Nathan Roseberg visiting scholar, Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, and Bryce Wilson Stucki, an independent researcher, just released a new report: More Than CAFOS and Corn: A Statistical Analysis of Agriculture in Six Midwestern States. This report will be a critical resource for advocates and policymakers seeking to better understand the mid-west’s agricultural landscape in greater detail and develop policies that will shape the region’s agricultural economy for future generations.
From the Executive Summary:
This report provides a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of farm production, farmer race and ethnicity, and farm practices in the Midwest. This report has several features intended to assist policymakers and advocates. These features include a novel analysis of the development and current status of farm production in the Midwest; an assessment of the incomes and wealth of the region’s farmers; the historical context and current economic status of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers; and an overview of environmental problems caused by conventional farms. The work is meant to serve as a reference on these and other topics of interest to our intended audience, as well as to researchers with an interest in Midwest agriculture. The report relies on an extensive and original analysis of data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including data from special requests. The report also features a synthesis of USDA reports, academic work, and news articles, with a focus on broad trends.
Summary Tables are available that provide state-level data that cover the economic situation of farmers, farmer demographics, and use of fertilizers and chemicals, among other data.
Photo credit: Michael Swan
