Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
The industrialization of agriculture is with us. It's driven by consumer and processor needs, supported by new and useful technology, and augmented by the severe agricultural recession of the 1980s, which changed attitudes towards risk. The consequences for farm policy and rural development are significant, and should be favorable.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Thomas N. Urban (1991) studied this question.