ASSESSING THE RESEARCH FRAMEWORK AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY: DISCUSSION

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

An Assessment of the Economic Impacts of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks: Ten Tentative Conclusions

As the United States attempts to recover from the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., an issue of increasing concern is the impact of these events on the U.S. economy. One of the most frequently asked questions today, for example, is "Are we in a recession or are we likely to enter a recession in the next few months?" It is impossible for anyone to give precise predictions of the impact of these events on the economy, but it is critical that the status of the economy be understood as future events unfold. This paper reviews some evidence on the state of the U.S. economy before September 10, the state of the economy after September 12, and the policy alternatives available to address the possibility of a recession during the coming months.Political Economy,

AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND STRUCTURAL POLICY UNDER NAFTA AND WTO

International Relations/Trade,

ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES IN THE 1995 FARM BILL DEBATE: IMPLICATIONS OF THE URUGUAY ROUND OF GATT NEGOTIATIONS

The recently completed round of negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade focused on domestic and international agricultural policies. If this agreement is approved by Congress, U.S. agricultural programs must comply with GATT provisions. The policy choices made during the 1995 farm bill debate about domestic programs, import policies, and export programs could all be affected by the approval of GATT.Agricultural and Food Policy,

GETTING FROM ECONOMIC ANALYSIS TO POLICY ADVICE

Agricultural and Food Policy,

Michigan: A State at the Intersection of the Debate over Full Planting Flexibility

Greater flexibility in U.S. farm programs with elimination of the restriction on the planting of fruit and vegetable crops (FAVR crops) is likely to be a major issue in congressional 2007 farm policy discussions. Michigan is a state with a wide range of both FAVR and program crops planted under the current policy. To capture the diversity of situations that would apply among of crops covered by the current policy, this research has examined a broad set of Michigan FAVR crops (dry beans, pickling cucumbers, processing tomatoes, fresh market tomatoes, squash, and blueberries). We evaluate both those factors that are likely to prevent the entry of DCP crop producers into the production of FAVR crops (barriers to entry or disincentives) and those factors that are likely to encourage DCP crop producers to enter the production of FAVR crops (inducements to entry or incentives). The balance will determine the likely outcome from elimination of the FAVR. With the exception of dry beans, a change in the FAVR would provide only small (or no) positive incentives for DCP crop producers to enter the production of FAVR crops. Similarly, barriers to entry would, in many cases, be high enough to significantly limit, or even prohibit, movement of DCP crop producers into the markets for FAVR crops. When considering these factors in combination, only dry beans appear to have the potential for entry of a significant number of new producers. In most other cases, the probability of entry by new producers appears to be low. Even with a low or zero response in total supply, equity issues will likely still arise.Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES IN THE 1995 FARM BILL DEBATE: THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM

The future of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will be a pivotal issue in the 1995 farm bill debate. Established under the Food Security Act of 1985, the original objectives of the CRP were to provide a voluntary form of supply control and to reduce soil erosion by retiring highly erodible land on a long-term basis. The latter objective was expanded in 1990 to include retirement of lands for the purpose of protecting water quality.Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Regulation of Glyphosate-Resistant Sugar Beets: Challenges and Uncertainty

Roundup Ready Sugar Beets, Regulation, Deregulation, Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Assessment, Uncertainty, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Q18, Q55, Q58,