Technical progress drives farm profitability, efficiency decline threatens sustainability.
The article looks at why farms in Kansas made more or less money over 18 years. They found that changes in how efficiently farms used resources and changes in prices were the main reasons for profit changes. The main reason for profit changes was how well farms used resources, not how prices changed. Farms that got bigger or specialized in certain crops had different profits and productivity levels. The study suggests that more research and development is needed to help farms make more money.