Introduction Agricultural producers, similar to other businesses, face significant risk. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service identifies five different types of farming risk: human and personal risk (such as human health), institutional risk (regarding governmental action), financial risk (such as access to capital), price or market risk, and production risk (such as weather and pests). Of these, policymakers usually focus on the last two types.
At a time when there seems to be wide disagreement about almost every issue, there’s wide bipartisan support for one very important issue: Congress should reform the out of control and outdated farm handout system.