Agricultural Crime

Abstract

Part of the false image that assumes rural areas are relatively crime free is the perception that agricultural crime is both infrequent and insignificant. However, recent research from various countries finds high levels of property crime victimization, with specific ecological correlates for different kinds of offenses. Further, food producers are part of local, national, and global economic and political systems, and are embedded in social structures, including systems of inequality based on property ownership, which are important for understanding the wider context of agricultural crime in countries around the world. As well, agriculturalists themselves are often the offenders, ranging from the commission of petty theft, to violations of environmental regulations, to the exploitation of farm labor. Agriculture is a multibillion dollar industry requiring high input costs, such as machinery, chemicals, and other supplies, and a considerable investment of labor, either by most members of the farm family or in association with nonfamily members hired for their labor. In fact, agriculture is as "big business" in its orientation as any other sector of the economy, especially within advanced capitalist societies. Yet, criminology and criminal justice scholars rarely pay attention to agricultural crime.