Defining the balance between socio-economical and bio-physical aspects in order to promote sustainable development in agriculture is a fundamental challenge for researchers. The aim of this study is to assist in constructing a science of sustainability in agriculture and to assess sustainability in various types of agroecosystem managements characterized by different agricultural and rural developments. This study evaluates sustainability on Terceira Island (Portugal) and in the Province of Viterbo (Italy) by using selected agroecosystem sustainability indicators capable of achieving an energetic and monetary input/output analysis. Overall, results showed two rural and agricultural realities that outline two different responses to world market demand, which are partly due to specific rural histories. In terms of energy supply, Terceira and Viterbo dairy farms use the same amount of input but in monetary terms the level of input is more than double in Viterbo (€1651 ha−1 versus €616 ha−1) which is due to the lower cost of direct energy (e.g., fuel) on the island. The use of direct energy input (fuel, electricity and lubricants) on the farms in Viterbo decreases in mixed farm systems and is at its minimum on dairy farms. On the other hand, the use of indirect energy input (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, seeds and feedstuffs) is greater on Terceira farms compared with those in Viterbo (0.76 versus 0.60, respectively). Generally speaking, the crops grown on Terceira are not diversified and this has caused environmental issues on the island due to the milk production that is mainly exported. In Europe, more intellectual and financial resources for measuring and monitoring sustainability conditions in agriculture are necessary, in order to appropriately inform decision makers at both institutional and individual level.

Cattle manure value chains play important biological and economic roles in smallholder crop–livestock systems in developing countries, but relative to other livestock products our understanding of the nature and impact of manure sales is limited. In regions with an active manure trade, farmers face a choice between manure use on-farm and sales, which affects nutrient flows and participant incomes. We analyzed the manure value chain operating in south-central Vietnam as an example of the function and role of manure trade in crop–livestock systems. Lowland cattle farmers sell manure through a network of chain participants, including small-scale collectors, lowland and highland traders, to pepper, coffee, dragon fruit and rubber farms in the central highlands and southeast coast. We collected and summarized quantitative data (e.g., manure-related labor, manure transactions, and fertilizer and manure use) gathered in semi-structured interviews with value-chain participants [lowland cattle owners (n = 101), traders (n = 27) and end users (n = 72)]. Lowland cattle owners were selected by stratified random sampling, and subsequent participants were identified in preceding interviews. One key finding concerns the seasonality of the manure value chain: most manure flowed between February and August (lowland dry season and period of peak highland demand) from lowland communes to highland coffee and pepper farms for use as organic soil amendments. Fewer sales occurred, at a lower price, to southeast coastal dragon fruit farms and rubber companies. Value addition to manure occurred via drying, bagging, collection, transport and composting. The presence of local traders facilitated market sales for smallholder cattle owners, and prices through the value chain generally reflected costs for value addition. The geographic distribution of cattle relative to agricultural land influenced the flow of manure, with net outflows from regions with higher animal density to regions with lower density and higher value crop production. Manure trade was an important source of supplementary income for farmers and a primary livelihood activity for traders. Value chain participant net incomes ranged from near US$100 yr−1 for lowland farmers to over US$13,000 yr−1 for traders, and returns to labor were just over US$0.50 h−1 for lowland farmers and US$2 h−1 for traders. The quantitative information generated during our descriptive assessment provides an important first step toward manure value chain improvement, indicates survey methods that can be applied in other areas, and identifies next steps necessary to evaluate chain evolution and resilience.

Many lessons in long-term cropping systems experiments are learned from practical experience. I have conducted large-scale, long-term, multidisciplinary dryland and irrigated cropping systems experiments with numerous colleagues at university and government research stations and in farmers' fields in the USA and in developing countries for 25 years. Several practical lessons learned through the years are outlined in this short commentary. While some of these lessons learned may be intrinsically obvious, results of many cropping systems experiments have not been published in scientific journals due to fatal flaws in experimental design, improper transitioning between phases of the experiment and many other reasons. Ongoing active support by stakeholders is critical to maintain funding for long-term cropping systems studies. Problems and unexpected challenges will occur, but scientists can often parlay these into opportunities for discovery and testing of new hypotheses. Better understanding and advancement of stable, profitable and sustainable cropping systems will be critical for feeding the world's projected 10 billion people by the mid-21st century.

Cover crops are frequently adopted to immobilize residual nitrogen post-harvest, thereby reducing potential N losses. However, the effectiveness of a cover crop depends on the species planting date, and other management practices. Limited information on N dynamics in cover crop systems is available specially in short-season vegetable rotations under temperate climate. From 2008 to 2010, a split-plot field experiment was carried out in a humid, temperate climate with cover crop treatment as the main plot factor [no cover crop control (NoCC), cereal rye, hairy vetch, oat, forage pea, oilseed radish (OSR) and a control with fertilizer N to the cucumber crop (NoCC + N)], and cover crop planting date as the split factor (early and late) to evaluate their impacts on cover crop biomass and N dynamics over the fall and following cucumber crop. All cover crop treatments significantly lowered soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) by 39–87% compared to the NoCC control, which was concomitant with cover crop growth and N accumulation. In the fall, SMN (0–90 cm depth) was less under the early-planted cover crops (avg. 78 kg N ha−1) compared to the late-planted (avg. 100 kg N ha−1). In April, greater plant available nitrogen (PAN, sum of SMN to 60 cm depth and plant N) with cover crops than without demonstrated N conservation over the winter and into the cucumber crop. Crop yield was equal to or better with a cover crop compared with the NoCC in both years; moreover, compared to the NoCC + N control yields were equivalent with OSR and pea. Oat, vetch and pea cover crops benefited the most by having an earlier planting date, while OSR and rye are recommended if the planting date is delayed. Although an early August planting date significantly increased plant N accumulation and SMN by November, this species-dependent interaction did not persist into the following season in yield and N accounted for in the system.

A pot experiment to determine the effects of summer cover crops and soil amendments on okra yields and population densities of various soil nematode taxa was conducted in two consecutive growing seasons in a subtropical region. Two cover crops, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) and sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor×S. bicolor var. sudanense), were grown and returned to the soil with fallow as a control. As soon as these cover crops were harvested, they were soil-incorporated together with one of several organic amendments. These organic amendments were biosolids, N-Viro soil (a 1:1 mixture of coal ash and biosolids), coal ash, co-compost (a 3:7 mixture of biosolids and yard wastes), and yard waste compost compared with a control (no additional amendment). Other treatments were fumigation with MC-33 (a mixture of 33% of methyl bromide and 67% of chloropicrin) and cover crop removal (harvested and removed cover crops and their residues from the soil). A nematode-susceptible vegetable crop, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.), was grown under these treatments. Among organic amendments, the application of biosolids produced the highest okra yield and biomass, and greatly suppressed root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita, in the soil. Between these two cover crops, sunn hemp was superior to sorghum sudangrass in improving okra production and in suppressing root-knot nematodes. The result indicates that growing sunn hemp as a cover crop and applying certain organic amendments can improve okra production and suppress root-knot nematodes, which are very damaging to okra plants. Such combined practices show a significant potential for application in organic farming and sustainable agriculture systems in a tropical or subtropical region.

Sustainability has recently become an ingrained concept in crop production systems worldwide, and is the cornerstone of research programs of the global network of research centers operated by the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which functions in collaboration with the various national agricultural research systems. One of the major CGIAR centers, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), focuses mainly on dryland agriculture, but increasingly on irrigation, in its mandate area of West and Central Asia and North Africa. ICARDA has collaboration programs with its host country, Syria, the cradle of civilization and of settled agriculture, and the center of origin of many of the world‘s major crops, notably cereals and pulses. Wheat is, and has been, the most important commodity food in Syria. The Center‘s goal is to enhance wheat productivity in a sustainable manner for the benefit of the country‘s resource-poor farmers and society as a whole. Wheat is grown on about 1.5 million ha or 27% of the total cultivated land in Syria, mainly under rainfed conditions (300–500 mm annual rainfall), which are increasingly experiencing supplemental irrigation, while drier (<200 mm) areas are fully irrigated. Improved cultivars generally combine high yield potential and stress tolerance and tend to have high yield stability, being input-efficient under limited resources in stress environments and input responsive under favorable environments. Such varieties are tested under farmers‘ conditions through multi-year multi-locations. Other aspects of the ICARDA–Syrian collaboration wheat program include improved tillage, with an emphasis on conservation systems, adequate fertilization, and improved agronomic practices, e.g., early sowing in relation to rainfall conditions, optimum row spacing and plant population, and adequate weed control. This vigorous collaborative research–technology transfer program has produced a major shift in wheat production in Syria, from traditional low-input practices with landrace or improved cultivars to widespread adoption (two-thirds of wheat area) of modern cultivars along with improved production technology. As a result of such efforts, national income has substantially increased, and Syria has become a net exporter of wheat. Thus, the collaborative efforts of an international research center and its host country have shown clearly that there is an alternative to a traditional, low-output agriculture and its associated ills.

Climate change and soil degradation are the issues depleting the soil's ability to promote good yield. One of the ways to combat this is the practice of conservation agriculture (CA). This study was carried out to explore and investigate the impact of CA. Multinomial endogenous switching regression model and cross-sectional data were used to investigate the determinants and the impact of the adoption of CA on the income of smallholder maize farmers in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Three categories of CA (minimum tillage, crop diversification and a combination of both minimum tillage and crop diversification) were considered. The empirical results revealed that regardless of the choices of CA practices adopted by the maize farmers, the income realized was higher for adopters than for non-adopters of CA practices. The average treatment effect for the adopters of both minimum tillage and crop diversification was the highest, showing an increase in income by 60.31% (R15575.99/$996.57USD) compared to the non-adopters. The policy implication for these results is that there is a need to promote the adoption of CA practices, particularly a combination of both minimum tillage and crop diversification, given their significant impact on farmer income, an important welfare outcome that has significant implications on food security and poverty alleviation.

Organic grain producers are interested in reducing tillage to conserve soil and decrease labor and fuel costs. We examined agronomic and economic tradeoffs associated with alternative strategies for reducing tillage frequency and intensity in a cover crop–soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) sequence within a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean–spelt (Triticum spelta L.) organic cropping system experiment in Pennsylvania. Tillage-based soybean production preceded by a cover crop mixture of annual ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and forage radish (Raphanus sativus L.) interseeded into corn grain (Z. mays L.) was compared with reduced-tillage soybean production preceded by roller-crimped cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) that was sown after corn silage. Total aboveground weed biomass did not differ between soybean production strategies. Each strategy, however, was characterized by high inter-annual variability in weed abundance. Tillage-based soybean production marginally increased grain yield by 0.28 Mg ha−1 compared with reduced-tillage soybean. A path model of soybean yield indicated that soybean stand establishment and weed biomass were primary drivers of yield, but soybean production strategy had a measurable effect on yields due to factors other than within-season weed–crop competition. Cumulative tillage frequency and intensity were quantified for each cover crop—sequence using the Soil Tillage Intensity Rating (STIR) index. The reduced-tillage soybean sequence resulted in 50% less soil disturbance compared to tillage-based soybean sequence across study years. Finally, enterprise budget comparisons showed that the reduced-tillage soybean sequence resulted in lower input costs than the tillage-based soybean sequence but was approximately $114 ha−1 less profitable because of lower average yields.

The implementation of farm to school programs and the use of local foods in US school meals have increased dramatically since the 1990s. However, supply constraints are often cited by school districts as an impediment to purchasing local foods. In this paper, we estimate the responsiveness of local food sourcing by schools in response to changes in local agricultural production. We test several hypotheses by merging data from the nationally administered 2015 Farm to School Census, which solicits information about local food sourcing from school districts, with Census of Agriculture data and other socio-economic data. We test whether local agricultural conditions influence the probability that a school district sources local foods, as well as the level of such purchases among the subset of school districts that are buying locally. We examine two types of local food purchases: local fluid milk purchases, which is the predominate food product that is locally sourced by schools, and local non-milk food purchases. We test the extent to which local purchases are influenced by local dairy production in the former case and local direct-to-consumer (DTC) agricultural production in the latter case. We find that the dairy and DTC agricultural production had a positive, although modest, impact on local milk and local non-milk purchases, respectively.

We find that county-level average income and the percentage of residents in poverty, when statistically significant, had positive and negative, respectively, impacts on local sourcing. Interpreting the coefficients on some of our other control variables involves greater nuance. For instance, while the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals decreases the predicted probability of a school making local non-milk purchases, it has a positive impact on the level of expenditures. We also find that the number of students in a school district has a positive impact on local food expenditures. However, while county-level population has a positive impact on local food expenditures, it has a negative impact on the predicted probability that a school district sources local non-milk products.

Current production practices in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota involve use of extensive tillage and/or herbicides to control weeds. Given the erosion potential, environmental concerns associated with herbicides, and herbicide-resistant weeds, alternative cropping systems that mitigate these problems need to be assessed economically. Furthermore, the role that government commodity programs play in the adoption of more ecologically friendly cropping systems needs to be determined. We evaluated 8 years of yield data (1994–2001) from field plots near Fargo, North Dakota, to compare the economics of two alternative cropping systems, reduced-input (RI) and no-till (NT), to a conventional tillage (CT) cropping system. The RI system relies on a more diverse rotation of soybean (SB), spring wheat (SW), sweet clover (SC) and rye, and uses fewer herbicide and fertilizer inputs than CT or NT. Both NT and CT systems rotate SB and SW. We found that CT returns averaged over $47 ha−1 more than NT during the study period. Because SC yield data were not available, the economic competitiveness of RI was calculated using break-even yields and returns for SC. Historical SC yields in Cass County, North Dakota were not statistically different from the break-even yields. However, when government program payments were considered, break-even returns for SC increased by about $15 and $18 ha−1 and break-even yields by 0.44 and 0.52 MT ha−1 for RI to compare with NT and CT, respectively. These results indicate that CT management offers greater economic return than either RI or NT and that government program payments impede adoption of more environmentally friendly cropping systems in the northern Great Plains.

Food and nutrition insecurity in southern Africa call for improvements in traditional agriculture systems. Conservation Agriculture (CA) based on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop diversification has been implemented as a strategy to maintain yields while safeguarding the environment. However, less focus has been placed on potential synergistic benefits on nutrition security. Maize-based systems may increase household income through selling but may not lead to proportionate reduction in malnutrition. Crop diversification in CA systems can have a direct impact on the nutritional status of farm households due to improved dietary diversity. Here we assess how the integration of grain legumes, cowpeas and soybeans, in maize-based CA systems either as intercrops or rotational crops affects maize grain yield and stability, total energy yield, protein yield and surplus calories after satisfying the daily requirement per household. The experiments were carried out from 2012 to 2020 (nine consecutive cropping seasons) in six eastern Zambian on-farm communities using 966 observations. Results show that intercropping compromises maize yields with marginal yield penalties of −5% compared to no-till monocropping. However, intercropped yields were more stable across environments. Total system caloric energy and protein yield were highest in intercropping systems due to higher productivity per unit land area owing to the additive contribution of both maize and legumes. Total system caloric energy and protein yield reached yearly averages of 60 GJ ha−1 and 517 kg ha−1, respectively, for the intercropping system as compared to 48 GJ ha−1 and 263 kg ha−1 in monocropped maize systems. Tillage-based monocrop resulted in the least stable yields. Our results suggest that intercropping maize with grain legumes in CA systems is a promising option for smallholder farming households to improve dietary diversity, dietary quality and stability of yields thus contributing to sustainable agriculture intensification while maintaining food and nutrition security.

This paper provides an input–output (I/O)-based economic impact analysis for organic apple production in Washington State. The intent is to compare the economic ‘ripple’ effect of organic production with conventional production. The analysis is presented in two scenarios: first we compare the economic impact of organic versus conventional apple production for a final demand increase of US$1 million as measured in sales. In the second analysis, the economic impacts of organic and conventional apple production are compared in terms of a given unit of land (405 ha of production). Both state-wide output (sales) and employment (jobs) impacts are estimated under each scenario. Results are presented in terms of direct, indirect, and induced economic impact. Organic apple production was more labor intensive than conventional production. While the organic apple sector used less intermediate inputs per unit of output than conventional production, it also produced higher returns to labor and capital. As a result, the indirect economic effect was lower for the organic sector than the conventional sector, but the induced economic effect was higher for organic. Given the organic price premium, the economic impact (direct, indirect and induced) was larger for organic apple production than conventional apple production.

Weed control is challenging to farmers who are transitioning from production systems that use synthetic herbicides to organic systems. A 2-year field study examined air-propelled corncob grit abrasion for in-row weed control efficacy and effect on corn yield. Grit was applied based on corn vegetative developmental stages with one (V1, V3 or V5), two (V1 + V3, V1 + V5, or V3 + V5), or three (V1 + V3 + V5) applications. Flame-weeding or cultivation was used after the V5 application for between-row weed control. Grit applications decreased in-row weed densities by about 60% (α = 0.05) and biomass up to 95% (α = 0.001). Between-row treatments provided similar control, and reduced weed biomass by 55% in 2013 (α = 0.01) and 86% (α = 0.001) in 2014. In-row grit treatments increased corn yield up to 44%, and yield was more influenced by in-row weeds than between row weeds. These results indicate that abrasive corncob grit for in-row weed control, supplemented with cultivation or flaming, can reduce weed biomass substantially and help maintain corn yield. However, timing and frequency of grit application need further refinement based on weed growth as influenced by climate, as treatments at similar corn growth stages did not consistently provide adequate weed control between years.

Existing studies have examined the demand elasticities for organic products only in select categories, and their results for consumers' sensitivity to price changes are inconsistent. Evidence regarding the effects of price promotions on the demand for organic foods vs non-organic foods is scarce. This study aims to (1) examine the own-price elasticities of organic foods vs non-organic counterparts both with and without a promotion in a variety of product categories, and (2) investigate how the distinctive promotion effects between organic and non-organic counterparts depend on food category features. Using purchase data for 36 food categories from the 2015 Nielsen Consumer Panel, we find differential own-price elasticities for organic and non-organic foods, regardless of whether the product is purchased with a promotion. When the products are purchased with a promotion, we find stronger price promotion effects of organic virtues than non-organic virtues and weaker price promotion effects of organic vices than conventional vices. Price promotions of organic foods are more likely to induce health-conscious consumers to switch from conventional purchases to organic purchases in virtues.

A recent increase in programs supporting the entry of organic farmers into direct market channels, such as farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture has occurred in the USA. In order to better implement these programs and to design better outreach and educational support activities for direct market farmers, understanding farmers’ perceptions of success in these marketing channels is valuable. To this goal, Wisconsin-certified organic vegetable farmers were surveyed in order to investigate the relationships between farm characteristics, marketing strategies, and farmer's perceptions of their profitability and quality of life. The data collected from this survey indicate that farmers selling into farmers' markets and through community-supported agriculture tend to be more likely to be dissatisfied with their profitability. Conversely, however, the survey data indicated that farmers selling into other markets, particularly wholesale markets and restaurants/institutions, are significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their quality of life. Thus, it appears that farmers are making trade-offs with respect to entering markets that allow for greater financial rewards but may lead to a lower quality of life. These results point to the potential benefit of outreach efforts to assist farmers to increase their profitability in market channels that also provide a higher quality of life.

In this article, I consider how local oral history narratives provide smallholder farmers with both material and symbolic resources in adapting to climate change. I draw from the case study of an agrarian village in Madagascar that was struck by a destructive category 3 cyclone. In the weeks following the storm, oral history knowledge occupied an increasingly visible role within the community, as younger farmers interacted with elders to hear tales of past storms. Through these shared accounts, people discussed specific techniques on how to cope with environmental uncertainty. They also created a sense of shared history, which provided individuals across generations an entry point into the local historical record. Overall, the process of sharing oral history accounts can contribute to community resilience, with resiliency encompassing not only technical or ecological factors, but also the more affective realms of shared legacies, hope and belonging.

The introduction of cover crops as fallow replacement in the traditional cereal-based cropping system of the Northern Great Plains has the potential to decrease soil erosion, increase water infiltration, reduce weed pressure and improve soil health. However, there are concerns this might come at the cost of reduced production in the subsequent wheat crop due to soil water use by the cover crops. To determine this risk, a phased 2-year rotation of 15 different cover crop mixtures and winter wheat/spring wheat was established at the Northern Agricultural Research Center near Havre, MT from 2012 to 2020, or four rotation cycles. Controls included fallow–wheat and barley–wheat sequences. Cover crops and barley were terminated early July by haying, grazing or herbicide application. Yields were significantly decreased in wheat following cover crops in 3 out of 8 years, up to maximum of 1.4 t ha−1 (or 60%) for winter wheat following cool-season cover crop mixtures. However, cover crops also unexpectedly increased following wheat yields in 2018, possibly due in part to residual fertilizer. Within cool-, mid- and warm-season cover crop groups, individual mixtures did not show significant differences impact on following grain yields. Similarly, cover crop termination methods had no impact on spring or winter wheat grain yields in any of the 8 years considered. Wheat grain protein concentration was not affected by cover crop mixtures or termination treatments but was decreased in winter wheat following barley. Differences in soil water content across cover crop groups were only evident at the beginning of the third cycle in one field, but important reductions were observed below 15 cm in the last rotation cycle. In-season rainfall explained 43 and 13% of the variability in winter and spring wheat yields, respectively, compared to 2 and 1% for the previous year cover crop biomass. Further economic analyses are required to determine if the integration of livestock is necessary to mitigate the risks associated with the introduction of cover crops in replacement of fallow in the Northern Great Plains.

This study explores the causal association between organic and inorganic fertilizer application and vegetable productivity in Ghana. Primary data were obtained from 300 pepper, cabbage and lettuce producers. To correct for self-selection bias and endogeneity, Heckman selection and three-stage least-squares models were estimated. More producers used inorganic fertilizers for pepper, cabbage and lettuce production than those who used organic fertilizers. Vegetable producers applied higher quantities of organic fertilizers (2830 kg) per acre than inorganic fertilizers (880 kg). Organic cabbage and lettuce producers recorded higher productivity than inorganic producers, but inorganic pepper producers had higher productivity than organic producers. However, vegetable producers who applied either organic or inorganic fertilizers, or both, recorded higher productivity than those who did not apply fertilizer. Factors that enhance the application of organic and inorganic fertilizers and vegetable productivity are education, farm size and production for export, land ownership, farmer association membership and perception about fertilizer price. Organic and inorganic fertilizer application improves vegetable productivity, and productivity promotes fertilizer application. Private agencies and government should subsidize fertilizers, improve producers' access to agricultural information, and train producers on productivity-enhancing agronomic practices.

The increasing global demand for livestock products and its large environmental impact ask for urgent policy and managerial strategies. With regard to meat consumption, feasible actions relate to its reduction and orienting consumers toward more sustainable meat choices. The aim of the study is to investigate the determinants affecting meat consumers in their intention to buy beef whose label clearly expresses environmentally friendly characteristics. To do so, we hypothesized to apply an institutional system of ecological labeling on beef products. An extended framework based on the Theory of Planned Behavior was applied to understand the factors affecting the consumer decision-making process toward eco-labeled beef. A survey was conducted with 1139 consumers in Italy. Data were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models. Results highlight that beef consumers are likely to change their habits, in favor of more sustainable beef choices. The analysis highlights that, together with consumer attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioral control, institutional trust and food shopping habits play an important role in activating the consumer's cognitive decision-making process toward more sustainable beef. Results add to the literature on the determinants of green food-choices and introduce new insights on the role of institutional trust in the intention to buy beef labeled with a public standard. Findings highlight that particular attention should be devoted to build trust for public institutions in order to promote sustainable food consumption behavior. Moreover, results validate previous studies on the effectiveness of information-based policies in fostering more sustainable consumption choices.

Since 1985, land retirement has been the primary approach used by the federal government for environmental protection of agricultural landscapes, but increasingly it is being supplemented by conservation initiatives on working lands. This shift logically supports agroforestry and other multifunctional approaches as a means to combine production and conservation. However, such approaches can be complex and difficult to design, contributing to the limited adoption in the USA. To understand and improve the integration of multifunctional landscapes into conservation programs, we worked with 15 landowners in a collaborative design process to build unique conservation plans utilizing agroforestry. We interviewed participants before and after the design process to examine the utility of a personalized design process, applicability of agroforestry to conservation programs and pathways to improve conservation policy. We found that landowners strongly preferred working in person for the design process, and being presented a comparison of alternative designs, rather than a single option, especially for novel systems. Agroforestry was seen as a viable method of generating conservation benefits while providing value to the landowners, each of whom stated they were more inclined to adopt such practices irrespective of financial assistance to do so. For conservation programs, landowners suggested reducing their complexity, inflexibility and impersonal nature to improve the integration of multifunctional practices that appeal directly to the practitioner's needs and preferences. These findings are valuable for conservation policy because they complement previous research theory suggesting the value of working collaboratively with landowners in the design of multifunctional landscapes. Personalized solutions that are developed based on the unique characteristics of the local landscape and the preferences of the individual landowner may be retained beyond a specified payment period, rather than being converted back into annual crop production.