John Cotter

Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Fidalgo, Amanda

Area of Concentration

Economics and Political Science

Abstract

Dairy farming has played a significant role in the agricultural sector of many western nations. This is no exception for the United States where dairy farms have dominated the landscapes of states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Idaho for generations. The importance of the industry as a part of people’s diet and income has pushed the US government to heavily support farmers and producers through subsidies, insurance programs, and other interventionist policies. However, despite this support, the industry has struggled to stay afloat. Declining consumer demands in milk due to shifting diets and an oversupply of milk production have led to declining prices and the bankruptcies of two of the US’s largest dairy distributors, not to mention thousands of small dairy farms. The growing question then becomes, how do we fix an industry that is already given so much support? This research paper will look to argue that it is in fact those government support systems which have led to an imbalance in demand and a total stagnation of the industry. Through examining the political and economic pressures, I hope to give a better understanding of what those support structures are and how they affect the livelihood of dairy farmers. Finally, I will look deeper into the structure and influential components around agricultural politics to find out what reforms are actually possible in our governing institutions and current political environment.

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