Ecolex Logo
The gateway to
environmental law
Search results » Legislation

Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 USC Ch. 73)

Country/Territory
United States of America
Document type
Legislation
Date
2020
Source
FAO, FAOLEX
Subject
Agricultural & rural development, Land & soil
Keyword
Food security Internal trade International trade Policy/planning Agricultural land Soil conservation/soil improvement Soil pollution/quality Land-use planning Classification/declassification
Geographical area
Americas, Arctic, East Pacific, North America, North Atlantic
Abstract

This act provides for farmland protection policy. It states that Congress finds that (1) the Nation's farmland is a unique natural resource and provides food and fiber necessary for the continued welfare of the people of the United States; (2) each year, a large amount of the Nation's farmland is irrevocably converted from actual or potential agricultural use to nonagricultural use; (3) continued decrease in the Nation's farmland base may threaten the ability of the United States to produce food and fiber in sufficient quantities to meet domestic needs and the demands of our export markets; (4) the extensive use of farmland for nonagricultural purposes undermines the economic base of many rural areas; (5) Federal actions, in many cases, result in the conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses where alternative actions would be preferred; (6) the Department of Agriculture is the agency primarily responsible for the implementation of Federal policy with respect to United States farmland, assuring the maintenance of the agricultural production capacity of the United States, and has the personnel and other resources needed to implement national farmland protection policy; and (7) the Department of Agriculture and other Federal agencies should take steps to assure that the actions of the Federal Government do not cause United States farmland to be irreversibly converted to nonagricultural uses in cases in which other national interests do not override the importance of the protection of farmland nor otherwise outweigh the benefits of maintaining farmland resources.

Full text
English
Website
uscode.house.gov