Lanterna Rally

Author: Michael F. Brewer

Publisher:

Published: 1981

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

This Bulletin examines the adequacy of U.S. cropland to meet future domestic and international demand for food, fiber, and corn-based gasahol in light of mounting pressures in the past decade. These incude tripled U.S. grain exports (the cause of accelerated soil loss, according to some observers), accelerated conversion of agricultural land to nonagricultural uses as a result of continued suburbanization and expansion of industry into rural areas plus unprecedented net in-migration and new scattered settlement patterns in rural areas, escalating farmland prices, and increasing competition for water from urban and energy development. Mitigating factors are likely to ease some of these pressures. Housing needs should be reduced as the smaller post-baby boom cohort reaches household formation ages and the small 1930s cohort reaches retirement age.