ABSTRACT
The prologue to this volume asked, What does U.S. agriculture want from the agricultural programs? Most of the individual chapters focused on the changing goals for and approaches to the major agricultural programs. They concentrated on issues likely to be debated in the reauthorization of farm legislation upon the expiration of the Food Security Act of 1985, specifically the programs in the commodity and trade titles and the conservation and environmental provisions. However, many important issues covered by the act were not addressed, including credit; agricultural research, extension, and teaching; food stamps and related provisions; marketing; processing, inspection, and labeling; special studies and commissions; and animal welfare. Rather, the purpose of the project behind this volume was to focus on the more contentious sections of a new bill, and the decision was made early on not to dilute its main thrust by trying to consider in depth all issues important to agriculture.
