Post-Industrial Agriculture

Exact date of working paper unknown.The "industrialization of agriculture" has become a catch-all phrase to describe a set of changes occurring in agriculture during the 1990s (for example, see Boehlje and Drabenstott). We, however, contend that the current changes result mainly from post-industrial factors rather than from industrialization. Viewing the current changes in agriculture through the prism of post-industrialization rather than through the prism of industrialization leads to a richer understanding of the emerging economic and social trends within the sector. After briefly stating our case for a post-industrial perspective, we highlight some key economic and social implications

Reconciling Economic and Political Realities in Farm Legislation for the 1990s

Exact date of working paper unknown

Public Policy for Agriculture After Commodity Programs

Exact date of working paper unknown.The Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996 opted for the market rather than the government to allocate resources and set returns in agriculture. A modest safety net of marketing loans and crop insurance remains but the era in which government managed the supply of major crops appears to be ending. The objective of this paper is to consider appropriate public policy for American agriculture without supply-control programs. We discuss options for policies addressing key concerns: economic efficiency, equity, the environment, instability, the family farm, and rural communities. The discussion is suggestive, not exhaustive, and is intended to stimulate thinking on how post-commodity program policy might better serve the needs of agriculture and the public at large

Cash Farm Income, 1983-88: A Period of Phenomenal Growth

Exact date of working paper unknown

Farm Revenue Assurance or Income Insurance?

Exact date of working paper unknown.Farm revenue insurance has public appeal as a potential means to reduce annual variation in farm income while also reducing the cost of commodity programs. For some time, economists have been attracted to the idea of farm revenue insurance as a policy instrument addressing farm economic instability. Public enthusiasm for the idea intensified after endorsement by the Iowa 1995 Farm Bill Study Team. The broad appeal of the proposal was apparent: it had the support of 11 organizations ranging in philosophy from the Iowa Farm Bureau to the National Farmers Organization. This paper lists advantages and disadvantages of revenue insurance. Preliminary empirical analysis suggests how that program may affect farm income associated with various crops and regions. We conclude with a proposal to make revenue insurance workable as an income insurance program administered through the federal income tax