We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Economics

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are the Different Types of Agricultural Policy?

By Felicia Dye
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 21,021
Share

Agricultural policy normally refers to a set of laws and regulations that control the business of agriculture. Some policies may be concerned with domestic activities such as land use. Other types of policies may deal with international agriculture issues such as taxes.

Agriculture is generally a very important issue for governments. People are usually required to be responsible for feeding themselves. They exercise their responsibility by purchasing food. A government, however, tends to be the entity responsible for ensuring that there is sufficient, safe food on the market to be purchased. To ensure that it is doing its part, a government may attempt to achieve a number of goals through different types of agricultural policies.

Pricing, for example, is an area that may be too sensitive for governments to leave it to chance. This is especially true with staple items such as rice, wheat, or cornmeal. In countries that have large numbers of poor people, governments often deem it necessary to regulate prices on basic items. This is an effort to prevent mass starvation and malnutrition. Regulating prices can also help reduce the number of people who may otherwise seek relief from the government.

Nutrition is another important focus of agricultural policy. Good governance generally includes concern about the welfare of the people. It is not always good enough for a government to ensure that there is food on the market. The government may also need to consider whether the food that is available contains the nutrients that people need to be healthy. In cases where there is limited access to a wide variety of foods, enrichment and fortification may become matters of agricultural policy.

Enrichment and fortification aim to make sure that food contains the nutrients that are essential to a healthy life. Making sure that food does not contain things that are harmful is also a priority for most governments. Agricultural policy may mandate the use of certain fertilizers and pesticides while banning others. There may also be laws preventing the importation of certain foods from certain places due to fear that they may cause mass infections, such as foot-and-mouth disease.

Another reason that governments may prevent importation is to protect domestic markets. In many countries, large segments of the population earn a living through agriculture. If foreign goods of the same type are allowed to flood their markets, it could endanger the livelihoods of millions of people.

Most countries tend to have a positive outlook toward selling excess food on international markets. In some cases, however, agricultural policy will restrict exports. This may happen when there is fear that a certain food item is becoming scarce.

Share
Historical Index is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.historicalindex.org/what-are-the-different-types-of-agricultural-policy.htm
Copy this link
Historical Index, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Historical Index, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.