What was Agricultural Adjustment Administration?

The Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) was a New Deal agency established in 1933 during the Great Depression to boost agricultural prices by reducing surpluses. It achieved this by paying farmers to reduce crop production and livestock numbers, thereby increasing demand and prices for agricultural products. The AAA aimed to stabilize the farming economy, provide relief to struggling farmers, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. However, it faced criticism for its impact on tenant farmers and sharecroppers, many of whom were displaced as landowners received subsidies.