Abstract
World War II was a pivotal time for US agriculture. Production and farm income rose. Congress did not want a replay of the market crash that followed World War I. This chapter starts with a review of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), the financing mechanism for New Deal farm programs and ends with a discussion of post war policies to stabilize agricultural markets, including the so-called permanent farm bill of 1949, the Marshall Plan, and the Food for Peace program. Wartime efforts to control prices and ration strategic commodities, and supplement the agricultural labor pool are also discussed.
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Notes
- 1.
Laws allowing businesses to incorporate in the state of Delaware were established in 1792. Any legal disputes arising from those incorporations are handled by the Delaware Court of Chancery, which handles only business law cases and reaches decisions without use of juries. For these reasons, and the lack of a state income tax on such businesses, many companies choose to incorporate in this state, even if they primarily operate in other parts of the country.
- 2.
The USDA officials designated to serve on the CCC Board must be confirmed separately in those roles by the Senate, in addition to their confirmation for their sub-Cabinet positions. The Secretary’s role on the CCC Board does not require separation Senate confirmation, as he is deemed to be an ex officio member.
- 3.
The Republican majority in Congress objected to the use of this authority by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2010 to provide assistance to farmers affected by natural disasters in Congress, though such assistance had not been specifically authorized by Congress.
- 4.
Wickard was nominated as Secretary of Agriculture to replace the previous Secretary, Henry A. Wallace, who resigned to run as President Roosevelt’s vice presidential running mate for his third term in 1940.
- 5.
Austria had been absorbed by Germany under the Anschluss annexation vote held in Austria in 1938.
- 6.
Formally, P.L. 83–480.
- 7.
Although no longer utilized, the Title I program allowed agreements for repayment of loans to purchase commodities for up to a 30-year period, with an additional 5-year grace period for repayment at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. The level of interest rates was subject to determination by the Secretary, but they had to be “concessional” (Section 103 of the Food for Peace Act).
- 8.
The World Food Program of the United Nations did not exist when PL 480 passed in 1954. However once it was established in 1961, it became a significant recipient of PL 480 donations and remains a significant partner in this effort to assist populations with food around the globe.
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Mercier, S.A., Halbrook, S.A. (2020). US Policy During and After World War II. In: Agricultural Policy of the United States. Palgrave Studies in Agricultural Economics and Food Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36452-6_13
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