Reductions in maximum Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres mandated by the 2008 Farm Act, along with relatively high agricultural commodity prices, could lead to reduced overall environmental benefits and higher CRP costs. ERS is analyzing alternative enrollment policies and practices that...

Americans are increasingly overweight, with the number of obese adults and overweight children doubling between the late 1970s and early 2000s. Several studies of the health consequences of Americans’ weight gain indicate that health care costs and the number of premature deaths...

Over the past two decades, the Federal tax code increasingly has been used as a tool for achieving social and other policy objectives, primarily through the expanded use of tax credits. A larger share of rural taxpayers benefit from Federal tax policies aimed at lower income taxpayers because...

ERS research shows that away-from-home meals and snacks tend to contain more calories and to be of lower nutritional quality than food prepared at home. Recent legislation will require chain restaurants across the United States to list calorie information on their menus and menu boards. Calorie...

Federal programs may encourage farmers to convert native grasslands—land that has never been cultivated — to production of corn, soybeans, and other crops, leading to potential losses of Northern Plains' native grasslands. Federally subsidized crop insurance reduces risk associated...