Evaluation of Transition Incentives Program Offers Recommendations for Reform

An article published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development evaluated the effectiveness of the federal Transition Incentives Program, which offers financial incentives for leasing or selling expiring Conservation Reserve Program land to a beginning or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher. Authors from American Farmland Trust, Indiana University, and Portland State University found that participation in the program is low, and there are limitations to its effectiveness. They recommend expanding the program to offer incentives for all farmland, focusing on next-generation farmers and extending outreach to them, and dedicating funding to under-represented next-generation farmers, as well as starting early outreach to landowners.