Where Is American Agriculture in Its “Life Cycle”?

The increasing globalization of agricultural markets in recent decades appears to be changing the economics of the American production agriculture sector, reducing its economic importance and raising questions about its life cycle. This study contributes to the product life cycle literature by creating tests of hypotheses about the economic life of American production agriculture. A methodology to test the hypotheses is proposed and then applied in an empirical analysis. In general, it appears that a new stage in American agriculture’s life began during the 1973-1983 period. Finally, the results and their implications for the American production agriculture sector are discussed.