The 1996 Farm Act Increases Market Orientation

by Edwin Young and Paul Westcott

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, a milestone in U.S. agricultural policy, provides new farm sector law for 1996-2002, fundamentally redesigning income support programs and discontinuing supply management programs for producers of many commodities. This bulletin provides a general overview of major changes related to production agriculture resulting from the commodity provisions, agricultural trade provisions, and conservation provisions of the Act.

Keywords: Farm legislation, the 1996 Act, FACT Act, agricultural programs, farm income, production flexibility contracts, dairy, sugar, peanuts

In this publication...

• Entire Report
• Introduction
• 1996 Act Redesigns U.S. Farm Programs
• Aggregate Impacts of the 1996 Act Relatively Small
• Sectorwide Impacts Mixed
• Glossary and References