Future Drivers for U.S. Midwest Agriculture

Michael Gunderson, PhD , Blaine Nelson and Tom Karmel

JAN 20, 2021

Over the last 40 years, the landscape of the U.S. Midwest has shifted. A confluence of events—including globalization, free trade agreements, and renewal fuel mandates—incentivized farmers to increasingly sow soybeans instead of wheat. And while the corn-soybean rotation still controls Midwest acreage, new industry drivers could soon initiate another change. An increasingly electric economy, a growing alternative protein market, and a changing climate all have the potential to alter what is produced and where it is produced in the U.S. Midwest.

Authors

Michael Gunderson

Head of Agricultural Research & Strategy

Blaine Nelson

Associate Director, Agricultural Research & Strategy

Tom Karmel

Associate Director, Agricultural Research & Strategy