This section discusses the five most common reasons agricultural land is converted to other uses. The demand for land is a national issue. During the 1990s, population and economic growth in the U.S. stimulated competition for land. This demand has caused increased pressures on lands previously used for production of agricultural corps, commodities, livestock, or forests. Communities respond to these challenges in different ways.
Some local governments mandate the protection of certain agricultural lands.
In other communities, private landowners are able to subdivide and sell their land as they deem appropriate. In some communities these two perspectives are fiercely debated. Often the debates result in emotionally charged battles. Agricultural Business Realities Farming is a risky business subject to the fluctuations of nature and government policies, and further aggravated by the farmers' inability to set proces for their products. Over time the land owned by farmers becomes their insurance against unplanned events.