Agriculture, Food Policy, and the US Farm Bill

Catalog description

Agricultural policy and some food policy is regulated by The Farm Bill, which Congress reauthorizes approximately every five years. This course covers the history of the farm bill, starting from its inception via the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 up to the most recent Farm Act. Students analyze how agricultural policy is influenced by the existing political, economic and agricultural climate at the time the Farm Bill is being debated. Key shifts in farm policy include the movement from direct farm support to crop insurance, and the recent inclusion of grant-funded programming for food movement-related programs.