ifoam'96 Book of Abstracts 11th IFOAM Scientific Conference 11-15 August 1996, Copenhagen, Denmark

ECOWEB FRONT PAGE SUBJECT INDEX AUTHOR INDEX

Workshop

State intervention in agricultural capital markets W24

The University of Oregon, Eugene 97403-1284

Historical analysis of the relationship between farmers, lending intermediaries, markets, and the state provides insight into current policy debates in the United States. Advocates of sustainable agriculture confront challenges associated with a financial management era. Key rules and practices in agricultural lending are the product of state intervention in the capital market for land mortgage loans. Battles over access to credit for land ownership exemplify long-standing divisions within the rural credit reform movement in the United States. These conflicts are mediated by the state. The challenge is to identify the failures of past policy interventions, and to create legitimacy for a state role in finance for sustainable farming practices.