TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS IN UNITED STATES AGRICULTURAL POLICY: 1993-1995

A number of factors including budget pressures, emphasis on environmentally sensitive agriculture, emphasis on finding agricultural export markets, and anti-agricultural program sentiment have fueled a climate for change in United States agricultural policy. Whether significant changes will occur depends on the political strength of agricultural interest groups and on the compromises which can be reached between them. Several notable achievements have been accomplished in recent domestic agricultural policy legislation. The 1995 farm bill will define the commodity and conservation programs for the next five years. In addition to domestic developments, there have been history-setting accomplishments in reducing barriers to international agricultural trade. The tri-partite North American Free Trade Agreement became effective January 1, 1994. The Uruguay Round Agreement of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was completed in late 1994 and will become effective in 1995