Cases studies of U.S.A agro-ecological compensation

Ecological compensation is a mechanism to convert external, non-market values of the environment into real financial incentives for local actors to provide environmental services, which provides a new resolution to protect the environment. From the respects of profile, compensation standards and benefits analysis, this paper describes in detail four typical agro-ecological compensation programs in U.S.A, and summed up the compensation mechanism, characteristics, experience and problems of the agro-ecological compensation. Although the original intention of the U.S.A agro-ecological compensation is to stabilize agricultural market prices, but in the long process of development, it has established a sound legal security system, dynamic management system and differentiated compensation standards. At the same time, it clearly takes the priority compensation measures according to the environmental indicators of specific area, so that the compensation funds can be full used, which are of great importance to the development of ecological compensation in China.