U.S. Agriculture's Potential to Supply World Food Markets

Domestic markets are growing too slowly to absorb increases in U.S. farm production. But reliance on foreign markets can make farmers vulnerable to sudden swings in prices, which are transmitted to other domestic sectors as well. This report assesses U.S. agriculture's capacity to meet domestic and export demands, and the likely consequences of doing so, under different economic assumptions about the future. By shifting production among regions, adopting new technology, and keeping up the quality of its resources, U.S. agriculture could double its exports within the next 30 years