UNM’s Digital Repository (University of New Mexico) · 1984 · 19 citations · 0 references
Open access
AgricultureAgricultural EconomicsLand-use PlanningAgricultural PolicyLand Use ManagementLand Use PolicyAgricultural Land EconomicsAgricultural Land ManagementAgricultural Land PreservationAgricultural Policy AnalysisLand UseLand-use EconomicsAgricultural Land ConservationAgricultural Land PolicyAgricultural Land Use PolicyConsensusCrop YieldsFarmland ConversionLand Conversion EconomicsRural Preservation Policy
After reviewing the arguments supporting and opposing the idea that there is a crisis in farmland preservation, the author concludes that long-range world population projections make the need for preservation clear. Evidence that the supply of farmland is declining at the same time that world-wide demand for agricultural products is increasing cannot be balanced by increased crop yields in the future. The US will be depending upon agricultural products to restore its balance of trade. Short-term pressures for individual profit from farmland conversion and development call for public policies that encourage preservation. The public consensus for such a policy will be difficult to develop as long as agricultural surpluses are a problem. One solution is for the government to purchase excess land and establish a land bank. 126 references.