Beyond the Plastic: How Social Values Shape Mulch Decisions in Agriculture

About this episode

This episode explores how social values and economic realities influence mulch decisions in agriculture, particularly in strawberry production systems.

In this episode of Mulch Matters , we are joined by Dr. Beth Prosnitz, a postdoctoral research associate and sociologist at Washington State University, to explore the human side of plastic mulch decisions in agriculture. Rather than focusing only on materials or technology, this conversation dives into how economic realities, social values, land tenure, environmental responsibility, and farmer identity all intersect when growers decide whether to use polyethylene or biodegradable plastic mulch particularly in strawberry production systems. Beth introduces the concept of relational work, explaining how farmers balance price, labor, environmental stewardship, food safety, land leases, and peer expectations when making real-world decisions. The discussion also highlights why biodegradable mulch adoption is not always feasible, the role of waste management and recycling markets, and how skepticism around recycling affects grower trust. This episode offers valuable insight for growers, researchers, policymakers, waste management professionals, and anyone interested in sustainable agriculture, showing that plastic mulch decisions are not just technical choices, but deeply relational…

People in this episode

Host: Nataliya Shcherbatyuk

Guest: Dr. Beth Prosnitz

Topics covered

• plastic mulch
• sustainable agriculture
• social values
• economic realities
• biodegradable mulch
• farmer identity

Keywords

• plastic mulch
• biodegradable plastic
• agriculture
• sustainability
• farmer decisions
• environmental responsibility
• land tenure

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Washington State University, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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