Title: Effect of urbanisation on the adoption of environmental management systems in Canadian agriculture

Authors: Udith Jayasinghe-Mudalige, Alfons Weersink, Brady James Deaton, Mike Trant

Addresses: Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. ' Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. ' Department of Agricultural Economics and Business, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. ' Statistics Canada, Agriculture Division, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Abstract: This study examines the extent to which farming practices have adjusted to the presence of urbanisation in Canada. In particular, we compare the adoption rates for Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) by farmers close to urbanised areas versus those in more rural, isolated regions. Using information from a national survey of 16,053 farmers, 8 EMSs are considered. We find that farmers operating close to the urban milieu demonstrate strategic behaviour by selecting more environmentally friendly farm management practices to overcome social and regulatory pressures from such communities compared to those farmers who operate in rural communities.

Keywords: environmental management systems; EMS; voluntary approach; agriculture; urbanisation; environmental protection; Canada; farming practices; farm management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJARGE.2007.012839

International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, 2007 Vol.6 No.3, pp.316 - 325

Published online: 18 Mar 2007 *

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