Agricultural and food policy / Ronald D. Knutson [and others].

Revised edition of: Agricultural and food policy / Ronald D. Knutson. 5th ed. c2004.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Forces of policy change -- Instability -- Globalization -- Technology -- Food safety -- Environment -- Industrialization of agriculture -- Politics -- Unforeseen events -- Impacts on policy -- 2. Rationale for government involvement in agriculture and food -- Conditions leading to government involvement -- Constraints on government involvement -- Goals of policy -- Role of economists -- Limits of economics -- 3. U.S. policy decision process -- Political spectrum -- Influence of public opinion and groups on policy decisions -- Levels of decision making -- Politics of the minority -- 4. Geopolitical centers of influence -- NAFTA -- MERCOSUR -- European Union -- Cairns Group -- APEC -- Japan -- China -- Russia -- Developing countries -- Balance of influence -- 5. World Trade Organization -- Benefits of trade -- Barriers to trade -- World Trade Organization -- Policy evolution -- Appendix. Theory of trade -- 6. U.S. trade and development policy -- Complexities of trade and foreign policy -- U.S. trade and development goals and policies -- Developing market economies -- Increasing food security -- Protectionist Policies -- Developing the appropriate mix -- 7. U.S. farm policies -- Historical perspective -- Farm problems and policy goals -- Farm policy options and programs -- Assessing the degree of market distortion and future of farm programs -- Appendix. Theory of farm policy.

8. Living with limited resources -- Markets as a limited resource allocator -- Farmland -- Water -- Energy -- Endangered species and biodiversity -- Future role of the federal government -- 9. Environmental policy -- Limits of markets in curbing pollution -- Who develops and implements environmental policy? -- Evolution of agricultural environmental policy -- Environmental policy options and consequences -- Environmental alliances -- 10. Food safety and security policy -- Dimensions of food safety and biosecurity -- Who develops and implements food safety and biosecurity policy? -- Evolution of food safety and biosecurity policy -- Food safety and biosecurity policy options and consequences -- Reflecting on the safety and security of the U.S. food supply -- 11. Food assistance and nutrition policy -- Problems of global and U.S. hunger -- International hunger policy -- U.S. hunger and nutrition policy -- Reflecting on the status of U.S. and global nutrition policy -- 12. Future of agricultural and food policy -- Impacts on constituency groups -- Future of agricultural and food policy.