I always appreciate your thoughtful and honest commentary on all things farming and farm related policy. Thanks for helping us all think more deeply about the nuances.
If we really wanted to facilitate a bloom in independent smaller vegetable farms, we should just do it directly. Government buys land, then auctions plots of appropriate size with certain terms and goals.
Sarah, perhaps it is presemptuous for me to question your analysis as I live on the other side of the Atlantic....I think the average farm statistic is deceptive. If one instead look at "midpoints" one can see that consolidation in the US ag is rampant:
"In 1987, for example, the midpoint for corn was 200 acres—half of all harvested corn acres was on farms that harvested at least 200 acres of corn, and half was on farms that harvested no more than 200 acres. The corn midpoint increased in every census after 1987. By 2012, it stood at 600 acres. Four other major field crops (cotton, rice, soybeans, and wheat) showed a very similar pattern: the midpoint for harvested acreage more than doubled for each crop between 1987 and 2012, and the midpoints increased persistently in each census year (with the single exception of a decline in cotton in 2007-12)."
and " the midpoint milk cow herd in 1987 was at 80 cows—half of U.S. milk cows were in herds of at least 80 cows, and half were in herds with no more than 80. By 2012, the midpoint had increased more than tenfold, to 900 cows. Similar dramatic increases occurred in egg layers and in hogs and pigs, as each industry underwent striking changes in organization and farm size." https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/march/examining-consolidation-in-u-s-agriculture
I am not in a position to judge if subsidies are slowing or speeding the consolidation. There is a similar debate in the EU, but my feeling is that consolidation is primarily driven by "the market" and the effect of how subsidies are designed is rather small unless there are very specific measures with scale as a target.
I liked you piece and found it both interesting and informative. However, for me, it lacked historical context. You're looking at the current state of American agricultural policy without consideration how HOW/WHY we got here. There are important historical considerations like the Dust Bowl of the 30's and the policies of the Bureau of Reclamation during the 60's and 70's that account for a lot of the distortions we see today.
American agriculture is optimized for production, it is designed to produce surpluses so that there isn't hunger or shortages. We provide price supports, stabilization, and subsidies in order to keep food relatively cheap in the US and we sell or give away surpluses to the rest of the world. It makes us a "food superpower" and gives us incredible influence across the world.
Food is leverage, food is influence, food is a weapon.
In 2018 when Trump was trying to FORCE Xi into an unfavorable trade deal, he threatened to cut off American grain shipments to China and literally "starve them into submission". Now, he has cut off USAID to the poorest of the world and is increasing the risk that 100's of millions if not billions will starve.
Agricultural policy is NEVER just about markets and efficiency.
I always appreciate your thoughtful and honest commentary on all things farming and farm related policy. Thanks for helping us all think more deeply about the nuances.
Good piece acknowledging the challenge!
If we really wanted to facilitate a bloom in independent smaller vegetable farms, we should just do it directly. Government buys land, then auctions plots of appropriate size with certain terms and goals.
Sarah, perhaps it is presemptuous for me to question your analysis as I live on the other side of the Atlantic....I think the average farm statistic is deceptive. If one instead look at "midpoints" one can see that consolidation in the US ag is rampant:
"In 1987, for example, the midpoint for corn was 200 acres—half of all harvested corn acres was on farms that harvested at least 200 acres of corn, and half was on farms that harvested no more than 200 acres. The corn midpoint increased in every census after 1987. By 2012, it stood at 600 acres. Four other major field crops (cotton, rice, soybeans, and wheat) showed a very similar pattern: the midpoint for harvested acreage more than doubled for each crop between 1987 and 2012, and the midpoints increased persistently in each census year (with the single exception of a decline in cotton in 2007-12)."
and " the midpoint milk cow herd in 1987 was at 80 cows—half of U.S. milk cows were in herds of at least 80 cows, and half were in herds with no more than 80. By 2012, the midpoint had increased more than tenfold, to 900 cows. Similar dramatic increases occurred in egg layers and in hogs and pigs, as each industry underwent striking changes in organization and farm size." https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/march/examining-consolidation-in-u-s-agriculture
I am not in a position to judge if subsidies are slowing or speeding the consolidation. There is a similar debate in the EU, but my feeling is that consolidation is primarily driven by "the market" and the effect of how subsidies are designed is rather small unless there are very specific measures with scale as a target.
I liked you piece and found it both interesting and informative. However, for me, it lacked historical context. You're looking at the current state of American agricultural policy without consideration how HOW/WHY we got here. There are important historical considerations like the Dust Bowl of the 30's and the policies of the Bureau of Reclamation during the 60's and 70's that account for a lot of the distortions we see today.
American agriculture is optimized for production, it is designed to produce surpluses so that there isn't hunger or shortages. We provide price supports, stabilization, and subsidies in order to keep food relatively cheap in the US and we sell or give away surpluses to the rest of the world. It makes us a "food superpower" and gives us incredible influence across the world.
Food is leverage, food is influence, food is a weapon.
In 2018 when Trump was trying to FORCE Xi into an unfavorable trade deal, he threatened to cut off American grain shipments to China and literally "starve them into submission". Now, he has cut off USAID to the poorest of the world and is increasing the risk that 100's of millions if not billions will starve.
Agricultural policy is NEVER just about markets and efficiency.