Growing Green: Enhancing Environmental and Economic Performance in U.S. Agriculture

Although the notion of sustainable agriculture is attracting considerable interest, little information has been available for evaluating current levels of agricultral sustainability in the United States or the policy options that will best promote it.

Integrating environmental and economic considerations, Growing Green: Enhancing Environmental and Economic Performance in U.S. Agriculture presents the most comprehensive, empirically based analysis of U.S. agricultural sustainability every produced. It provides policymakers with an essential tool for assessing the environmental and economic impacts of a broad range of policy options and evaluting many of the provisions of the 1995 Farm bill inclluding changes in program flexibility and alternative “green” payment provisions. This important report reflects the results of a three-year research study during which agronomic and environmental data was collected from 45 physical regions in the U.S. Using a unique economic model, the data was analyzed for comparison of predominant and alternative production systems across the country.