Now over 25 years old, as of June 2012 the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) removes over 29 million acres of environmentally sensitive farmland from crop production under 10- to 15-year contracts. Over time, the program's size and goals have changed, from its early emphasis on limiting crop...

The range of environmental problems confronting agriculture has expanded in recent years. As the largest program designed to mitigate the negative environmental effects of agriculture, the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has broadened its initial focus on reductions in soil erosion to...