US Agriculture in the Past 30 Years: Structural Changes

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, a series of inter-related changes in land-use pattern, business arrangements, farm structure, and production practices combined to expand output without increasing the use of total inputs. Moreover, by allowing farmers to increase U.S. agricultural production through increased productivity instead of expanded land and chemical use, many of these innovations helped to limit the impact of agricultural production on the environment. Meanwhile, new technologies (such as precision agriculture) have required additional labor use, a differentiated approach to the specialization of production, and stimulated the concentration of resources, capital and efforts on the production of certain products, which allowed some farmers to increase the size of their operations. As a result, the number of large farms increased 8 times, and their share in the country's agricultural production increased to 62%. Although production has shifted dramatically to larger farms, 97 percent of all farms remain family farms, generating 82 percent of the total value of U.S. agricultural production.