This data presents a picture of farm policy since the major revisions enacted in the 2014 Farm Bill and before the troubling changes enacted last year in the Reconciliation Farm Bill. Such largesse for so few raises many difficult questions for farm policy, as do the persistent imbalances and disparities revealed by each slice of the data. Those questions are pieces of a bigger picture about political power and how it operates in policy.

Illinois farmland turnover follows consistent patterns mirroring the broader Corn Belt, though at significantly lower levels than other real estate forms. Even through multiple economic cycles including commodity expansions, margin compression, financial market stress, and the recent inflation surge, the volume of land changing hands fluctuated within a narrow range relative to total supply. However, due to the thin market, small percentage shifts still represent large variations in annual parcel sales.

Global soybean production is viewed as dominated by Brazil, the United States, and, to a lesser extent, Argentina. The three countries typically account for around 80% of global soybean production and 88% of global exports. However, other South American countries have significantly increased soybean production over the past 50 years. Paraguay is one such country. It accounts for less than 3% of global soybean production but has the potential for a larger role in global trade.

With Iran restricting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route linking the Persian Gulf to global export markets, major supply disruptions have been affecting the United States and Brazil – the world’s two largest country-level fertilizer importers. This article compares fertilizer supply and demand trends over the past five years in both countries, analyzing the scale of their external dependence and the potential implications for agricultural competitiveness.

In 2025, the total of all economic costs per acre for growing corn in Illinois averaged $1,190 in the northern section, $1,216 in the central section for farmland with “high”…

On March 27th the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the long-awaited final rule establishing Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2026 and 2027.  This…