4.4.12.C.+-Analyze+and+research+the+social,+political,+and+economic+factors+that+affect+agricultural+systems.

Social:
 In the 1900's farming underwent huge changes. It developed into an industry, as it is today. The stereotypical independent farmer, providing food for his family and selling surpluses at local markets for extra cash, began to vanish quickly. Their land was being bought and used, where ever urban development was possible. This continues to this day. Farm land is being gobbled up acres at a time by contractors and builders. According to the Center for Rural Affairs, the United States, in 1978, had 350,000 farmers that were 34 years of age or younger. The USDA 2002 Census of Agriculture revealed, about 70,000 people 34 years of age or younger listing their primary occupation as farming. 

Political :
Protecting agriculture is a job of the government. As a result, many laws and regulations have been created that aim to keep farms safe and productive. For example, the Agriculture Bills that have been passed over the years (they are revised and renewed every few years), were created to touch upon various aspects of farming. There has been recent controversy regarding the Farm Bill of 2007, which is to replace the Farm Bill that expired in September 2007. According to the Center for Rural Affairs t he new Farm Bill strongly pushes the reinvestment in rural areas and rebuilding the farming occupation. The US Department of Labor says agricultural inspectors, another type of agricultural worker, are employed by Federal and State governments to ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing the health, safety, and quality of agricultural commodities. Inspectors also make sure that the facilities and equipment used in processing the commodities meet legal standards.


Housing and contracting has greatly impacted the economics of farming in recent years. Farmers are being offered large amounts of money for their land, in fact, the payment for their land outweighs the amount they would bring in if they continued to farm. As a result, more and more farmers are selling their land to contractors which greatly decreases the amount of land dedicated to farming. Although this may not seem a priority now, it years to come it may be a large problem.

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that overall employment of agricultural workers is expected to decline about 2 percent in the 2006-16 decade, which is considered little or no change. Farmworkers in crop production often are paid piece rates, with earnings based on how much they do instead of how many hours they work. Farmworkers tend to receive fewer benefits than those in many other occupations. Some employers supply seasonal workers with room and board. Agricultural inspectors employed by State and Federal Governments tend to have very good benefits. 

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 <span style="FONT-SIZE: 75%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Incomes of farmers and ranchers vary greatly from year to year because prices of farm products fluctuate depending upon weather conditions and other factors that influence the quantity and quality of farm output and the demand for those products. A farm that shows a large profit in one year may show a loss in the following year. Farmers, however, often receive government subsidies or other payments that supplement their incomes and reduce some of the risk of farming. Price supports for dairy farmers, though, are being phased out and may result in lower incomes for these farmers. Many farmers—primarily operators of small farms—have income from off-farm business activities or careers, often greater than that of their farm income (Walters State). ======

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