Agricultural Economics Department
Title
The 2007 Farm Bill: U.S. producer preferences for agricultural, food and public policy
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
September 2006
Abstract
The development of the next farm
bill is a complex, comprehensive process
that involves numerous issues. The
process will, in part, be driven by the
economic climate, the budget situation,
the trade arena, and the political setting
at the time of the debate. The economic
setting and the political setting invite
a significant debate on the shape of
the farm bill and the potential for new
directions or alternatives. The budget
setting and the trade setting both present
challenges for this farm bill debate in
terms of program priorities and potential
program trade-offs.
In this complex environment,
understanding producer attitudes and
policy preferences can be valuable to the
discussion. The National Agricultural,
Food, and Public Policy Preference
Survey elicited agricultural producers’
preferences on current policy issues and
future policy directions related to the next
farm bill.
Twenty-seven states participated
in the survey, representing 60 percent of
all U.S. farms and ranches. More than
63,000 producers were surveyed in the
27 states, resulting in more than 15,000
usable responses. The sample responses
were representative of the population of
producers in the surveyed states and in
the nation as a whole.
The survey focused on a number of
policy issues and included key questions
to identify underlying policy goals and
budget priorities. It included questions
on specific commodity program issues,
conservation programs, trade policy, food
system and regulatory policy, and other
related policy issues.
Download
Comments
National Public Policy Education Committee Publication Number 2006-01. September 2006. Copyright 2006, Farm Foundation, Oak Brook, IL. Used by permission.