Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 April 2015
Soybeans occupy the unique position of common denominator in crop production for much of the Eastern half of the U.S. The interdependence between the soybean economy and those of corn, cotton, and rice means that policy changes directed toward one crop can have very decided effects upon the others.
Effective policy and program decisions need continuing research as input in formulating and evaluating these decisions. Detailed analyses of inter- and intraregional interdependence among crops, and of production alternatives involving soybeans, are especially needed because it is no longer certain that an expanding demand will provide a safety valve for soybean and related commodity programs [4,9].