Hostname: page-component-669899f699-g7b4s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-26T01:17:23.190Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Interactions in integrated US agricultural systems: The past, present and future

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2008

J. Hendrickson ,
G.F. Sassenrath ,
D. Archer ,
J. Hanson  and
J. Halloran
J. Hendrickson*
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA.
G.F. Sassenrath
Affiliation:
Application and Production Technology Research Unit, Jamie Whitten Delta States Research Center, 141 Experiment Station Road, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA.
D. Archer
Affiliation:
North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 803 Iowa Avenue, Morris, MN 56267, USA.
J. Hanson
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Box 459, Mandan, ND 58554, USA.
J. Halloran
Affiliation:
New England Plant, Soil and Water Research Laboratory USDA-ARS, Room 21, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: hendricj@mandan.ars.usda.gov
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

During the 20th century, American agriculture underwent dramatic changes. At the beginning, farms were more diverse, dependent on animal traction, on-farm inputs and income and, after initial land grants, nearly independent of government policy. However, external issues, such as government policies, mechanization, fossil fuel costs, increased consolidation and vertical integration of markets and increased societal awareness of the environment and concern with farming practices, have substantially altered the structure of agriculture. These external issues are significant drivers of agriculture and we grouped them into social/political, economic, environmental and technological drivers. Previous papers have examined specific effects of these drivers. Our objective is to examine how these drivers interact and influence today's agricultural systems. We developed four categories: (1) Commodity Crop Production, (2) Supply Chain Livestock Production, (3) Organic Production and (4) Extensive Livestock Production, to describe major current agricultural systems. These categories were developed as major and contrasting systems but do not represent all of American agriculture. Although it is not possible to predict the future, interactions among the various drivers will affect these systems differently. By examining multiple scenarios, we conclude the highly specialized systems (Nos. 1 and 2) are highly vulnerable to future changes, and that developing adaptive capacity is critical for dealing with new uncertainty. Sustainable agricultural systems will need balance among various domains to be able to adapt and survive. We suggest that the concept of dynamic-integrated agricultural systems may be the best way to meet this goal because of its ability to consider multiple goals and flexible producer decision-making.

Keywords

dynamic-integrated production systemseconomic driverssocial/political driversenvironmental driverstechnological driverssystem adaptability
Type
Review Article
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 23 , Special Issue 4: Principles of Integrated Agricultural Systems , December 2008 , pp. 314 - 324
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1 Dimitri, C., Effland, A., and Conklin, N. 2005. The 20th century transformation of U.S. agriculture and farm policy. Economic Information Bulletin Number 3. Economic Research Service, USDA, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
2 Trewavas, A. 2002. Malthus foiled again and again. Nature 418:668–670.Google Scholar
3 Kates, R.W. and Parris, T.M. 2003. Long-term trends and a sustainability transition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 100:8062–8067.Google Scholar
4 Vitousek, P.M., D'Antonio, C.M., Loope, L.L., and Westbrooks, R. 1996. Biological invasions as global environmental change. American Scientist 84:468–478.Google Scholar
5 Holling, C.S. 2001. Understanding the complexity of economic, ecological, and social systems. Ecosystems 4:390–405.Google Scholar
6 Hendrickson, J.R., Hanson, J., Tanaka, D.L., and Sassenrath, G. 2008. Principles of integrated agricultural systems: introduction to processes and definition. Renewable Agricultural and Food Systems 23(4):265–271.Google Scholar
7 Archer, D.W., Dawson, J., Kreuter, U.P., Hendrickson, M., and Halloran, J.M. 2008. Social and political influences on agricultural systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 23(4):272–284.Google Scholar
8 Halloran, J.F. and Archer, D.W. 2008. External economic drivers and integrated agricultural systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 23(4):296–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9 Sassenrath, G.F., Heilman, P., Luschei, E., Bennett, G.L., Fitzgerald, G., Klesius, P., Tracy, W., Williford, J.R., and Zimba, P. 2008. Technology, complexity and change in agricultural production systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 23(4):285–295.Google Scholar
10 Sassenrath, G.S., Hendrickson, J., Fisher, D., Liebig, M.A., and Zimba, P.V. 2008. Natural processes as drivers of agricultural production systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 23(4):304–313.Google Scholar
11 Hanson, J.D., Hendrickson, J.R., and Archer, D.W. 2008. Challenges for maintaining sustainable agricultural systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 23(4):325–334.Google Scholar
12 Bowers, D.E., Rasmussen, W.D., and Baker, G.L. 1984. History of agricultural price-support and adjustment programs, 1933–84. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Information Bulletin No. 485.Google Scholar
13 Roberts, M.J., Osteen, C., and Soule, M. 2004. Risk, Government Programs, and The Environment. United States Department of Agriculture-Economic Research Service, Technical Bulletin No. 1908. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
14 Anonymous. 2001. Mixed Crop-livestock Farming: a Review of the Traditional Technologies Based on Literature and Field Experience. FAO Animal Production and Health Papers 152. FAO, Rome, Italy.Google Scholar
15 Heitschmidt, R.K., Short, R.E., and Grings, E.E. 1996. Ecosystems, sustainability and animal agriculture. Journal of Animal Science 74:1395–1405.Google Scholar
16 Matson, P.A., Parton, W.J., Power, A.G., and Swift, M.J. 1997. Agricultural intensification and ecosystems properties. Science 277:504–509.Google Scholar
17 Olmstead, A.L. and Rhode, P.W. 2001. Reshaping the landscape: the impact and diffusion of the tractor in American agriculture, 1910–1960. Journal of Economic History 61:663–698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18 Shoemaker, R., McGranahan, D., and McBride, W. 2006. Agriculture and rural communities are resilient to high energy costs. Amber Waves 4:16–21.Google Scholar
19 ERS. 2006. Data Sets: U.S. Fertilizer Use and Prices. Available at Web site http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FertilizerUse/ (updated 25 September 2006; verified 12 May 2007).Google Scholar
20 Martin, S. and Cooke, F. Jr. 2002. Mississippi Delta cotton farm structure 2002. Delta Ag Econ News. Summer. 2002. Available at Web site http://www.msstate.edu/dept/drec/archive/delta_ag_econ_news/agnews8.htm (verified 29 June 2006).Google Scholar
21 Barkema, A., Drabenstott, M., and Novack, N. 2001. The new U.S. meat industry. Economic Review Second Quarter 33–55.Google Scholar
22 Huffman, W.E. and Evenson, R.E. 2001. Structural and productivity change in US agriculture, 1950–1982. Agricultural Economics 24:127–147.Google Scholar
23 Martinez, S. and Stewart, H. 2003. From supply push to demand pull: Agribusiness strategies for today's consumers. Amber Waves. Available at Web site http://www.ers.usda.gov/Amberwaves/November03/Features/supplypushdemandpull.htm (verified 29 June 2006).Google Scholar
24 Drabenstott, M. 2000. A new structure for agriculture: a revolution for rural America. Journal of Agribusiness 18:61–70.Google Scholar
25 Westcott, P.C. and Young, C.E. 2004. Farm program effects on agricultural production: coupled and decoupled programs. In Burfisher, M.E. and Hopkins, J.(eds). Decoupled Payments in a Changing Policy Setting. United States Department of Agriculture—Economic Research Service, Agricultural Economic Report No. 838. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. p. 7–17.Google Scholar
26 King, J.L. 2001. Concentration and Technology in Agricultural Input Industries. United States Department of Agriculture—Economic Research Service, Agricultural Information Bulletin Number 763. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
27 Ollinger, M., Nguyen, S.V., Blayney, D., Chambers, B., and Nelson, K. 2005. Structural Change in the Meat, Poultry, Dairy, and Grain Processing Industries. United States Department of Agriculture—Economic Research Service, Economic Research Report 3. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
28 Hrubovcak, J., Vasavada, U., and Aldy, J.E. 1999. Green technologies for a more sustainable agriculture. Resource Economic Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Information Bulletin No. 752.Google Scholar
29 Reicosky, D.C. and Allmaras, R.R. 2003. Advances in tillage research in North American cropping systems. Journal of Crop Production 8:75–125.Google Scholar
30 Claassen, R., Breneman, V., Bucholtz, S., Cattaneo, A., Johansson, R., and Morehart, M. 2004. Environmental compliance in U.S. agricultural policy: past performance and future potential. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Economic Report No. 832.Google Scholar
31 Aillery, M. and Gadsby, D. 2006. Conservation on private grazinglands. In Wiebe, K. and Gollehon, N.(eds). Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2006 Edition. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Washington, DC. p. 202–212.Google Scholar
32 Caswell, M. and Day-Rubenstein, K. 2006. Agricultural research and development. In Wiebe, K. and Gollehon, N.(eds). Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2006 Edition. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Washington, DC. p. 59–65.Google Scholar
33 MacDonald, J.M., Ollinger, M.E., Nelson, K.E., and Handy, C.R. 2000. Consolidation in U.S. Meatpacking. Agricultural Economic Report No. 785. Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
34 Brummer, E.C. 1998. Diversity, stability, and sustainable agriculture. Agronomy Journal 90:1–2.Google Scholar
35 Yiridoe, E.K., Bonti-Ankomah, S., and Martin, R.C. 2005. Comparison of consumer perceptions and preference toward organic versus conventionally produced foods: a review and update of the literature. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 20:193–205.Google Scholar
36 Dimitri, C. and Greene, C. 2002. Recent growth patterns in the U.S. organic foods market. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 777.Google Scholar
37 Schultz, J. 2005. Wal-Mart VP describes retailer's ‘green’ efforts. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. 21 October. Available at Web site http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg&section=News&storyid=133834 (verified 29 June 2006).Google Scholar
38 Vos, T. 2000. Visions of the middle landscape: organic farming and the politics of nature. Agriculture and Human Values 17:245–256.Google Scholar
39 Vincent, C.H. 2006. Grazing Fees: An Overview and Current Issues. Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress, Report RS21232.Google Scholar
40 Rowe, H.I., Barlett, E.T., and Swanson, L.E. Jr. 2001. Ranching motivations in 2 Colorado counties. Journal of Range Management 54:314–321.Google Scholar
41 Tilman, D., Cassman, K.G., Matson, P.A., Naylor, R., and Polasky, S. 2002. Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature 418:671–677.Google Scholar
42 Lubowski, R.N., Vesterby, M., Bucholtz, S., Baez, A., and Roberts, M.J. 2006. Major uses of land in the United States, 2002. Economic Research Service, Economic Information Bulletin No. 14. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
43 Costanza, R., d'Agre, R., de Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., Limburg, K., Naeem, S., O'Neill, R.V., Paruelo, J., Raskin, R.G., Sutton, P., and van den Belt, M. 1997. The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387:253–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44 Fields, J. and Casper, L.M. 2001. America's Families and Living Arrangements 2000. Current Population Reports No. P20-537. U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
45 Price, C. 2002. Food service. In Harris, J.M., Kaufman, P.R., and Martinez, S.W. (coordinators) and Price, C. (ed.). The U.S. Food Marketing System, 2002: Competition, Coordination, and Technological Innovations into the 21st Century. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Economic Report No. 811. p. 34–49.Google Scholar
46 Ash, M. and Dohlman, E. 2006. International trade, biofuel initiatives reshaping the soybean sector. Amber Waves 4(4):8.Google Scholar
47 Baker, A. and Zahniser, S. 2006. Ethanol reshapes the corn market. Amber Waves 4(2):30–35.Google Scholar
48 Aldy, J.E., Hrubovcak, J., and Vasavada, U. 1998. The role of technology in sustaining agriculture and the environment. Ecological Economics 26:81–96.Google Scholar
49 Claussen, R. and Ribaudo, M. 2006. Conservation policy overview. In Wiebe, K. and Gollehon, N.(eds). Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2006 Edition. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. p. 168–174.Google Scholar
50 Nickerson, C. and Barnard, C. 2006. Farmland protection programs. In Wiebe, K. and Gollehon, N.(eds). Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2006 Edition. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. p. 213–221.Google Scholar
51 Leibig, M.A., Morgan, J.A., Reeder, J.D., Ellert, B.H., Gollany, H.T., and Schuman, G.E. 2005. Greenhouse gas contributions and mitigation potential of agricultural practices in northwestern USA and western Canada. Soil and Tillage Research 83:25–52.Google Scholar
52 Freedman, J.M. 2006. U.S. Must Take Blame for Wrecked WTO Talks, EU Says. Available at Web site http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aloW7LOGq8fo&refer=home (updated 25 July 2006; verified 8 September 2006).Google Scholar
53 Economic Research Service. 2006. Farm Income and Farm Costs: Farms Receiving Government Payments. Available at Web site http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmIncome/govtpaybyfarmtype.htmGoogle Scholar
54 Mathews, K.H. Jr, Vandeveer, M., and Gustafson, R.A. 2006. An Economic Chronology of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy in North American. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
55 Schnepf, R.D., Dohlman, E., and Bolling, C. 2001. Agriculture in Brazil and Argentina: Developments and Prospects for Major Field Costs. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
56 Pollack, S.L. 2001. Consumer demand for fruit and vegetables: the U.S. example. In Regmi, A. (ed.) Changing Structure of Global Food Consumption and Trade. Market and Trade Economics Division, Economic Research Service, Agriculture and Trade Report WRS-01-1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. p. 54.Google Scholar
57 Brooks, N. and Carter, E. 2005. Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
58 Mendelsohn, R., Morrison, W., Schlesinger, M.E., and Andronova, N.G. 2000. Country-specific market impacts of climate change. Climate Change 45:553–569.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
59 Reilly, J., Tubiello, F., McCarl, B., Abler, D., Darwin, R., Fuglie, K., Hollinger, S., Izaurralde, C., Jagtap, S., Jones, J., Mearns, L., Ojima, D., Paul, E., Paustian, K., Riha, S., Rosenberg, N., and Rosenzweig, C. 2003. U.S. agriculture and climate change: new results. Climate Change 57:43–69.Google Scholar
60 Cramer, W., Bondeau, A., Woodward, F.I., Prentice, I.C., Betts, R.A., Brovkin, V., Cox, P.M., Fisher, V., Foley, J.A., Friend, A.D., Kucharik, C., Lomas, M.R., Ramankutty, N., Sitch, S., Smith, B., White, A., and Young, C. 2001. Global response of terrestrial ecosystem structure and function to CO2 and climate change: results from six dynamic global vegetation models. Global Change Biology 7:357–373.Google Scholar
61 Pimental, D., Lach, L., Zuniga, R., and Morrison, D. 2001. Environmental and economic costs of nonindigenous species in the United States. BioScience 50:53–65.Google Scholar
62 Pimental, D., Zuniga, R., and Morrison, D. 2005. Update on the environmental and economic costs of alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecological Economics 52:273–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
63 Livingston, M., Johansson, R., Daberkow, S., Roberts, M., Ash, M., and Breneman, V. 2004. Economic and Policy Implications of Wind-borne Entry of Asian Soybean Rust into the United States. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
64 Burton, R.J.F. 2004. Seeing through the ‘good farmer's’ eyes: towards developing an understanding of the social symbolic value of ‘productivist’ behaviour. Sociologia Ruralis 44:195–215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
65 Lowenberg-DeBoer, J. and Swinton, S.M. 2002. Economics of site-specific management in agronomic crops. In Pierce, F.J. and Sadler, E.J.(eds). The State of Site-Specific Management for Agriculture. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. p. 369–396.Google Scholar
66 Aillery, M., Gollenhon, N., Johansson, R., Kaplan, J., Key, N., and Ribaudo, M. 2005. Managing Manure to Improve Air and Water Quality. Economic Research Report 9. United States Department of Agriculture—Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
67 Champagne, P. 2007. Feasibility of producing bio-ethanol from waste residues: a Canadian perspective, feasibility of producing bio-ethanol from waste residues in Canada. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 50:211–230.Google Scholar
68 Lyson, T.A. 2002. Advanced agricultural biotechnologies and sustainable agriculture. Trends in Biotechnology 20:193–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
69 National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2002. 2002 Census of Agriculture. Available at Web site http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census_of_Agriculture/index.asp (updated 20 March 2006; verified 24 September 2006).Google Scholar
70 Soule, M.J., Tegene, A., and Wiebe, K.D. 2000. Land tenure and the adoption of conservation practices. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 82:993–1005.Google Scholar
71 Archer, D. 2005. Weeding out economic impacts of farm decisions. In Hatfield, J.L. (ed.) The Farmer's Decision: Balancing Economic Successful Agriculture Production with Environmental Quality. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA, USA. p. 63–75.Google Scholar