model of crop diversification under labor shocks.

ABSTRACT: As demands on agriculture increase, food producers will need to employ management strategies that not only increase yields but reduce environmental impacts. Modeling is a powerful tool for informing decision-making about current and future practices. We present a model to evaluate the effects of crop diversification on the robustness of simulated farms under labor shocks. We use an example inspired by the Florida production system of high-value, labor-intensive fruits. We find that crop diversification to high-value crops is a robust strategy when labor shocks are mild, and that crop diversification becomes less valuable as more simulated farms practice it. Based on our results, we suggest that crop diversification is a useful management strategy under specific conditions, but that policies designed to encourage crop diversification must consider broad effects as well as farm-level benefits.

SUBMITTER: Beal Cohen AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7053715 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature