A recent study backs up my belief in the value of good neighbors. It turns out, talking “over the fence” benefits the environment, too.
In southwestern China, the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP) helps farmers in the Wolong Nature Reserve reduce soil erosion by paying them to convert sloping cropland to forest or grassland. Scientists from Michigan State University found that the farmers most likely to re-enroll their land in the conservation program after their initial sign-up, were those who got out and hashed it over with their neighbors. In fact, the more times they interacted, the more land was enrolled.
Farmer of the Hani minority near his village of Puduo, Yunnan, China. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Takeaway
