US Agricultural and Food Policies: Economic Choices and Consequences [Paperback]

Policy analysis is a dynamic process of discovery rather than a passive exercise of memorizing facts and conclusions. This text provides opportunities to practice the craft of policy analysis by engaging the reader in realistic case studies and problem-solving scenarios that require the selection and use of applicable investigative techniques.

US Agricultural and Food Policieswill assist undergraduate students to learn how policy choices impact the overall performance of agricultural and food markets. It encourages students to systematically investigate scenarios with appropriate positive and normative tools. The book emphasizes the importance of employing critical thinking skills to address the complexities associated with the design and implementation of twenty-first-century agricultural and food policies. Students are asked to suspend their personal opinions and emotions, and instead apply research methods that require the careful consideration of both facts and values. The opportunities to build these investigative skills are abundant when we consider the diversity of modern agricultural and food policy concerns.

Featuring case studies and critical thinking exercises throughout and supported by a Companion Website with slides, a test bank, glossary, and web/video links, this is the ideal textbook for any agricultural policy class.

Preface

Chapter 1: An introduction to policy analysis

Chapter 2: Twenty-first-century trends, opportunities, and challenges for US agriculture and food systems

Chapter 3: A policy analysis toolbox: methods to investigate agricultural and food market scenarios

Chapter 4: Analyzing economic consequences of farm safety net programs in the 2014 Farm Bill

Chapter 5: The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): evaluating costs and benefits