Table 1.

Comparing outcomes between current practices and alternatives ($ billions).

	Current	Limit NH3 loss	Limit NH3 loss + lower N input	Limit NH3 loss + lower N input + land retirement
Midwest farmer profits plus government payments	$6.39	$6.83	$7.45	$10.34
Midwest maize farmer profits a	$4.30	$4.74	$5.37	$8.61
Government payments received a	$2.09	$2.09	$2.09	$2.58 b
Government expenditures	−$2.09	−$2.09	−$2.09	−$2.58b
Health and environment costs	−$25.59	−$13.89	−$4.34	−$3.96
Subtotal: Midwest farmer profits, government expenditures, and health and environment costs	−$21.28	−$9.15	$1.02	$3.80
Change in benefits to consumers and non-Midwest producers of maize from increased maize price	n/a	n/a	−$3.93	−$6.23
Change in benefits to consumers of Midwest maize a	n/a	n/a	−$3.93	−$6.23
Change in benefits to consumers of non-Midwest maize a	n/a	n/a	−$18.77	−$33.67
Change in farmer profits for non-Midwest producers of maize a	n/a	n/a	$18.77	$33.67
Total: Farmer profits, government expenditures, health and environment costs, change in consumer benefits	−$21.28	−$9.15	−$2.91	−$2.43
Change in social welfare relative to current		$12.14	$18.38	$18.85

^aThe italicized text represents subcategories of the non-italicized text rows above.

^bThis total includes government payments of $1.73 billion to farmers that remain in production, and $0.85 billion in compensation for forgone profits to farmers on retired land.