Jacob Weiss The Effect of the United States Farm Bill on Domestic Production and International Markets

1. In what ways does the 2014 Farm Bill differ from previous farm bills?
2. In what ways does the 2014 Farm Bill affect World Trade Organization negotiations, biofuels, conservation practices, and new agricultural technology?
3. Overall, how does the 2014 Farm Bill change or redirect United States agriculture? Will it affect American agriculture’s role in global climate change?

• David Ervin. Senior Fellow of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and Professor Emeritus of Environmental Management and Economics at Portland State University.

Dr. Ervin earned a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Oregon State University and most recently was the chairman of a committee of the National Research Council that examined the sustainability of genetically engineered crops.

• Robert Goldman. Professor of Sociology and Chairman of Sociology Department at Lewis & Clark College.

Dr. Goldman earned a PhD from Duke University and specializes in contemporary advertising as well as the political economy of local, domestic and international food systems.

• Jacob Weiss. Student at Lewis & Clark College.

Jacob Weiss is a sophomore Environmental Studies major at Lewis & Clark College and is interested in urban farming, local food systems, and domestic and international agricultural policy.

• Goodwin, Barry K., Ashok K. Mishra, and Franccois N. Ortalo-Magné. 2003. “What’s Wrong with Our Models of Agricultural Land Values? Agricultural Land Values, Government Payments, and Production (Allen Featherstone, Kansas State University, Presiding).” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 85 (3): 744–52.

This paper emphasizes the fluctuation of land value depending on the crop grown, the productivity of land, and the profitability of production. It also noted how current land value models poorly indicate the change in land value caused by 2002 Farm Bill policies. This reference is relevant to my session because it relates Farm Bill Policy to values of agricultural land.

• Sumner, Daniel A. 2003. “Implications of the US Farm Bill of 2002 for Agricultural Trade and Trade Negotiations.” Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 47 (1): 99–122.

This article outlines how the 2002 United States Farm Bill affects domestic and international markets. The United States Farm Bill affects our domestic production and consumption of food and also global trade negotiations. This reference is relevant because it discusses the relationship of United States agriculture policy in global trade negotiations.

• Daniel A. Sumner. 2008. “Agricultural Subsidy Programs.” The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Library of Economics and Liberty. http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/AgriculturalSubsidyPrograms.html

This reference details the government payments of agriculture subsidies in the United States as compared to other countries. It also outlines the affects of domestic subsidies on foreign nations economies, specifically less developed nations that rely on agriculture trade as a source of GDP. This reference is relevant because it explains how the United States’ agriculture policy influences global agriculture policy.

• Robertson, Phillip G., Virginia H. Dale, Otto C. Doering, et. al. 2008. “Sustainable Biofuels Redux”. Science. 322 (5898): 49-50.

This article examines the effects of biofuel production on the cellulosic feedstock economy. It also explains the effects of monocropping as well as pesticide and fertilizer use on soils. This reference is important because it details the effect of biofuel production on soil fertility.

• Holden, Constance. 2008. “Farm Bill Gives Agricultural Research a Higher Profile in the Department”. Science. 320 (5879): 998.

This article outlines the new policies laid forth in the 2008 Farm Bill—the Food, Conservation and Energy Act.  This reference is relevant because it allows one to understand how the 2014 Farm Bill differs from the Farm Bill passed in 2008.

• Gyarmati, Sandor. 2014. “Delta Greenhouse Introduces New Technology”. Delta Optimist. . http://www.delta-optimist.com/news/delta-greenhouse-introduces-new-green-technology-1.945832 

This is an example of a new technology that is being used to offset carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Fuel cell technology can be used to cut down the use of natural gas in farming operations.