The Farm Economy: Future Research and Education Priorities

Abstract Research priorities for the U.S. farm economy include increasing the productivity and cost efficiency on current land resources while understanding production agriculture across the globe. Providing unbiased objective analysis to policymakers with regard to commodity programs, insurance markets, agricultural credit, and the production of bioenergy are important issues that directly affect not only the U.S. farm economy but other agricultural regions. The ability to manage risk, the increasing complexity of farm operations, the ability of the U.S. farm sector to be nimble to changes in individual and societal preferences, and the efficient discovery of information through efficient markets offer a wealth of research opportunities.