Agricultural Finance for Climate Resilience

U.S. agricultural financial policy and institutions, both public and private, have not yet adapted to climate change. Instead, Congress responds to more frequent extreme weather events with larger and increasingly frequent ad hoc disaster payments and increasing subsidies for private crop insurance from taxpayer funds. These short-term responses are not sustainable fiscally, economically or environmentally. 

Milking the Planet

Executive Summary

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Corporate concentration in agriculture

The horizontal concentration in nearly all aspects of agricultural production, processing and distribution that began in the 1980s has become entrenched.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Climate change — crisis by denial?

Climate change is increasingly disrupting farmers, the agriculture economy and rural communities. The growth of industrial agricultural operations and practices are increasing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: The agricultural technology treadmill

Agricultural technology has enabled overproduction of agricultural commodities, which has left farmers dependent on taxpayer funds in most years to compensate for low commodity prices. Technology adoption statistics do not measure the impacts of technologies on rural communities, particularly in developing countries.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Organic, agroecological and regenerative agriculture

Organic agriculture has grown substantially since its beginnings as an alternative movement, including by more than 50% in the last 15 years.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Land tenure

Increases in farm debt, bankruptcies and land values have far outstripped farm assets and income, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to hold on to their land. Corporate and investor-owned land has doubled since the 1980s, and the number of farms owned by corporations and investors rose by nearly 10% between 2012 and 2017.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Introduction

As we enter a new decade, farmers are once again in crisis. Stories in the news point to rising bankruptcies in the dairy sector and the chaos in commodity markets created by Trump’s trade skirmishes. Presidential candidates are getting an earful from farmers and rural communities, and new ideas are on the table.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Agriculture and water quality

Dramatic increases in agricultural use of chemicals and fertilizers and growing concentration of livestock production since the 1980s, linked to increasing farm size and the shift from family farms to larger corporate agribusiness, have worsened water pollution.

Revisiting Crisis by Design: Race, ethnicity, gender analysis and crisis by design

Racial, ethnic and gender-based disparities in the U.S. agricultural and food system are most visible when we consider farm ownership and income farm operations.