Preserving America's Farmland--A Goal the Federal Government Should Support

Farmland is essential to the Nation's abundant agricultural production which has not only fed U.S. citizens well, but has been a positive contributor to the balance of payments and to humanitarian commitments to developing countries. Since the 1973-1974 grain purchases by the Soviet Union which eliminated surpluses and sharply increased commodity prices, there has been a growing concern about the loss of farmland. GAO examined how farmland can be preserved and what role the Federal Government should play to protect it.