Information management for conservation decisions

Excerpt

IN Washington and around the country, the goal is to develop and flesh out new farm policy concepts for consideration and perhaps adoption in the 1985 Farm Bill. Some exciting new ideas about conservation, commodity programs, and research will be debated in the next two years.

Information on conservation needs, opportunities, and costs will play a vital role in establishing the course of farm policy. New forms of information on conservation are needed if innovative ideas are to lead to better farm programs in the future. Some rapid and basic changes are needed also in the conservation information management policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other institutions.

Developing a new generation of commodity programs undoubtedly is the most difficult and significant challenge facing agricultural policymakers. Our unfortunate experiences with the Payment-In-Kind (PIK) program this year highlight the persistent problems that accompany this approach to production controls and farm income support. On the other hand, almost no one seriously advocates a return to the free market. Nearly everyone agrees that federal programs will be needed to reduce the supply of basic farm commodities. But no one knows how to accomplish this goal.

Policy contradictions

Most people in …