Evaluating Natural Resources in Agriculture

Their work is an outgrowth of the Atlantic Economic Society's Thirtieth International Conference. Sweeping in scope, precise in focus, this volume looks in a practical way to a near future of disappearing distinctions between agricultural, economic, and environmental concerns. To that end -- and with landmark legislation in the offing -- the authors seek to develop a system for evaluating the impact of alternate programs and policies on the nation's natural resources. They evaluate the feasibility of bringing together independent models used for measuring the impact of alternate policies at the firm, local, regional, and national levels. Most of the models included in this work estimate the impacts of alternative production practices on agriculture and the environment. The authors consider methods for estimating the impacts of alternative agricultural production and environmental policies on farm income and employment, sustainable agriculture, erosion, and pesticide risks and benefits. Of urgent interest to those in natural resources and agriculture, the analytical tools and methods outlined in this book will assist policymakers in responding to the complex interplay of environmental and agricultural realities.