Public Policy

All Posts
Sustainable Agriculture
Economic Sustainability
Perspectives
What's New
Public Policy
Personal Reflections
Featured Essays
Family Farms/Communities
Factory Farms-CAFOs

a day ago
3 min

A Green New Deal for Family Farms & Rural Communities

The "Green New Deal"[i] has been systematically demonized by corporate propaganda targeting rural America. Rural people have been led to ...

John Ikerd

Nov 24, 2020
3 min

A New Agenda for Farm Bill 2023

I have been writing a regular column for the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development for the past 10 years. My co...

John Ikerd

Nov 17, 2020
4 min

Four Years to Regroup

The election of 2020 is finally over. Yes, it is over. Joe Biden won and Donald Trump lost. This conclusion was not reached quickly or de...

The American Covenant -- Collection of 12 Essays

John Ikerd

Oct 13, 2020
76 min

The American Covenant -- Collection of 12 Essays

This series of short essays makes a compelling case for returning the U.S. to the long, difficult journey toward "a more perfect union."

John Ikerd

Sep 27, 2020
8 min

Can We Afford a New Bill of Rights?

How can the U.S. government pay the economic costs of fulfilling its responsibility to secure liberty and justice for all?

John Ikerd

Sep 18, 2020
8 min

Reaffirming the American Covenant

If our democratic republic survives the November election, it will still not survive unless we reaffirm the American Covenant with God.

John Ikerd

Sep 11, 2020
5 min

Government is Not a Business

“We need to run government like a business”--a common refrain in the U.S. But, governments and businesses have very different purposes.

John Ikerd

Sep 3, 2020
7 min

"Make Us A King"

In democracies, the people consent to common values to guide government. In a monarchy, the individual values of the "king" are supreme.

John Ikerd

Aug 28, 2020
5 min

Reclaiming the American Spirit

In the elections of 2020, Americans will decide whether we continue the quest toward a more perfect union or choose a different future.

John Ikerd

Aug 7, 2020
12 min

The New Progressive Political Agenda

The skepticism of those with memories limited the past 40 years are understandable. The new progressive movement nonetheless holds promise.

John Ikerd

Jul 30, 2020
7 min

Reparation and the Pursuit of Happiness

My previous blog post advocating reparation raised economic and political concerns about reparation. My proposal avoids these concerns.

Reparation for Three Original Sins of the Nation

John Ikerd

Jul 24, 2020
7 min

Reparation for Three Original Sins of the Nation

The denial of territorial rights of Indigenous peoples, human rights of slaves, voting rights of women are three original sins of the U.S.

John Ikerd

Jul 17, 2020
8 min

Toward a More Perfect Union

The United States of America is a “work in progress”—and probably always will be. We must continue the quest "toward a more perfect union."

John Ikerd

Jul 10, 2020
36 min

Finding Common Ground

A compilation of eight post written in 2017 about finding common ground and healing the Great American Political Divide.

John Ikerd

Jul 4, 2020
5 min

In Defense of the Founders

The “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America have been the targets of public criticism, but our problems are not their fault?

John Ikerd

Jun 30, 2020
6 min

Liberty and Justice for All

This nation was founded with a commitment to secure liberty and justice for all. Time is running out to return to those ideals.

John Ikerd

Jun 5, 2020
6 min

What have we learned from the crises?

The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide protests of police brutality have given us opportunities to learn valuable lessons.

Coronavirus Reveals Corporate Colonization of Rural Economies

John Ikerd

May 5, 2020
6 min

Coronavirus Reveals Corporate Colonization of Rural Economies

The coronavirus pandemic has revealed the absolute economic dependency of farming communities on the corporately controlled agri-food sys...

COVID-19 Crises Reveals Need for Systemic Change

John Ikerd

Apr 24, 2020
5 min

COVID-19 Crises Reveals Need for Systemic Change

In my previous blog post, I focused on opportunities for specific changes in the food system created by the COVID-19 crisis.

Crisis and Opportunity for Local Food Systems

John Ikerd

Apr 24, 2020
7 min

Crisis and Opportunity for Local Food Systems

A response to questions I have been asked about the implications of the coronavirus pandemic for the future of the food system.

{"items":["6009e1d476ff8e0017aee474","5fbd7d827687d000174e82d9","5fb40f5fadb2fe0017025138","5f85fb55a9d5780017462b18","5f70df4ca98c3e0018e2c69f","5f650d23a2f9710017dc4e7e","5f5b9c450251250017efd8e3","5f510e1470dda5001779a761","5f49180435ac200017535112","5f2dbc728d4f520017a94cfd","5f2324da50de14002d7e46a5","5f1afda8d53c0a00181f4c25","5f11c85c3a22750017ed1ee4","5f08b79fb52c0b001781c51d","5f00f82a32ab2800171a10db","5efb7dd76bc46c0017587744","5edab20192e1fb0017755f6d","5eb1c469db987e00173ec9f3","5ea350a15dee5e0017433800","5ea31248066eda0017066e2e"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(204,202,202,0.75)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":940,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}

2 3

Other Stuff

John Ikerd

Author, Speaker & Leader in Sustainability

Stay in the loop! Sign up for Updates

A Green New Deal for Family Farms & Rural Communities

A New Agenda for Farm Bill 2023

Four Years to Regroup

The American Covenant -- Collection of 12 Essays

Can We Afford a New Bill of Rights?

Reaffirming the American Covenant

Government is Not a Business

"Make Us A King"

Reclaiming the American Spirit

The New Progressive Political Agenda

Reparation and the Pursuit of Happiness

Reparation for Three Original Sins of the Nation

Toward a More Perfect Union

Finding Common Ground

In Defense of the Founders

Liberty and Justice for All

What have we learned from the crises?

Coronavirus Reveals Corporate Colonization of Rural Economies

COVID-19 Crises Reveals Need for Systemic Change

Crisis and Opportunity for Local Food Systems