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Trends, issues, threats, and opportunities affecting farmers

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  • Olson, Kent

Abstract

Change is always upon us. How we respond is the question. In this talk, I look at the world from a producer's or farmer's perspective in the bigger industry called agriculture. I focus mainly on conditions and trends in the macro-environment, causes of change, and who is making strategic moves. I discuss the trends and issues raised by these questions in terms of what we as economists can do to address them with our research and teaching and as decision makers in farms, businesses, government, non-government organizations, and academia. I start with four large trends and issues: population growth, climate change, the global economy, and energy. I also briefly discuss resource availability, environmental concerns, technology, supply chains, structural change, policy, and smallholder farming. For each issue, I suggest questions and needed analyses that we as economists could address and help farmers and many others deal with these changes and improve the likelihood of a better future. We economists have the tools and ability to help them answer these questions and help them build robust strategies that will allow them to change, survive, and prosper in a world that is always changing.

Suggested Citation

  • Olson, Kent, 2013. "Trends, issues, threats, and opportunities affecting farmers," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 52(4), August.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:agreko:345267
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.345267
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Westcott, Paul C. & Trostle, Ronald, 2012. "Long-Term Prospects for Agriculture Reflect Growing Demand for Food, Fiber, and Fuel," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, issue 03, pages 1-12, September.
    3. Barrett, Christopher B., 2008. "Smallholder market participation: Concepts and evidence from eastern and southern Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 299-317, August.
    4. Reimund, Donn A. & Martin, J. Rod & Moore, Charles V., 1981. "Structural Change in Agriculture: The Experience for Broilers, Fed Cattle, and Processing Vegetables," Technical Bulletins 157701, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Salvatore Di Falco & Marcella Veronesi & Mahmud Yesuf, 2011. "Does Adaptation to Climate Change Provide Food Security? A Micro-Perspective from Ethiopia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 93(3), pages 825-842.
    6. Deressa, T. & Hassan, Rashid M. & Poonyth, Daneswar, 2005. "Measuring the impact of climate change on South African agriculture: The case of sugar-cane growing regions," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 44(4), pages 1-19, December.
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    Keywords

    Climate Change; Farm Management;

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