Agriculture's Futures: America's Food System

Overview.- The Farm and Food System.- The Industrialization of U.S. Agriculture.- The Shift of Work from Farm Firms to Nonfarm Firms.- From Self-Sufficiency to Specialization and Interdependence.- Changes in Processing and Distribution.- The Transportation System and Product Flows.- World Markets and the Increasing Complexity of Coordinating Supply and Demand.- The Changing Role of Government.- Politics and the Food System.- Future Prospects.- Macro Forces Shaping U.S. Agriculture.- Growing Sensitivity to Macroeconomic Events.- Dimensions of Farm Financial Stress.- Financial Status of Farmers.- Financial Status of Farm Lenders.- Farm Solutions: The International Dimension.- Change in Monetary and Fiscal Policy.- Tax Policies.- Agricultural Policies.- The Changing Structure of Agriculture.- Recent Evolution in Farm Structure.- Family Farm Survival - Is It an Issue?.- The Future of Cooperatives.- Impact on Farm Families.- Implications for Rural Communities.- Policy Implications.- Concentration, Conglomerates, and Multinational Firms in the Food Marketing System.- Outlook.- Farm Production Inputs: Future Changes.- Land.- Water.- Labor.- Management.- Financial Capital.- Transportation.- Energy.- Technology and Productivity-Future Courses.- Productivity and Technology Evaluation.- Sources of New Technology.- The Relationship Between R & D and Economic Growth/Productivity.- Policy Issues Concerning Public and Private Research.- Property Rights: New Ideas, Secrecy Needs, and Profit.- Biotechnology: Genetic Engineering.- Potential Changes in Agriculture Through Biotechnology.- Technology in Food Processing.- What Is a New Food Product?.- Quality Control, Cost Reduction, and Productivity.- Meteorology and Climate Change.- Consumer Demand and Food Marketing.- Consumer Expectations, Tastes, and Preferences.- Changes in Demand.- Business Firms Beyond the Farmer.- Food Manufacturers.- Food Retailing and Wholesaling.- Merchandising's Role in the System.- International Agricultural Trade.- An Historical Perspective.- Future Agricultural Trade Policy.- Future Solutions.- Federal Farm Programs.- Why Government Policy?.- Historical Policy Perspective.- The Stage for Future Agricultural Policies.- Policy Alternatives.- The Role of Government in Agriculture.- Economic and Political Guides to the Future.- Characteristics of Government's Future Role.- Coalitions Between Farmers and Nonfarmers.- Past and Present Goals.- Policy Problems and Remedial Strategies.- Credit and Agricultural Finance.- Food Safety Issues.- Tax Policies and Tax Management.- Federal or Private Sector Insurance Programs.- Market Orders.- Public Education and Research.- Natural Resources and the Environment.- Natural Resource Issues.- Wildlife and Agricultural Issues.- Policy Tools and Resource Policy.- Future Water Issues.- Soil Conservation.- Air Issues.- Toward a Sustainable Agriculture.- Suggested Readings.