Patrick C. Westhoff

Do “Decoupled” Payments Affect U.S. Crop Area? Preliminary Evidence from 1997–2000

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996 changed the manner in which the U.S. government provides direct payments to U.S. farmers. Under the FAIR Act, producers are eligible for fixed production flexibility contract (PFC) payments independent of the production of specific crops.1 With a few exceptions,2 supplemental market loss assistance (MLA) payments authorized in subsequent legislation have been made to producers under similar terms; i.e., a producer cannot increase or decrease MLA payments by increasing or decreasing production. The United States has declared that PFC

Economic Effects of Biofuel Production on States and Rural Communities

This study summarizes research on farm-, local-, regional-, and macro-level economic effects of ethanol production. Given current production levels, the ethanol production industry annually employees approximately 3,500 workers, pays out nearly

Model closure and price formation under switching grain market regimes in South Africa

132 million in worker salaries, generates over

Challenges in Modeling the Effects of Trade Agreements on the Agricultural Sector

110 million in local taxes, and takes in some

The 2014 Farm Bill and the WTO

2 billion in government incentive payments. Projections for a 60 million gallon per year ethanol plant indicate an annual increase in corn usage of 21 million bushels, a one-time capitalization of

Impact of trade controls on price transmission between southern African maize markets

75 million, an increase in local corn prices between

Food costs and the 1988 US drought: An assessment of stock policies

0.06/bushel and

How does petroleum price and corn yield volatility affect ethanol markets with and without an ethanol use mandate

0.12/bushel, a 54 direct and 210 indirect jobs created, and increase in local tax revenues of

Impacts of WTO restrictions on subsidized EU sugar exports

1.2 million, a decrease in federal commodity program outlays of

The Doha Round of the World Trade Organization and Agricultural Markets Liberalization: Impacts on Developing Economies

30 million, and an increase in ethanol production incentives (federal only) of around