US farmers, the intended beneficiaries of these policies, have languished, despite official rhetoric
US farmers, the intended beneficiaries of these policies, have languished, despite official rhetoric to the contrary. Meanwhile, major agribusinesses have thrived, while aggregate US exports remained flat, and farmer income from the marketplace declined dramatically. Plummeting world prices have followed the US lead, where prices of primary agricultural exports (corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, and rice) declined by more than 40 percent since 1996.
Source: "Executive Summary," Rethinking US Agricultural Policy: Changing Course to Secure Farmer Livelihoods Worldwide, September 2003, 1