Sustainable Practices, Economic Contributions, Consumer Behavior, and Labor Management in the U.S. Environmental Horticulture Industry
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Project SummaryThis multi-state project will conduct applied research and outreach education in support of improved production, management and marketing practices in the U.S. environmental horticulture or "Green" industry. The project encompasses four broad objectives:Investigate sustainable practices in ornamental crop production and landscape systems.Evaluate national and regional economic contributions of the U.S. Green industry.Evaluate consumer preferences for environmental plants and related horticultural products, and their contribution to health and well-being.Investigate labor management practices and mechanization in the nursery and greenhouse industry.This project is a continuation of previous multi-state projects active since 1976. A large team of research and extension faculty from numerous public universities will contribute to this project, including both agricultural economists and horticulturists. This group, known as the Green Industry Research Consortium, has a longstanding history of interdisciplinary collaboration. Project investigators will utilize various research methods to address these research objectives, such as mail and online surveys, experimental auctions, conjoint analysis procedures, consumer eye-tracking, input-output analysis, enterprise budgeting, field trials, energy and water audits, and life-cycle analysis. The project will develop outreach materials for target audiences, including peer-reviewed publications, trade press articles, workshops, presentations at professional conferences, and various electronic media such as websites, weblogs, webinars, DVDs, software, and podcasts.
