AGRICULTURE

 

Agriculture is the practice of cultivating land, raising animals, and producing food, fiber, and other products[5]. Agricultural policy is a set of laws and regulations related to domestic agriculture and imports of foreign agricultural products[1]. Governments implement agricultural policies to achieve specific outcomes that benefit individuals, society, and the economy at large[4]. The United States has a 5-year legislative cycle that produces a wide-ranging “Farm Bill” that governs programs related to farming, food and nutrition, rural communities, bioenergy, and forestry[1]. The Office of Agricultural Policy in the United States supports American agriculture while protecting national security[2]. In the European Union, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment, and keeps rural areas vibrant[6]. Agricultural policies are designed to address multiple objectives, including providing an income safety net for agricultural producers, minimizing negative environmental impacts of agricultural production, ensuring agricultural supply chains are equipped to provide adequate quantities of safe food to consumers, and helping address food and nutrition insecurity among vulnerable populations[3][5]. Different policy tools are used to meet these objectives, including cost share, direct payments, provision of credit, or access to services[5].

Citations:

[1] usda

[2] state

[3] usda

[4] farmlandinfo

[5] straydoginstitute

[6] wikipedia