The Gardner Agriculture Policy Program is funded by the Leonard and Lila Gardner/Illinois Farm Bureau Family of Companies endowment. This generous gift is dedicated to the memory of Len Gardner, a leading voice on agricultural policy for decades. The program will coordinate and prioritize analytical and outreach efforts for farm, conservation and international trade policies, elevating the University of Illinois’ voice in the national debate.
The cover crop project seeks to provide farmers with a practical web-based decision support tool designed to help manage cover crops in their fields. The project makes use of existing research to demonstrate the potential for cover crops, as well as providing useful information for decision making and management of this practice. It will also seek to apply future research on cover crops as results are incorporated into updates and new iterations of the tool. This remains a work in progress with a goal towards adapting with the science.
Latest in Gardner Policy Series
Reauthorization or Reconciliation: Thoughts on the Farm Bill’s Prospects
Given the outcomes of the election, no action on Congress reauthorizing the Farm Bill in the lame duck session will take place. A majority of American voters placed their bets on Republicans in the 2024 election, with the party winning a trifecta. A bill with billions of dollars in food and agricultural policy for the next five years is not in the cards. To handicap Farm Bill reauthorization, this discussion detours through a review of budget reconciliation and a few slices of history.
The Arithmetic of Commodity Title Programs
Increasing per-acre corn payments for commodity title programs will have a much more significant effect on total Federal outlays than other crops because corn has many more base acres. Seed cotton, rice, and peanuts have lower base acres; hence, spending increases tend to have much less impact on total Federal outlays. As a result, seed cotton, rice, and peanuts often have larger per-acre increases in spending than does corn. This process is illustrated with the House Proposal for the Farm Bill.
Potential Federal Policy Responses to Negative Grain Farm Incomes
In 2024, grain farm incomes will be low and, in many cases, negative. In recent weeks, hurricanes Helene and Milton have also caused extensive damage to many farmers caught in their paths. Congress remains in recess through election day, Nov. 5, 2024, but the push for federal relief is growing. Federal policy responses in the lame duck are likely and include: 1) extending the current or passing a new farm bill and 2) passing an ad hoc, supplemental, or emergency disaster assistance package.
2024 Low Returns, Prices, and the Federal Safety Net
A steep decline in prices across years has resulted in low to negative average returns to Midwest farms in 2023 and projected for 2024. Crop insurance programs are not designed to cover the risk of multi-year price declines and current commodity title programs are also expected to provide little relief for these low prices. Modifying commodity title programs to make them more market-responsive would aid in providing relief to farmers.
Trade Policy Shifts and Their Potential Implications for U.S. Agricultural Exports
Protectionist policies are once again threatening to reshape agricultural trade, as the U.S. administration escalated tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EV) in May 2024, echoing the actions of its predecessor.…
Ripple Effects of Shipping Lane Disruptions on U.S. Agriculture
The crises in the Panama Canal and the Red Sea have highlighted the vulnerabilities of U.S. agricultural trade to environmental and geopolitical factors. These disruptions have increased transportation costs, prolonged transit times, and potential market losses. It is increasingly clear that the development of sustainable and flexible supply chain solutions is not just advantageous but essential for maintaining and enhancing the flow of U.S. agricultural trade.
Where Could the US-Mexico GM Corn Dispute End Up?
Background to the Dispute The recent announcement by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) that it was requesting technical consultations with Mexico under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures…
Post-Pandemic Entrepreneurial Growth
The coronavirus pandemic created many economic hardships, but a resurgent interest in entrepreneurship remains a positive that emerged from this period. Nationwide, new business applications grew 11.7% annually between 2019 and 2023, with the fastest growth during the period occurring in two small states — Wyoming and Delaware. Only Mississippi, Louisiana, and Vermont had fewer new business applications in 2023 than they did in 2022.
What is Climate Smart Agriculture?
Climate Smart Agriculture is a promising paradigm for addressing environmental challenges by increasing productivity, enhancing resilience, and reducing emissions. However, the definition and assessment of CSA practices lack standardization, hindering their widespread adoption and effective implementation. A consistent, widely applicable, and standardized framework for assessing CSA will facilitate informed decision-making, improve resource allocation, and enhance stakeholder collaboration.
An Inflation Question Not Asked: What About Conservation?
The recent period of relatively high inflation and concerns about its impacts on production costs for farmers have occupied center stage in discussions about policy priorities. That discussion, however, has been narrow and one-dimensional, largely limited to increasing the reference prices in farm payment programs. Among other things, this narrowed perspective ignores the impact that inflation has on conservation assistance to farmers, as well as the consequences for farmers who adopt conservation practices.