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Alternative Scenarios of Energy Use in U.S. Crop Production*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Angelos Pagoulatos  and
John F. Timmons
Angelos Pagoulatos
Affiliation:
University of Kentucky
John F. Timmons
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
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Extract

Agriculture has been among the most productive sectors of the U.S. economy. The agricultural sector uses only four percent of the labor force to produce food needed for both domestic use and export demand. Consumers in the U.S. spend only about 17 percent of their disposable income on food, the smallest percentage of any country in the world.

That energy has been recognized as the propelling force for current and continuing agricultural productivity, along with the prospect of much higher costs, have given rise to a growing interest in technologies or systems of agriculture that are less energy intensive. Possible future adjustments in agriculture may affect output levels, costs and conservation of land and water qualities.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , December 1977 , pp. 9 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 1977

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Footnotes

*

With the usual caveats, thanks are due to D. Debertin, A. Randall, L. Jones and the reviewers for their helpful comments. Journal paper No. 77-1-54 of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.

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