Agricultural and Food Policy

by Knutson, Ronald D.; Penn, J.B. L.; Flinchbaugh, Barry L.

• ISBN13: 9780131718739
• ISBN10: 0131718738
• Edition: 6th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-10
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Drawing on the authors'background in education and policy development,Agricultural and Food Policy, Sixth Editionprovides a comprehensive treatment of domestic and international policy setting, process, options and consequences. This book goes beyond the traditional discussion of farm programs, and gets readers thinking in broader terms, by considering the many forces-globalization, technology, food safety, environment-that influence policy change. Taking an unbiased approach, this edition includes more economic theory, a new chapter on government involvement, current policy issues, and a chapter devoted to the future of agricultural and food policy.Informs readers of the most recent policy issues, such as the Doha Round of WTO negotiations, food terrorism, and budget deficits, in an objective manner. Creates an understanding of how U.S. policy affects stakeholders in other countries. Shows the importance of current WTO negotiations to policy outcomes. Gives readers a deeper understanding of the conditions leading to government involvement, the constraints on government involvement, the role of economists and the limits of economics. Explains concepts using graphs and helps readers understand the underlying theory driving policy decisions. Examines the impact of constituency groups and encourages readers to consider the future of agriculture and food policy. Those interested or involved in agricultural and food policy.

Author Biography

Joe L. Outlaw is a professor and co-director of the Agricultural & Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University. Barry L. Flinchbaugh is a professor at Kansas State University. Ronald D. Knutson is professor emeritus at Texas A&M University.

Table of Contents

About This Book	ix
About the Authors	xi
Acknowledgments	xiii
Forces of Policy Change	1	(10)
Instability	2	(1)
Globalization	3	(1)
Technology	4	(1)
Food Safety	5	(1)
Environment	6	(1)
Industrialization of Agriculture	7	(1)
Politics	8	(1)
Unforeseen Events	8	(1)
Impacts on Policy	9	(2)
Rationale for Government Involvement in Agriculture and Food	11	(16)
Conditions Leading to Government Involvement	11	(5)
Constraints on Government Involvement	16	(3)
Goals of Policy	19	(1)
Role of Economists	20	(6)
Limits of Economics	26	(1)
The U.S. Policy Decision Process	27	(11)
Political Spectrum	27	(1)
Influence of Public Opinion and Groups on Policy Decisions	28	(2)
Levels of Decision Making	30	(6)
Politics of the Minority	36	(2)
Geopolitical Centers of Influence	38	(16)
NAFTA	39	(2)
MERCOSUR	41	(2)
European Union	43	(2)
Cairns Group	45	(1)
APEC	46	(1)
Japan	47	(1)
China	48	(2)
Russia	50	(1)
Developing Countries	51	(1)
Balance of Influence	52	(2)
World Trade Organization	54	(17)
Benefits of Trade	54	(1)
Barriers to Trade	55	(5)
World Trade Organization	60	(4)
Policy Evolution	64	(2)
Appendix: Theory of Trade	66	(5)
U.S. Trade and Development Policy	71	(15)
Complexities of Trade and Foreign Policy	72	(2)
U.S. Trade and Development Goals and Policies	74	(5)
Developing Market Economies	79	(3)
Increasing Food Security	82	(2)
Protectionist Policies	84	(1)
Developing the Appropriate Mix	85	(1)
U.S. Farm Policies	86	(27)
Historical Perspective	87	(2)
Farm Problems and Policy Goals	89	(3)
Farm Policy Options and Programs	92	(12)
Assessing the Degree of Market Distortion and Future of Farm Programs	104	(3)
Appendix: Theory of Farm Policy	107	(6)
Living with Limited Resources	113	(13)
Markets as a Limited Resource Allocator	113	(2)
Farmland	115	(4)
Water	119	(4)
Energy	123	(1)
Endangered Species and Biodiversity	124	(1)
Future Role of the Federal Government	125	(1)
Environmental Policy	126	(10)
Limits of Markets in Curbing Pollution	127	(1)
Who Develops and Implements Environmental Policy?	128	(1)
Evolution of Agricultural Environmental Policy	128	(4)
Environmental Policy Options and Consequences	132	(3)
Environmental Alliances	135	(1)
Food Safety and Security Policy	136	(16)
Dimensions of Food Safety and Biosecurity	136	(5)
Who Develops and Implements Food Safety and Biosecurity Policy?	141	(1)
Evolution of Food Safety and Biosecurity Policy	142	(1)
Food Safety and Biosecurity Policy Options and Consequences	143	(6)
Reflecting on the Safety and Security of the U.S. Food Supply	149	(3)
Food Assistance and Nutrition Policy	152	(17)
Problems of Global and U.S. Hunger	153	(3)
International Hunger Policy	156	(4)
U.S. Hunger and Nutrition Policy	160	(8)
Reflecting on the Status of U.S. and Global Nutrition Policy	168	(1)
Future of Agricultural and Food Policy	169	(10)
Impacts on Constituency Groups	170	(6)
The Future of Agricultural and Food Policy	176	(3)
Index	179