The Contributions of Stewardship to Managing Agro-Ecosystem Environments.

Concerns about the management of agro-ecosystems in Ontario Canada have been precipitated by the increasing intensity of agriculture operations and concerns about its impact on the environment and human health. The management of agro-ecosystems for sustainability is particularly challenging due to their inherent features and the complex web of institutional arrangements in which they arc set. This paper focuses on the concepts of regulation and stewardship. The contribution of the environmental farm plan (EFP) program to environmental management in Ontario farms is specifically examined. The EFP program was initiated by farmers to minimize environmental impacts from farming practices; it is voluntary and founded upon the principles of stewardship. Results of a survey conducted with participants in the EFP program demonstrate that appreciable measures are being taken to manage environmental impacts from farming. The contributions of stewardship to managing agro-ecosystems are explored in the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]