land is used for new homes, schools, shopping centers, airports, industrial 

 parks, recreational areas, and other uses associated with a growing urban 

 population and phosphate mining. The report contends that Florida, as one of 

 the fastest growing states, will continue to put an inordinate demand for 

 "new" lands. Some of the loss of prime and unique farmlands is irreplaceable, 

 a focal point of the Committee's argument for the retention of agricultural 

 land. To combat this loss, the Committee recommended more comprehensive land 

 use plans, extensive soil surveys and mapping, elimination of any State pro- 

 jects that might have a serious adverse impact on farm lands, and the monitor- 

 ing of local land use alteration or development. 



The Committee's report does not identify the economic reasons why the 

 trend in agricultural land loss is necessarily unwanted, unproductive, or 

 socially unacceptable. Recently there has been much discussion and concern 

 over the disappearance of farm land because of its impact on future genera- 

 tions, and the capacity of the remaining land to sustain the population. 



The change of agricultural lands to other uses is the natural response 

 of any freely functioning market. So far, agricultural production is rising 

 faster than the land is disappearing. In 1954-78, the area of agricultural 

 lands in Florida declined 26% whereas agricultural production increased 146%. 



When the market system is functioning normally, the price operates as a 

 signal. The rise in land values signals the farmers to lower their costs by 

 using less expensive capital and labor. This shift allows resources to be 

 utilized by those who value them the most and permit a more efficient alloca- 

 tion of resources. Efficiency increases because it forces the farmers to use 

 least-cost methods of production and become more productive with the resources 

 at hand. 



There is yet another viewpoint on the changing pattern of land use. 

 Perhaps it is not the demand of nonfarm land users that is responsible for the 

 loss of agricultural lands. Improved technology has increased productivity 

 per acre and decreased the agricultural sector's need for land. Farmers find 

 that they can produce more with less land, and cut expenses and raise revenue 

 by selling land. In short, the farmer is releasing land for other uses. 

 Generally, urban populations cannot increase without the use of additional 

 land. 



ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS 



Florida is no longer a frontier land where the conflict among industry, 

 agriculture, cities, and citizens were not major environmental issues. Only a 

 few decades ago pollution was at low levels and chemicals were natural, bio- 

 degradable, and deteriorated in a short time or turned to sediment. Land, 

 timber, water, and other resources were abundant. After intensive land devel- 

 opment, these land uses often are in serious conflict. Examples are the 

 emissions from a fossil -fueled power plant that may indirectly damage forests, 

 crops, lakes, and even buildings because of acid rain. Chemicals and pesti- 

 cides often are used without much restriction. These are often made of syn- 

 thetic compounds which take many years to break down and complicate nature's 

 capacity to assimilate them. Further conflicts are given in the following 

 sections. 



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