The So-Called "Non-Economic" Objectives of Agricultural Policy

Agricultural support costs OECD countries billions of dollars per year in lost income. It is frequently argued, however, that this is not waste, but is rather a fair price to pay for a number of "non-economic" objectives such as thriving rural communities and increased national security. This paper analyses these objectives and their relationship with agricultural policy. It draws three conclusions: first, the so-called non-economic objectives (SNOs) are, in fact, economic; second, being economic they are amenable to quantification and economic analysis; and, third, present forms of agricultural support may be inefficient means to achieve these objectives ...