ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book investigates agricultural policy in a changing environment. It deals with the following main keys: changing agricultural structures and actors, the multiple roles and impacts of policy, the evolving policy instruments, different contexts leading to impacts and the needs for adapting methods. The book discusses some outlook considerations with focus on trends and implications for further research. The changing pattern of farming is the basis for understanding policy impact and for establishing the background of policy action in general, including policy-making and the political economy of agricultural policies. Classic measures of structural change, such as farm size, remain key indicators. The role of agricultural policy in the latest 80 years has moved from reducing risks and ensuring food production and income to farmers to a variety of aims largely related to rural dynamism and public good provision in rural areas.
