overview
Food and agricultural systems operate in a highly competitive global context, and the United States is a major player in these international markets—the U.S. share of the global market for agricultural goods averages just under 20 percent. Since U.S. farms produce far beyond domestic demand for many crops, maintaining a competitive agricultural system is critical to ensuring the economic viability of U.S. agriculture. At the same time, U.S. agriculture is a diverse economic sector. Differences in commodity type, farm size, operator and household characteristics, and even goals for farming affect the competitiveness of individual operations and ultimately of the sector as a whole.

In recent years, changes in the rules of trade, shifts in domestic policy, and new developments in technology have altered the competitive landscape of global agriculture and the challenges facing American farmers. ERS research focuses on these and other economic issues affecting the U.S. food and agriculture sector's competitiveness, including factors related to performance, structure, risk and uncertainty, marketing, and market and nonmarket trade barriers. More overview...

related briefing rooms

• Special topics:
  Agricultural baseline projections
  Agricultural research and productivity
  Animal production and marketing issues
  Farm and commodity policy
  Farm financial management
  Farm income and costs
  Farm policy, farm households, and the rural economy
  Farm risk management
  Farm structure
  Global food security
  Invasive species management
  Macroeconomics and agriculture
  North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  Organic farming and marketing
  Traceability in the U.S. food supply
  U.S. agricultural trade
  World Trade Organization (WTO)
  

features
European Union Adopts Significant Farm Reform examines recent reforms in the European Union's (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which are based on earlier reforms enacted since 1992. The latest reforms move to fully decoupled payments through a single farm payment, which has important implications for WTO negotiations and EU farmers’ decisions on what to produce. For the full report, see CAP Reform of 2003-04.

Peanut Policy Change and Adjustment Under the 2002 Farm Act examines the experience of the peanut sector following the 2002 Farm Act's elimination of the marketing quota system. Although peanut prices and acreage declined following elimination of the marketing quota, increased planting flexibility has allowed growers to expand production in higher yielding areas, and sector revenues are expected to be relatively stable.

U.S. 2003 and 2004 Livestock and Poultry Trade Influenced by Animal Disease and Trade Restrictions discusses how animal diseases and disease-related trade restrictions have influenced trade in animal products in the past few years, with an emphasis on 2003 and forecasts for 2004. Disease outbreaks and related trade restrictions have slowed previously expected high growth in many U.S. animal product exports, with U.S. beef exports most affected.

recommended readings
Global Trade Patterns in Fruits and Vegetables examines the domestic markets and trade experiences of major fruit and vegetable traders to better understand the economic and institutional factors affecting trade. With major advances in produce handling and transport, combined with trade agreements and changing consumers preferences as incomes rise, a more global market is providing consumers with greater year-round variety.

Food Security Assessment, 2004 projects food gaps in 70 low-income developing countries and presents findings for North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Food aid's past performance and future role are discussed in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. food aid program. Special articles focus on food security and food assistance programs in Brazil and food security developments in Russia.

EU Enlargement: Implications for New Member Countries, the United States, and World Trade analyzes the likely impacts of European Union (EU) enlargement on production and trade in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries about to join the EU and impacts on U.S. trade with the enlarged EU. The United States stands to lose its poultry market in the CEEs, but could see slightly larger wheat exports.

See all recommended readings...

recommended data products
Agricultural Outlook Statistical Indicators, formerly provided in Agricultural Outlook magazine, provide data on individual commodities, the general economy, agricultural trade, farm income and expenses, farm prices, food prices and expenditures, and other statistical indicators of the food and agriculture system.

Agricultural Exchange Rate Data Set contains annual and monthly data for exchange rates important to U.S. agriculture. It includes both nominal and real exchange rates for 80 countries (plus the European Union) as well as real trade-weighted exchange rate indexes for many commodities and aggregations.

WTO Agricultural Trade Policy Commitments Database contains data on implementation of trade policy commitments by WTO member countries. Data on domestic support, export subsidies, and tariffs are organized for comparison across countries. This queriable database offers various options for viewing and downloading data.

Farm Income provides farm income forecasts, updated regularly, and farm income estimates, released once a year. Forecasts are developed using an economic accounting model that generates forecasts of value-added and farm income, plus component accounts of cash receipts and production expenditures, for the national farm sector. Estimates are derived from survey data gathered by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and other national institutions over the course of the year.

See all recommended data products...

newsletters
ERS develops newsletters, many of which are issued monthly, highlighting timely developments in U.S. and global markets. Commodity-based newsletters include: cotton and wool, feed grains, oil crops, wheat, rice, fruit and tree nuts, vegetables and melons, sugar and sweeteners, tobacco, aquaculture, and livestock, dairy, and poultry. We also issue the Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, U.S. Agricultural Trade Update, and Agricultural Income and Finance. See the 2004 calendar of releases.

related links
USDA agencies and other government organizations of interest in the area of agricultural competitiveness.

See all related links...

for more information, contact: Mary Bohman or Lewrene Glaser
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: October 5, 2004