Non-agricultural groups are increasingly challenging agriculture as a polluter of the environment. Policy responses to findings that groundwater in some cases is contaminated with farm chemicals demonstrate that there are limits to good will towards farmers. Society is prepared to socially...

Cover Photos, Findings, Table of Contents, Guest Editorial by David Ervin, About the Authors

The new biology of the 1990s will integrate ecology and molecular biology in the service of agriculture. This new biology will surprise us. It will not present us with a cornucopia of genetically engineered chimeras. Nor will it present a plethora of chemically dependent cultivars, fragile in...

Retiring land from crop production under the Conservation Reserve Program is expensive and often unnecessary. Instead, more emphasis should be placed on providing incentives for farmers to reduce erosion by adopting better cropping practices. This would cost less than current programs and allow...

A recent U.S. study presents estimates of the effects of banning all pesticides and inorganic nitrogen in U.S. farm production. The research methodology used in the study has serious flaws. In addition, the sponsorship of the study by vested Interests gives the appearance that commercial...