Post-Industrial Agriculture

Exact date of working paper unknown.The "industrialization of agriculture" has become a catch-all phrase to describe a set of changes occurring in agriculture during the 1990s (for example, see Boehlje and Drabenstott). We, however, contend that the current changes result mainly from post-industrial factors rather than from industrialization. Viewing the current changes in agriculture through the prism of post-industrialization rather than through the prism of industrialization leads to a richer understanding of the emerging economic and social trends within the sector. After briefly stating our case for a post-industrial perspective, we highlight some key economic and social implications