Shiftin g Intermediaries : Using CCF to Understand the Changing Role of Land Grant Institutions

1. Shifting Intermediaries: Using CCF to Understand the Changing Role of Land Grant Institutions Stephen Gasteyer, Department of Sociology Michigan State University Nicole Wall, National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2. Goals of this Talk • Goal of this talk • A) To help place the actions of Land Grant Institutions both within the context of the emergence of irrigated agriculture in the US High Plains; • B) And to highlight how different information flows and differing conditions have impacted the role of Land Grant institutions in addressing constraints to irrigated farming and community development in this region.

3. The Growing Groundwater Crisis • Estimated groundwater depletion in the United States during 1900–2008 totals approximately 1,000 cubic kilometers (km3). • The rate of groundwater depletion has increased markedly since about 1950, • Maximum rates occurring during the most recent period (2000–2008) -- depletion rate averaged almost 25 km3 per year (compared to 9.2 km3 per year averaged over the 1900–2008 timeframe).

4. Water resources and agriculture • Increasing concerns about global water scarcity are related to concerns about global agricultural production and food security. Arjen Hoekstra and MesfinMekonnen, PNAS Early Edition (2012)

5. High Plains Aquifer • Ogallala-High Plains aquifer complex: one of the largest contiguous aquifer systems in the world. • Covers more than 450,000 km2 of 8 states including South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico • Productive irrigated agriculture • Corn, Beans, Wheat, Rice, Cotton, Livestock (Sorghum, Milo, Dry Beans) • Unsustainable path, drawn down by over 300 cubic km since the 1930s (USGS).

6. Hydrology and the Phases of Capitalism

7. Focus area

8. Institutional History 1880s: Expansion of settlement, efforts to implement surface water irrigation 1935: Flood  Flood Control Dams 1942: Republican River Compact 1959: Republican River Compact Administration (RRCA) 1998: Kansas vs. Nebraska and Colorado 2002: Special Master’s Ruling, Settlement and MODFLOW model 2010: Kansas vs. Nebraska (again) 2013: Special Master’s ruling

9. The Community Capitals Framework

10. 1880s-early 1990s Linking across capitals: Paradigm Shifts Cultural capital – Values -- maximized yield Social capital – subbasin relationships -- exclusive use of water system – increasing bonding social capital; diminishing bridging social capital Political capital – incentivizing yield Natural – Financial- Built capital -- Extractive use to mitigate climate variability to maximize yield – with emphasis on mitigating soil loss Human capital – manage systems… understand commodity markets

11. 1998s - 2010 Linking across capitals: Paradigm Shifts Cultural capital – Values – maximized water use efficiency Social capital – subbasin relationships-farmers-legislature/-- greater bonding diminishing bridging social capital Political capital – incentivizing yield—but greater emphasis on litigation-modeling Natural – Financial- Built capital – Investments to mitigate water scarcity Human capital – manage systems… understand commodity markets… understand climate variation – and litigation

12. Role of Institutions 1880-1990 Private Public • Social Capital – individual interactions • Financial - Built capital –implements, irrigation technology, seeds, inputs to individual farmers… • Natural – application of water to change grasslands to corn-beef land… • Political Capital – Advocacy to incentivizing production agriculture – irrigated corn-soybeans-livestock • Cultural capital – feeding the world • Natural-Built-Financial – investment in production – Information and demonstrations about tools and technologies to maximize development • Social – Organization to promote production • Human – knowledge of ever more sophisticated production structures

13. 1998-2010 Private Public • Social capital – Human Capital -- meetings with farmers and community leaders to discuss new technologies and applications • Built capital – dominance in local ownership in production structures. • Political Capital – Advocacy to incentivize production agriculture – irrigated corn-soybeans-livestock • Cultural capital – feeding the world through efficient resources • Natural-Built-Financial – investment in production – delivery of tools, information about tools • Social – Facilitating discussion about water use efficiency and sustainability • Human – knowledge of ever more sophisticated production structures; information about climate variability over time

14. From Production to “Sustainable production” Multiple institutions are now involved in encouraging “mitigated” productivity State Water Offices, Land Grant Universities & Centers(such UNL, MSU, & NDMC) and various grants through NOAA, NSF, USDA (SARE), and others Institutes such as the Water for Food and outside private industry efforts

15. Technology to increase resilience to variability

16. Facilitating Dialogue on Mitigation of Impacts • Range and Irrigation Experts to Discuss Managing Extreme and Extended Drought at Jan. 9 Kansas Workshop • Dec 19, 2013 • More than fifteen experts in the fields of irrigation, range management, climatology, and drought planning are scheduled to speak at a one-day workshop Jan. 9 in Garden City, Kan., on managing drought on the farm and ranch. Producers can register now for the free workshop, which will be held at the 4-H building on the Finney County fairgrounds. Registration and coffee begin at 8 a.m. • Read more »

17. Also Facilitating Discussion about Regional Futures Republican River Basin Water Sustainability Task Force Facilitation The PPC will be facilitating meetings of the 26 member Republican River Basin Sustainability Task Force, preparing the first drafts of the required reports on behalf of the task force, and otherwise generally assist the task force as needed. The purposes of the task force as established by LB 1057 (2010), are to define water sustainability, develop and recommend a plan to reach water sustainability in the basin, and develop and recommend a plan to help avoid a water shortage in the basin. The task force is to produce a preliminary report to the Governor and Legislature on or before May 15, 2011 and a final report on or before May 15, 2012. Key PartnersUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, College of LawUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, National Drought Mitigation Center FundingNebraska Department of Natural Resources In The NewsPublic Policy Center to facilitate Republican River task force. (2010-09-14). Offce of University Communications.

18. The Water for Food Institute • The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska is a research, policy analysis and education institute committed to helping the world efficiently use its limited freshwater resources, with a particular focus on ensuring the food supply for current and future generations. Two Issues of Note: 1) The institute as a Public - Private partnership 2) A move toward international connections in addressing ag. development questions

19. implications for practice and policy Can CCF help us understand the role of the government in addressing a changing socio-hydrologic system? Change from government as conveyance system for technology Built capital  telecommunication technology allows for private role  government as information filter; process facilitator.

20. Transitioning Intermediaries Through the 1970s, the Land Grant played a key role in facilitating the diffusion of technologies that enabled vastly improving agricultural production. Focus on built, financial, and human capital made sense given the cultural capital that favored production

21. Transitioning Intermediaries • Over time, private sector entities assumed the role of delivering technologies, but with growing concerns about system viability, • The Land Grant role has evolved to now • A) Provide more communal and less individual technologies aimed to help farmers and others mitigate constraints on production • B) Facilitate transition toward sustainability