Problems Faced by Farmers

Although current technology allows farmers to spend fewer hours working in the fields, life for many farmers can still be difficult. In addition to problems they've faced for generations, modern farmers face a range of new problems.

Time Frame

Abrupt seasonal weather changes, including floods, early frosts and winter blizzards, cause various problems for farmers, including loss of crops and stock.

Considerations

The movement of people from cities into rural areas causes the shift of agricultural land to residential land, which results in a loss of farmland for agricultural purposes. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 3000 agricultural acres undergo development each day in the United States.

Geography

Signed into law in 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) caused farmers in Mexico, the United States and Canada to compete with one another, forcing them to accept lower prices for their produce and crops, according to Public Citizen, a national consumer advocacy group.

Socioeconomics

According to Cornell University Cooperative Extension, smelly animal manure that accompanies farm operations frequently causes problems between farmers and non-farm property owners, with the problems sometimes even escalating to legal battles.

Significance

Since they typically have a higher cost of production and don't qualify for significant government subsidies, small family farms have trouble competing with larger factory-operated farms in the US, so many of them can't afford financially to stay in business, according to Citizen.org.

References

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Citizen.org
• Cornell University Cooperative Extension

Resources

• Farm Aid