SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS DECEMBER, 1977 ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS OF ENERGY USE IN U.S. CROP PRODUCTION*

Agriculture has been among the most productive vegetation which, in turn was energized by the sun. sectors of the U.S. economy. The agricultural sector Most of the world's peasant population still relies uses only four percent of the labor force to produce heavily on the sun, augmented by wind and water, to food needed for both domestic use and export provide energy for agricultural activities. demand [31]. Consumers in the U.S. spend only The next stage (the "transitional stage") ended about 17 percent of their disposable income on food, with World War II. Agriculture in developed countries the smallest percentage of any country in the world and in the commercial agricultural subsectors of less [16]. developed countries shifted largely to fossil fuels for That energy has been recognized as the pro- power and for manufacture and application of ferti-pelling force for current and continuing agricultural lizers and pesticides. productivity, along with the prospect of much higher During this stage the number of tractors and costs, have given rise to a growing interest in motor trucks on U.S. farms increased more than 15 technologies or systems of agriculture that are less times from 1910 to 1930, but their numbers did not energy intensive. ' Possible future adjustments in materially affect the way agricultural products were agriculture may affect output levels, costs and con- produced. Of the 330 million cultivated acres, abou