Environmental Stewardship in Agriculture: A Case Study of the NYC Watershed System

Abstract

Agriculture has always been and will continue to be an important player in environmental integrity throughout the world. Because the manner in which humans manage agriculture has such serious implications on the environment and in turn people, it is imperative that some sort of environmental stewardship be practiced in agriculture. This research focuses on various methods of stimulating environmental stewardship (i.e. regulations, monetary incentives, etc.) and which method(s) might be the most suitable for agriculture. Management of agriculture in the New York City watershed system will function as a specific case for observing and evaluating how a socially-oriented management style incorporating such tools as partnerships, reciprocity and education can be formulated and implemented. Given the degree of environmental stewardship that has been fostered in the NYC watershed, the case is made that a socially-oriented form of environmental management can be incredibly effective at creating environmental stewardship in agriculture and ought to be applied on a broader scale.