THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: The need for radical change in access to farmland

Abstract

First paragraphs:

In my previous Economic Pamphleteer column, I made the case for fundamental changes in farm and food policies. I admitted that my policy proposals in the past have been too radical to be considered relevant in farm bill debates. However, recent changes in the federal budgeting process and the current political turmoil in Washington, D.C., create an environment conducive to radical change in farm, food, and rural development poli­cies. My previous column focused on programs that would share the risks with farmers who want to start new, or transition to, ecologically and socially sustainable farming systems. This column focuses on policy changes to make farmland accessible and affordable for farmers beginning or transitioning to sustainable farming operations. Ways to change the U.S. supplemental food assistance programs will be addressed in my next columns.

It takes time, as well as intelligence and com­mitment, to learn how to manage a farm sustain­ably because sustainable farming depends more on intensive management and less on purchased inputs, off-farm technology, and financial capital. It also takes time to heal and restore health and pro­ductivity to soils that have been degraded and depleted by industrial farming practices. So, long-term land tenure will be necessary to facilitate the transition from industrial to sustainable agriculture, through either ownership or long-term leases. . . .