Abstract
This study aims to clarify the support system for small family farms (SFFs) in the U.S. So far, SFFs have gotten scarcely any direct support from the public sector, while large-scale farms that grow targeted program crops have received large subsidies. Nowadays, SFFs are expected to build a new local food system by providing safe food. So, maintaining SFFs is perceived as one way for assisting U.S. agriculture.
I start this paper by describing the American social welfare service system, because it is part of the basic structure of the SFF support system. Then, I characterize U.S. society as a mixed welfare society, which means that both the public and private sectors provide services to citizens. Next, three cases are analyzed from a viewpoint of actual activities that provide support to SFFs. At the end, a theory of the support system for SFFs is presented that flows from the case study results.
The conclusions are as follows. First, non-profit support organizations help make the competitive grant programs efficient by means of employing professional staffs who can get competitive grants that are used to support the programs. Second, SFFs are linked to each other in a network to reduce the risk of failing to obtain competitive grants. The network works as a “safety-net.” Third, advocacy organizations have an important role in prompting the public sector to make effective and appropriate policy and grant programs for SFFs. Finally, I conclude that the combination of non-profit organizations and competitive grants make the support for SFFs efficient and effective under small budgets and in a mixed welfare society such as the U.S.
