Making American agriculture productive and profitable

U.S. farmers need a paradigm shift, according to a new report from the American Farm Bureau Federation, entitled "Making American Agriculture Productive and Profitable." A review from the American Farmland Trust summarizes some of the strengths and weaknesses of the report:

The report outlines several fundamental changes for U.S. agriculture, while recognizing that the current structure of farm programs will no longer prevail. AFBF envisioned farmers shifting from selling what they produce to producing what they can sell, as well as environmental issues becoming more market-driven to achieve environmental benefits. This is an exciting vision for American agriculture. Unfortunately, the federation has not yet moved to incorporate these recommendations into their policy proposals for the 2007 Farm Bill, instead calling for the existing programs to be renewed.