In 1995 there are more than 200 WQIP projects targeted to small watersheds. The Economics of Sustainable Agriculture One of the key concerns about sustainable agriculture is whether it can be as productive and profitable as conventional agriculture. However, an overview of the results to date suggests that sustainable farms can be competitive with conventional farms in the drier, grain-growing areas of the Midwest, Great Plains, Northwest and Northeast. When sustainable farms in these areas are profitable, it is because they have managed to maintain yields while cutting costs. The literature also suggests that the period of transition from conventional to sustainable practices is economically risky, especially if it is attempted for the entire farm all at once.
Studies also show that, on average, sustainable farms are smaller than conventional farms.
Research has not been done to determine whether this is cause or effect. It also would give States and regions the responsibility of deciding which environmental problems are priorities. Sustainable agriculture proponents, who generally favor the consolidation of programs and a shift to more local control, support this proposal. The beef cattle industry always has strongly opposed proposals to allow grazing on land enrolled in conservation programs, fearing market disruption from increased meat production. The Senate Agriculture Committee approved a farm bill research title in July 1995.