Assessing the need to grow natural resources professionals’ competencies beyond conservation

Agricultural expansion and intensification have caused significant environmental challenges, which will be exacerbated by climate change. Accordingly, widespread public and private investment in conservation is essential to continue producing food, fiber, and fuel while accessing clean water and protecting biodiversity. Current rates of conservation adoption on farms in the United States are not sufficient to address conservation challenges. Natural resources professionals work at the interface of agriculture and conservation by building cooperative relationships with farmers to increase conservation adoption. We conducted a needs assessment to identify core competencies that could enhance natural resources professionals’ efficacy in increasing conservation adoption. Methods included synthesizing peer-reviewed literature, interviewing conservation agency and organization administrators, and conducting listening sessions with academic researchers and natural resources professionals. Five themes emerged. First, although natural resources professionals are often educated and experienced in conservation, early in their careers, they often lack expertise in agricultural production and farmer decision-making that is necessary to craft compelling and actionable messages that resonate with land managers. Second, an improved understanding of how to integrate agriculture and a diversity of conservation practices could improve their efficacy on the job. Third, natural resources professionals need to be able to communicate clearly and effectively in a way that builds trusting relationships with land managers. Fourth, natural resources professionals need to know how to apply social-scientific principles to effectively motivate behavior change. Finally, networking with colleagues across disciplines can enhance professionals’ ability to make holistic recommendations for farms. These findings indicate the potential for educational interventions and networking opportunities to empower early career natural resources professionals to work cooperatively with farmers and land managers to increase conservation adoption on private agricultural land and improve environmental outcomes.