Lean supplies, strong export activity, and vibrant demand both at home and abroad have pushed crop prices to record highs, offsetting today¿s spiraling production costs. As a result, farm profits and investments have soared, and farmland values have boomed. The author discusses current farmland value trends and analyzes the factors underlying the recent surge. He concludes that the recent surge in farmland values tracks expected gains in crop returns. At the same time, however, an unexpected surge in production costs or a drop in crop prices could undercut farmland values and pose a financial risk to the farm sector. Thus far, however, the industry¿s debt levels are up only modestly, helping to mitigate the risks of a drop in farm incomes. Charts and tables.

Bundeling van lezingen gehouden op een symposium over kleine (Amerikaanse) landbouwbedrijven (gezinsbedrijven). De resultaten van recent onderzoek specifiek gericht op deze bedrijven worden weergegeven. De gevolgen van de ontwikkeling van de gezinsbedrijven voor de families, de economie, de plattelands- en stedelijke consumenten, de landbouw in de wereld en de gevolgen voor andere terreinen worden beschreven

This text contains a selection of the papers presented at the Joint Conference on Food, Agriculture, and the Environment, organized by the University of Minnesota and several universities in Italy, and held in Bologna, Italy, on June 12-14, 2001. The papers are grouped into four sections: food, nutrition, and quality; land and resource assessment; agriculture and rural development; and environment and markets. Readers should gain insights concerning alternative approaches to dealing with important policy issues.