Pest Susceptibility Commons in Agriculture

Abstract

Pest resistance to control technologies are causing costly management problems in crop and animal agriculture. Pest resistance often arises from heavy use of a particular control technology, a choice that makes sense to each individual farmer but may leave all farmers worse off. Viewing pest susceptibility to control as a commons, or common good, admits an understanding of policy responses intended to protect against excessive use of pest control technology. Common goods are characterized by two criteria—the good is rivalrous so that use by one person takes from use by another; and, it is also non-excludable so that those who do not pay can use the good. Excessive use for the social good, a reduction in resource availability, and a decline in resource quality generally ensue. Better management of the good requires mechanisms to both limit consumption and direct goods to those who v­­alue them most. These possibilities are not available for non-excludable goods. The extent to which either definition criterion is met varies greatly; and yet there is consensus that the underlying concept captures the essence of many resource use problems. We discuss some classical agricultural common good (ACG) issues as well as topical examples with emphasis on pest susceptibility to applied chemicals.