Market-Driven Corn Monocropping in the U.S. Midwest. (August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Haoying; Ortiz-Bobea, Ariel
• Is Part Of: Agricultural and resource economics review. Volume 48:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 274
• Page End: 296
• Publication Date: 2019-08
• Subjects: Corn Monocropping, -- Crop Rotation, -- Land Cover, -- Market Fluctuations, -- Remote-sensing Data; Sustainable agriculture -- Periodicals; Sustainable agriculture -- United States -- Periodicals; Natural resources -- Periodicals; Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; Rural development -- Periodicals; 338.10974
• DOI: 10.1017/age.2019.4
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1068-2805

Abstract

Abstract : This study examines the market drivers of corn monocropping in the U.S. Midwest by empirically analyzing crop rotation responses to market fluctuation from 2005 to 2014 and the price shock induced by the recent biofuel mandate. We find that the expected market returns for crops have a significant impact on farmers' decisions about monocropping. We also find that corn monocropping is loosely associated with the presence of nearby ethanol plants. This study illustrates the emerging use of high-resolution land cover data to tackle critical agribusiness and agro-environmental policy questions that remain elusive with aggregate data.