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https://hdl.handle.net/2440/93037
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Type: | Journal article |
Title: | Watering the farm: Comparing organic and conventional irrigation water use in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia |
Author: | Wheeler, S.A. Zuo, A. Loch, A. |
Citation: | Ecological Economics, 2015; 112:78-85 |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Issue Date: | 2015 |
ISSN: | 0921-8009 1873-6106 |
Statement of Responsibility: | Sarah Ann Wheeler, Alec Zuo, Adam Loch |
Abstract: | This study investigates the role that certified-organic farming systems play in irrigation water-use in the Murray-Darling Basin, where large-scale government policy has focussed on returning water from irrigation to key ecological sites. Information from Australia's agricultural census in 2011, as well as a specialized irrigation farm survey sample of 1499 observations, compared certified-organic and conventional irrigation water-use. Census and survey results found some evidence for some industries that organic irrigation farms are less water-use efficient (i.e. water use divided by tonne of output), but little significant difference in water-used per irrigated hectare was found overall (although for some industry sectors-notably horticulture-organic farms use less water on a per-hectare basis). After controlling for self-selection, regression model results also indicated that organic irrigation farms use less absolute water than conventional farms; use a smaller percentage of water received; and are more water-use productive (i.e. water use divided by net farm income). A lack of significance for the importance of irrigation infrastructure adoption, plus the importance of water-use charges in reducing water demand, suggests a need for governments to reorientate irrigation policy towards more multi-layered and inclusive practices that promote better soil conditions and water management, rather than focussing on providing subsidies for technology adoption. |
Keywords: | Organic farming; Water-use; Murray–Darling Basin; Irrigation |
Rights: | © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.02.019 |
Grant ID: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP140103946 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP0990429 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140100773 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP0990429 |
Published version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.02.019 |
Appears in Collections: | Aurora harvest 2 Global Food Studies publications |
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