From 2006 through 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) spent about $13 billion annually on federal programs to support farm income, assist farmers after disasters, and conserve natural resources. Through one facet of this farm safety net, USDA provides farmers and other producers with fixed annual payments, called direct payments, based on their farms’ historical crop production. USDA makes these payments regardless of whether these producers grow crops, as long as they and their farms meet certain eligibility criteria. Amounting to nearly $5 billion annually since 2002, direct payments do not vary with crop prices, crop yields, or producers’ incomes. This book examines current farm payment programs and reduction proposals, with a focus on the direct payments program, the future of environmental compliance incentives in U.S. agriculture, and changing farm structure and the distribution of farm payments and federal crop insurance.
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