E&A supports farm and transportation policies that increase the prices farmers receive for their crops and support strong, diverse rural economies. Since 1995, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has studied the feasibility of expanding the navigation infrastructure on the Mississippi River to facilitate the export of Midwest grains. Although the project is often cited as an important step toward improving Midwest farm income, E&A's research has shown little evidence that the economic benefits will reach farmers and rural communities.

E&A has collaborated with environmental organizations, farm groups, economists and economic development organizations to examine the impact expanded Mississippi River navigation infrastructure will have on the river, river communities, farmers and other constituents. We continue to challenge the economic assumptions that provide the basis for lock expansion, building on our previous research that found the grain export and barge traffic projections used to justify lock expansion to be overly optimistic.

E&A also examines and promotes non-structural alternatives to lock expansion that could facilitate barge traffic with the current infrastructure. While the Mississippi River navigation issue is usually presented as locks versus no locks, our research has demonstrated that viable alternatives do indeed exist. These alternatives would not only provide significant gains in navigation efficiency, but also better benefit farmers, rural communities, taxpayers and the environment.

For more information about IATP's work on agricultural transportation, contact Mark Muller at (612) 870-3420 or Heather Schoonover at (612) 870-3450.

Related publications

• The Mighty Mississippi: Protect and Restore America's Great River
  by a coalition of groups including IATP
  2006
• 10 Lessons for Agriculture after Hurricane Katrina
  by Mark Muller
  2005
• Barge Leaders See No Need for Longer Locks
  by Mark Muller
  2005
• Another Choice for the Mississippi River
  by Mark Ritchie
  2004
• Twice Cooked Pork: The Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway Navigation Study
  by Environmental Defense, Taxpayers for Common Sense, IATP, et al.
  2004
• Increasing Navigation Efficiency on the Mississippi River Without Lock Expansion
  by Heather Schoonover and Mark Muller
  2003
• Technology We Have vs. Money We Don't: How to Avoid Sinking $2.1 Billion into the Mississippi River
  by IATP and Sustain
  2003
• Comments on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway System Navigation Study
  Testimony presented at Corps' meeting by Mark Muller
  October 28, 2003
• Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterways: How to Reduce Waiting Times of Vessels While Using the Current Infrastructure
  by the Center for Transportation Studies, University of Missouri-St. Louis
  February 2003
• Myth: Barges are the Most Fuel-Efficient Mode of Transportation for Agriculture Commodities
  2002
• How U.S. Grain Export Projections from Large Scale Agricultural Sector Models Compare with Reality
  by C. Phillip Baumel
  May 2001
• A Review of the Revised Grain Traffic Forecasts Used in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River/Illinois Waterway System Navigation Study
  by Mark Muller
  November 2000
• Mississippi River Navigation: Helping the Midwest Compete with South American Soybeans?
  by Mark Muller
  September 2000
• Will it Really Help Farmers? The Upper Mississippi River Navigation Project.
  by Richard A. Levins, Philip W. Rice, Elizabeth R. Sawin
  June 2000
• Feeding the World?: The Upper Mississippi River Navigation Study
  by Mark Muller and Richard A. Levins
  December 1999

Food Versus Fuel in the United States: Can Both Win in the Era of Ethanol: This report explores the effect of U.S. ethanol production on the world's hungry. October 2007 | MARK MULLER, TAMMY YELDON AND HEATHER SCHOONOVER | PDF

A Fair Farm Bill for Conservation: This paper analyzes the history of conservation programs in the Farm Bill and makes recommendations for improving them.SEPTEMBER  2007 | IATP | PDF

Water Use by Ethanol Plants: Potential Challenges: The shortage of available water could become the Achilles heel of the ethanol boom if more efficient use of water isn't made a priority.OCTOBER 2006 | DR. DENNIS KEENEY AND MARK MULLER/IATP | PDF

Food Without Thought: How U.S. Farm Policy Contributes to Obesity : U.S. farm policy geared towards driving down prices for corn and soybeans is a significant contributor to the nation's obesity epidemic.APRIL 2006 | MARK MULLER AND HEATHER SCHOONOVER | PDF