back... The Curse of American Agricultural Abundance: A Sustainable Solution

Index

A

Acreage, farm: federal land leasing and, 17–18. frontier settlement and, 24, 125–26. future farm policy and, 104–5. planting allotments, 108. production control and, 16, 65–68, 72–73. See also Allotments, acreage

Advertising, 86–87

Aggregate demand. See Demand, farm product

Aggregate supply. See Supply, farm product

Agribusiness: agriculture and, 18, 65. family farms and, 68–69, 94–95, 101–3. farm programs and, x. growth in American agriculture, 2. market organization and, 29–33. production contracts, 69. production control and, 111–13. restructuring agriculture and, 127–29. technology adaptation and, 25–27

Agriculture: as a business, 18, 95. conventional vs. sustainable, 135–42. developing nations and, 51–55. family farms and, 91–98. future farm policy and, 77–82. future of commercial, 107. market organization of, 29–33. monopoly in, 71–72, 79, 85–86, 102–4. national economy and, 15. restructuring of U.S., 113–29, 132, 147 n.14. technology adaptation and, 33–39, 41–43, 102–3. See also Sustainable agriculture

Aid, foreign, 45–46, 49–55

Allotments, acreage, 108; See also Acreage, farm

Alternatives, production, 13–14

American Farm Economics Association, 3, 45

Animals. See Livestock; Wildlife

Assets, farm: farm output and, 47. federal refinancing of, 120. sustainable agriculture and, 140–41. technology adaptation and, 35–39. See also Investment

 

B

Biotechnology: family farms and, 101–3. future farm policy and, 79, 103–4. genetically modified organism, 72. production contracts, 69. See also Technology

Birth rate and population, 23

Breeding, plant and animal, 10, 25, 48, 72

"Buffalo Commons", 122, 132–33

Bureau of Agricultural Economics (BAE), xi, 1

 

C

Capital. See Assets, farm; Investment

Carson, Rachel, x

Climate: future farm policy and, 82, 100. global markets and, 85–86, 97, 131. supply vs. demand and, 76. sustainable agriculture and, 137–38. world hunger and, 98–99

Commodity Credit Corporation, 99

Commodity markets: domestic, 3–4. farm prices and, 14, 96–98. future farm policy and, 72–73. global, 4. market organization and, 29–33. production control and, 16. See also Export markets

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), 81

Consumers: food demand by, 84–85. food price and, 22. nutrition and, 12, 37–38. subsidies and low income, 13. See also Income; Population growth

Consumption, food: farm prices and, 11. future and, 28–29. nutrition and, 12–13. population growth and, 20–24. world population and, 50–52. See also Food

Contracts, production: future farm policy and, 79, 102–3. monopoly and, 71–72. technology adaptation and, 69. See also Industrialization, farm

Control, production. See Production control; Supply control

Cooperatives, marketing, 117–19; See also Marketing

CRP. See Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

 

D

Dairy. See Livestock; Milk

Deficiency payments, 66–67, 108

Demand, farm product: components of, 62. export markets and, 73–77, 83–90. farm policy and, 66–67. farm prices and, 19, 45–46, 96–98. foreign economic development and, 58–60. future and, 27–29, 131. technology adaptation and, 35–39. See also Supply, farm product

Depression: agriculture and business, 15, 66–67, 107, 131. farm price, 3, 19. farm supply vs. demand and, 28–29, 111. income elasticity and, 22–23

Developing countries, 45

Diet. See Food; Nutrition

Disease control, crop, 10, 25, 48

Diversions, acreage. See Acreage, farm

 

E

Economic aid, 45–46, 49–55

Economic development, 52–55

Economics, Bureau of Agricultural, xi, 1

Economy, U.S.: agriculture and the, 15. export markets and, 83–90. farm depression and, 3. farm supply vs. demand and, 28–29. future farm policy and, 5, 18. sustainable agriculture and, 116. technology adaptation and, 41–43. See also Government; Technology

Education: foreign economic development and, 54–56. future farm policy and, 98, 103. research and, 48, 144 n.3. restructuring agriculture and, 123. rural, 69–70. sustainable agriculture and, 116–17. technology adaptation and, 26–27, 33–34

Eisenhower Administration, ix

Emigration. See Labor, farm; Migration, off-farm

Environment: agriculture and the, x, 107, 147 n.14. Conservation Reserve Program and, 81. ecological reserves and the, 122, 124. restructuring agriculture and the, 126–29. rural quality of life and, 70–71, 132–33. sustainable agriculture and, 116, 137–39

Environmental Protection Agency, 80

Export markets: farm prices and, 4–5, 65, 83–90, 96–98. farm programs and, x. future farm policy and, 72–82, 104–5. future of, 131. global supply and, 145 n.4. subsidies and, 111–13. surplus disposal and, 45–46, 49–55, 111. See also Commodity markets; Markets

 

F

Factory farms. See Industrialization, farm

FAIR. See Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act (FAIR)

Family farms: biotechnology and, 72. decline of, 2, 67–70. defined, 91–94, 145 n.1. farm policy and, 65. farm prices and, 14–15. future farm policy and, 79, 103–4, 131–32. industrialization and, 71–73. production control and, 17–18. technology adaptation and, 39, 101–3

Famine. See Hunger

Farm Credit Administration, 1

Farm depression. See Depression; Farm price

Farm income. See Income

Farm output. See Supply, farm product

Farm policy. See Policy, farm

Farm prices: commodity markets and, 4–5. demand for food and, 11–12, 43, 45–46. falling, 9–10, 36, 65–66. family farms and, 94–98. frontier settlement and, 24. future farm policy and, 27–29, 77–82, 98–101. globalization and, 71, 83–90. government programs and, 108–11. market organization and, 29–33, 41–42. nonfarm food services and, 21–22. production alternatives and, 13–14. restructuring agriculture and, 133. society support of low, 34–37. supply vs. demand and, 19, 35–39, 58–62. surpluses and, 2–3. sustainable agriculture and, 118–20, 135–42

Farm size: family farms and, 67–69, 91–94, 101. frontier settlement and, 24, 125–26. sustainable agriculture and, 141. technology adaptation and, 37, 39. See also Acreage, farm

Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act (FAIR), 105, 111, 115, 120

Federal Farm Board, 99

Federal land purchase and leasing, 17–18

Fertility, crop, 10, 137–38, 140

Food: demand for, 84–85. foreign economic development and, 52–55. future farm policy and, 77–82, 103. government programs and, 108–11. inelastic demand for, 10–12, 41–43, 73–77, 96–98. politics, 45. population growth and, 20–24. safety and farm programs, x, 77. supply vs. demand and, 28–29, 66–67, 73–77. technology adaptation and, 37–38. world hunger, 50–52. world poverty and, x. See also Consumption, food

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 50, 52, 55–56; See also United Nations

Food and Drug Administration, 77

Food for Peace, 110, 144 n.7, 145 n.8

Ford Foundation, 2, 51

Foreign aid, 45–46, 49–55

Foreign markets: exports and, 83–90. farm income and, 15. farm prices and, 4–5. surplus disposal and, 52–55