Advances in Agriculture in America and Around the World: New at Reason

There’s been a lot of human progress on agriculture, and it can continue.

Marian Tupy writes:

Last week, Case IH, a manufacturer of agricultural equipment, unveiled a prototype of a farm tractor that can plant, monitor crops, and harvest without a driver. In the future, “autonomous vehicles” could complete the process of mechanization of American farming, thereby further increasing U.S. agricultural productivity. That would continue to reduce the price of food by limiting costs associated with human labor (e.g., salaries, injuries, insurance, pensions, etc). The negative effects of increased mechanization on the labor market should be minimal, since only 1.5 percent of the American labor force works in the agricultural sector. Conversely, productivity improvements in agriculture could increase positive effects on the environment.

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