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Is Self-Sufficiency a Legitimate Goal for Northeast Agriculture?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2017

Timothy J. Tyrrell ,
Glen D. Anderson  and
Thomas F. Weaver
Timothy J. Tyrrell
Affiliation:
Department of Resource Economics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
Glen D. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Resource Economics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
Thomas F. Weaver
Affiliation:
Department of Resource Economics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
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Extract

In any society a loss of confidence in the capacity of contemporary institutions and leadership to deal with current problems creates anxieties and feelings of loss of control. A classical reaction to such stress is efforts to return to earlier, presumably simpler, institutional forms and lifestyles, thereby regaining control and the lost sense of purpose and direction. Today in the Northeast, as in much of the nation, many people are alarmed by the recent disturbances and shocks to the American way of life: the energy shortage, the threat of nuclear disaster, high unemployment and prices, faltering state and local finances, and a recurring credibility gap at all levels of government. The perceived inability of institutional forms to deal with these concerns has fostered a re-examination of individual, local and regional goals and a rediscovery of more traditional values based on self-reliance. One manifestation of this phenomenon is the promotion in the region by some professionals and laymen alike of a policy of self-sufficiency in agricultural production.

Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Journal of the Northeastern Agricultural Economics Council , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , Fall 1982 , pp. 47 - 51
Copyright
Copyright © Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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Footnotes

Research was supported by the Agricultural Experiment Station and the College of Resource Development at the University of Rhode Island.

References

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