That may not be an immediate threat to the national food supply. But as the American Farmland Trust points out, if this trend continues, even with only mild population growth, we could find ourselves as a net food importer by the late 21 st century. And I don't think any of us want to be dependent on food imports the way we are on oil imports. Even if the food supply is unaffected, consider the other implications of farmland development. Farmers' responsibilities, after all, go beyond just feeding our people.
Farmers are the primary stewards of the American landscape.
Their commodities include more than wheat, cotton, dairy, livestock and so on. Clean water, purified air, healthy wildlife habitats, rich soil - these too are farm commodities, which are enjoyed by urban and rural citizens alike. So USDA has several programs designed to protect agricultural land and help farmers do their work in an environmentally responsible way. Our Farmland Protection Program provides funding to state and local governments for the purchase of conservation easements from farmers in order to keep their land in production. Our Conservation Reserve Program makes payments to farmers for idling environmentally sensitive land.