Agricultural Policy for the 21st Century - Hardcover

The chapters in this book were origionally presented at a symposium, "Challenging the Agricultural Economics Paradigm", held at Ohio State University in September 2000. The symposium honoured the career of Luther Tweeten, Anderson Professor of Agricultural Marketing, Policy and Trade at Ohio State University for 13 years. Topics covered in the book range from farm policy, resource economics, international trade and welfare economics to food security. The insights and indepth analysis offered by the authors are intended for all students of farm policy, including professors, classroom students, informed laypersons and others grappling with the important economic issues of contemporary agriculture.

Agricultural policy reform has become a very hot topic. Over the next couple of years we will see the funding for these programs being hotly debated. The thesis of this book is that a better-informed public is essential to bring rationality to farm policy. This book provides telling evidence that markets work, that competent commercial farmers will earn returns on their resources as high as those earned elsewhere in the absence of income transfer to farmers.