Synopses & Reviews
U.S. agriculture is the envy of the world. Although output from U.S. farms is high, there is a growing gap between what is being produced and what could be produced, partly because innovation and production are constrained by a growing maze of environmental regulations. The chapters, authored by leading experts in their fields, focus on the major environmental constraints that limit U.S. food production without necessarily improving environmental quality. Each paper documents a specific issue, discusses the regulatory response, and offers ideas for reform.
- U.S. farmland
Are we really running out of prime farmland? Or is this another example of Chicken Little?
- Sensitive habitat
How can environmentally sensitive land be preserved? Does it make sense to set aside habitat forever? How can the market process be strengthened?
- Urban sprawl and agricultural land
Can controls on agricultural land use prevent urban sprawl? Are there market alternatives to command and control?
- Chemicals and agriculture
The use of agricultural chemicals accounts for much of the high growth of output from U.S. farms. Are chemicals that contribute to agricultural productivity harmful to the environment? Have regulations made things better or worse? Can we return to natural farming? At what cost?
- Genetically engineered food products
Are genetically modified crops dangerous to human health? Do they harm the environment or do they improve it by reducing pesticide and chemical use? Will more regulations on genetic engineering actually harm the environment?
- Taxation
How do taxes affect land use? Are they an effective tool for encouraging prosperity?
- Water
What is the role for water markets in agriculture? Can they balance water use with in-stream environmental demands? Why are farmers concerned about water markets?
- Endangered species protection
How has the Endangered Species Act affected U.S. farmers and ranchers? Has it worked? How can species-protecting market incentives be introduced?
Synopsis
The authors focus on the major environmental constraints that limit U.S. food production without necessarily improving environmental quality. Each chapter documents a specific issue, discusses the regulatory response, and offers ideas for reform.
Synopsis
Although US agriculture is the envy of the world, there is a growing gap between what is and what could be produced. The gap is due in part to a growing morass of environmental regulations, which limit US food production without necessarily improving environmental quality. In this compilation, leading experts examine a range of questions posed by these constraints and offer ideas for reform.
Authors explore whether we are really running out of prime farmland; how best to preserve environmentally sensitive land, and for how long; whether controls on agricultural land use can prevent urban sprawl; whether chemicals that contribute to agricultural productivity are harmful to the environment; the connections between genetically modified crops and human health; how taxes affect land use; what role water markets play in balancing agricultural productivity and wildlife habitat; and the effects of the Endangered Species Act on land use.
About the Author
Terry Anderson is the John and Jean De Nault Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the executive director of PERC (the Property and Environment Research Center), a think tank in Bozeman, Montana, that focuses on market solutions to environmental problems. His research helped launch the idea of free-market environmentalism and has prompted public debate over the proper role of government in managing natural resources. He is the cochair of Hoover's Property Rights, Freedom, and Prosperity Task Force.