Commodity and Resource Policies in Agricultural Systems

Agricultural, natural resource, and environmental problems are becom ing increasingly interdependent. For example, soil erosion is largely determined by agricultural land use. Both water use and water con tamination depend on land use and technology choice in agriculture. In many areas, the fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture are ma jor pollutants of ground and surface water, having adverse effects on drinking water and fisheries. Agricultural pollutants such as pesticides also produce adverse health effects for agricultural workers and the consuming public. On the other hand, the availability of water resources and the value of competing land uses influence agricultural production. Additionally, regional air quality problems may affect crops and global environmental trends may have long-term implica tions for farming. Agriculture, natural resources and environmental quality are all heavily regulated in the U. S. , but they are done so by a vast array of competing or unrelated agencies within the U. S. Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency; and numerous state agencies. Considering the large number of bureaucratically remote public agencies involved and the pervasive in terdependencies between agriculture, natural resources and the environ ment, policies develop which are at best uncoordinated and at worst conflicting and counterproductive. These policies have become sources of controversy as different interest groups struggle to affect their im plementation, as different agencies have fought for administrative con trol and as legislative bodies have attempted to enact piecemeal changes.

This first volume of the new book series gives an overview and perspectives of the interrelationships between agricultural and resource policy, while also considering the requirements of the environment and its protection.

I An Overview of the Interface of Agricultural and Resource Policy.- 1 Problems Confronting the Joint Formulation of Commercial Agricultural and Resource Policies.- 2 The Evolution and Coordination of U.S. Commodity and Resource Policies.- 3 A Comparative Analysis of State Regulations for Use of Agricultural Chemicals.- 4 Policy Failures Arising from Multiple Jurisdictions: Western Agriculture Water Resources, and the Role of the Courts.- II Analytical and Conceptual Perspectives.- 5 Effects of Commodity Program Structure on Resource Use and the Environment.- 6 Redistribution of Income Through Commodity and Resource Policy.- 7 Sequential Coordination of Agricultural and Resource Policy.- 8 Information Issues in the Coordination of Agricultural and Resource Policy.- 9 Joint Management of Buffer Stocks for Water and Commodities.- 10 Economy and Climate: A Preliminary Framework for Microeconomic Analysis.- III Empirical Significance of Agricultural and Resource Policy Interactions.- 11 Effects of the Feed Grain and Wheat Programs on Irrigation and Groundwater Depletion in Nebraska.- 12 Water Policy Effects on Crop Production and Vice Versa: An Empirical Approach.- 13 Tradeoffs Between Agricultural and Chemical Policies.- 14 The Effects of Commodity Programs on Resource Use.- 15 Best Management Practices Versus Socially Optimal Practices.- 16 Interaction Between Agriculture and Fisheries: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications.- I An Overview of the Interface of Agricultural and Resource Policy.- 17 The Interaction of Agricultural Policies and Health Regulation: The Case of Tobacco.- 18 Air Pollution and Agriculture: A Review and Evaluation of Policy Interactions.- IV Summary and Conclusions.- 19 The Significance of the Interface of Agricultural and Resource Policy: Conclusions and Directions for Further Research.- Author Index.