Letter to the Editorial Office: Work on Sustainability

When I first started to work on sustainable agriculture more than 20 years ago, there was relatively little understanding of what sustainability was about and very little information available related specifically to sustainable agriculture. On issues related to the economics of sustainability, academic information was virtually nonexistent. In the early years, I thought I might make a significant contribution as an academic agricultural economist committed to sustainability.

Over the years, my work has paralleled the evolution of a new American food and farming economy – the emergence of the “new American farmer” in response to the market evolution from natural to organic and now to local foods.