Intended and Unintended Effects of U.S. Agricultural and Biotechnology Policies

Using economic models and empirical analysis, this volume examines a range of agricultural and biofuel policy issues with regard to their effects on American agricultural and agrarian insurance markets. Beginning with a look at the distribution of funds by insurance programs - created to support farmers but often benefiting crop processors instead - the book also examines the demand for biofuel and the effects of biofuel policies on agricultural price uncertainty. Also discussed are genetically engineered crops, which are assuming an increasingly important role in arbitrating tensions between energy production, environmental protection, and the global food supply.