Agriculture Commons^™

Embracing Diversity In Agricultural Economics, Timothy L. Meyer

Cornhusker Economics

To steal an overused cliché, “There’s room in the tent for everyone.” Over the 2023 academic year, I have reiterated this message to all my students, with one addition. Not only is there room for everyone, but all are invited AND welcome. Food is something we all have in common, no matter the background. I think this is why producers in the state of Nebraska feel as strongly as they do about the food they produce; it is life-giving and should be taken seriously. Nebraska Agriculture is part of what makes our state great, and that is not a secret …

Are Too Many Or Too Few Babies Being Born?, Wesley Peterson

Cornhusker Economics

An additional 1.8 billion people will be added to the world’s population by 2050. At the same time, average incomes are likely to rise. Data from the Groningen Growth and Development Center suggest that average real (inflation-adjusted) GDP per capita increased by a factor of fifteen between 1820 and 2018 and World Bank data indicate that real per capita GDP more than tripled over the past 62 years. It is likely that these trends will continue and there will be more people with higher average incomes in the future straining global food systems and natural resources. Slower population growth rates …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Insights Into The Challenges Posed By Climate Change And Land Competition To Brazil’S Midwest Pulpwood Market, Roberto Hajime Sant Anna Kimura

Theses and Dissertations

I investigated the effect of climate change in one of the few expanding markets in the world in Brazil. In the last decades the demand for pulpwood increased from zero to 11 million tons, leading to an expansion of 700 thousand hectares of Eucalyptus plantation. In 2024, a new mill will start operating increasing the consumption of wood fiber by 8.2 million tons (+49%). I used mathematical programming to investigate how different scenarios of productivity and land will affect the market. My results showed that around 946,000 hectares (+124%) of additional timberland will be necessary in the upcoming decades. The …

Recognizing Power And Control When Planning Your Estate, Allan Vyhnalek

Cornhusker Economics

The older generations have spent their entire professional lives using the power and control that they accumulated through hard work and their long tenures. Having them retire and give up that control and power is difficult for some in those generations. Overall, it is challenging for them to give up control or power.

Costs Of Wind Erosion In The Northern Agricultural Region, Anne Bennett

Natural resources published reports

Summary

• To date, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) estimated opportunity cost of wind erosion for Western Australia’s (WA) agricultural region has only included the costs of forgone production income and therefore underestimates the broader costs of wind erosion events.
• This underestimation of costs was the impetus to create a case study to give an indication of the magnitude of the costs of wind erosion from agricultural land.
• Farmers in the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) were contacted to seek information about the on-farm costs of wind erosion events that occurred in 2020. Seventeen farmers responded to the …

Social Media Impacts On Arkansas Consumer Perceptions Of Gmos, Elizabeth R. Berner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study builds upon previous consumer perceptions of GMOs studies. A need existed to determine what, if any, effects social media messages about GMOs had on consumer perceptions in Arkansas. The study utilized a qualitative approach with three focus groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive code. Participants were found to have a general understanding of GMOs, though discussion about what a GMO product was took an uncertain tone. Most participants did not consider GMOs as a factor when purchasing products. Rather participants considered characteristics such as price, quality, and convenience. Participants did not believe the infographics had changed their opinions …

Assessing The Feasibility Of Implementing A Dairy Industry In Mauritius, Sophia Ultes

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Mauritius faces food security and economic challenges due to its lack of a domestic dairy industry. To address this, the University of Arkansas partnered with the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security to explore the possibility of establishing a dairy sector on the island.

Through surveys and interviews with locals, including restaurant owners and grocery store customers, we investigated the demand for fresh milk. We also studied factors like consumer preferences and production costs. Our research, conducted with IRB approval, aimed to understand if people are willing to buy locally produced milk.

During the summer, our team visited Mauritius …

Agriculture And Community Well-Being: A Review Of Three Research Studies., Marilyn R. Schlake

Cornhusker Economics

Personal observations are often obscure to the facts. For instance, recently I worked at a booth at Husker Harvest Days. The booth focused on rural community development. My observations were that many of the agricultural producers decided to not stop at our booth or for those who did stop, conversations showed a disconnect of the importance of their local community to their farm operations. Similarly, when working with communities, I have observed the lack of understanding of the importance of the agricultural producers to the local community’s well-being. Why the disconnect between these two very important components of our rural …

Pass-Through Entity Tax Deduction, Tina N. Barrett

Cornhusker Economics

In 2023, the State of Nebraska became the 36th state to implement a Pass-Through Entity Tax (PTET) Deduction law. This law is in response to a change made by the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018 which limited the state and local tax deduction eligible for itemized deductions to $10,000. This new state law allows partnerships and s-corporations to pay the state income tax on behalf of their owners which qualifies it for a federal tax law deduction. The individuals will then receive a credit on their individual return for the tax paid on their behalf.

Will Nebraska Farms And Ranches Be Ready For Double Digit Operating Line Rates?, Jeffrey Stokes, Jim Jansen

Cornhusker Economics

For those involved in agriculture, it has been quite a while since interest rates on farm real estate, equipment, and operating lines have been as high as they are for the industry. As the fall harvest winds down and producers focus on next year, interest rates on operating lines may cause shock. It has been over 20 years since interest rates on operating lines exceeded 10%. To better understand what may be causing interest rates on operating lines to rise, it will be beneficial to understand some basic monetary policy tools the Fed has at its disposal. The tool receiving …

Notes From The Brazilian Cornfields, Fabio Mattos

Cornhusker Economics

In the last few months, I have been traveling in Brazil. My objective with this trip is to meet with industry professionals, government officials, and academic researchers to learn about recent developments in Brazilian agriculture and what we can expect to see in the future. I have essentially been asking people their opinions about the main developments in Brazil in the last few years and their perspectives for the future. One of the main topics that has emerged consistently in these conversations is, not surprisingly, the corn market.

Diesel Tractor Fuel Efficiency And Exhaust Emissions Standards, Jerin Tekolste, Cory Walters, Michael Mccullough, Lynn Hamilton, Lia Nogueira, Roger M. Hoy

Cornhusker Economics

Diesel engine performance and costs represent crucial factors for agricultural producers while pollutants from the exhaust are largely a social concern but also important to producers. Beginning in 1970, Congress authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate emissions with amendments in subsequent years (U.S. EPA, 2023). In 1996 the EPA issued strict Exhaust Emission Standards for Nonroad Compression-Ignition Engines, causing a major paradigm shift in acceptable emission levels. A primary concern coming from many manufacturers was the difficulty of designing an engine to meet these standards without compromising the engines’ power output and efficient fuel consumption (Lloyd and Cackette 2001; …

Owning Our Identity – Celebrating Cooperatives In 2023, Charlotte Narjes

Cornhusker Economics

Owning Our Identity is the 2023 theme to build awareness of cooperatives nationally. October has been nationally recognized as cooperative month since 1964. The following bullets in this year’s USDA Proclamation emphasize the impact of cooperatives.

Market And Welfare Impacts Of A “Portion Size Reduction” Policy, Hanin Hosni, Konstantinos Giannakas

Cornhusker Economics

The portion size of common food items consumed at home, restaurants and fast-food establishments in the United States (US) has increased since the 1970s, with the portion size of meals and beverages in several restaurants exceeding the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration recommendations. Portion size has continued to grow in parallel with increasing body weights and food waste. According to USDA, 35% of the US population suffers from obesity while 40 million people are food insecure. At the same time, about 1/3 of the US food supply goes unconsumed, with 2/3 of food waste occurring …

Nebraska Crop Budgets 2024, Robert N. Klein, Glennis Mcmclure

Department of Agricultural Economics: Presentations, Working Papers, and Gray Literature

The 2024 Nebraska Crop budget projections were created using cropping practice norms for many producers in Nebraska. However, each individual farming operation is unique, and these budgets should be used only as a guide. The budgets for 2024 are available in the Agricultural Budget Calculator program at:https://agbudget.unl.edu/. To modify these budgets, you can download UNL budgets into your ABC program account or create your own. In addition, the reports for each of the 2024 crop budgets are saved as printable (PDF) files. See also the new budget calculator at https://cap.unl.edu/abc.

The following individuals contributed to these budgets …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Nafta On Rural Farmers In Mexico: Agriculture And Immigration, Kevin Xavier Garcia-Galindo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper examines the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on agricultural workers in rural Mexico and immigration rates from those regions. The paper aims to investigate the validity of claims regarding the impact of NAFTA on immigration and agriculture, which are often interconnected. By focusing on the rural farming communities of Mexico, the study incorporates ethnographic perspectives to complement existing academic research on NAFTA. The research question explores how NAFTA affected agricultural workers in rural Mexico and its implications for immigration patterns. Through a comprehensive literature review and interviews with individuals involved in rural farming, …

Unveiling The Impact: Mexico's Decree On Genetically Modified Corn And Its Ramifications On Food Security, Lauren Mcshea

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research delves into the repercussions of Mexico's presidential decree in late 2020, which imposed a ban on the human consumption of genetically modified (GM) corn by January 2024. In a trade dispute under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the decree has sparked tensions between Mexico and the United States, particularly concerning the disruption of GM corn exports. Beyond trade dynamics, the study aims to address the broader impact on Mexico's food security landscape, exploring the intricate connections between the ban and various factors, including agricultural practices, economic implications, and shifts in the corn market dynamics. This research seeks to …

New Foods Produced With Genome-Editing Technique In The Global Marketplace, Stéphan Marette, Anne-Célia Disdier, John C. Beghin

Cornhusker Economics

This Cornhusker Economics article builds upon a previous Cornhusker Economics article of September 8, 2021, on the heterogenous willingness to pay (WTP) for genome edited (GenEd) apples in France and the US (Beghin, 2022). Using graphical illustration, this new article summarizes in layman's terms two related economic analyses by Marette et al. (2022) and (2023). These analyses investigate Research and Development (R&D) investment in food innovations based on New Plant Engineering Techniques (NPETs), such as GenEd and traditional hybridization methods, and then in the context of international trade. With trade, innovators compete globally with their food novelties in each other’s …

Western Australian Regional Development Trust Annual Report 2022-23, West Australian Regional Development Trust

Western Australian Regional Development Trust Annual Reports

The Trust is an independent statutory advisory body to the Minister, established under the Royalties for Regions Act 2009 (Act).

The functions of the Trust are to provide advice and make recommendations to the Minister:

• for the purposes of sections 5(2) and 9(1) of the Act; and
• on any other matter relating to the operation of the Fund that is referred to it by the Minister.

In addition to its monitoring and advisory role, the Trust also works to engage and enhance relationships with key regional stakeholders and influencers to promote greater collaboration and innovation in the delivery of regional …

Determinants Of Market Participation Among Milk Producers In Kyrgyzstan, Akhmadjon Nurullaev

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the key factors that drive milk producers to enter the milk market as sellers in Kyrgyzstan. The study utilizes the Life in Kyrgyzstan dataset, a nationally representative survey that tracks 3,000 households and 8,000 individuals throughout Kyrgyzstan. The results were analyzed with two different models: Heckman’s two-stage and the double hurdle models. The results show that regional location, ethnic group origin, risk awareness, dependency ratio, vehicle ownership, total value of assets, distance to agro market, and family shock occurrence significantly impact both market participation and the volume of milk sales. The findings hold great significance in establishing …

Seasons, Stress, Salience, And Support For Cooperative Groundwater Management, Jordan Suter, Todd Guilfoos, Karina Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

Background: Common property resources (CPR) are defined as resources where one person’s use affects what is available to others (either now or in the future). One example of a CPR is a shared aquifer, where multiple users have access to the groundwater. Economic researchers have shown that with a CPR, there are economic benefits to regulating the use of the resource, and that well-designed regulation increases the sustainability of agricultural-based economies that rely on CPRs. Many such regulations exist, and examples include allocation limits in some of Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts and Kansas’s Groundwater Management Districts, as well as …

Drivers Of Farmers’ Adoption Of Hermetic Storage Bags In Ghana, Namah Taku-Forchu, Misty D. Lambert, Michael S. Retallick, Jonathan D. Ulmer, George P. Opit

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Post-harvest loss is a global challenge due to its serious threat to food security. Hermetic storage bags offer one way to combat the loss of food after harvest. The rate at which farmers adopt hermetic bags largely depends upon their access to information and training about the technology. The adoption of hermetic storage bags in Dormaa, Ghana, was the focus of this quantitative cross-sectional research study. This study sought to describe maize farmers’ perceptions of the hermetic storage bags in Dormaa, Ghana, based on the perceived innovation attributes and to ascertain farmers’ stages of adoption of the hermetic storage bags …

2023 Cash Lease Adjustments For Irrigation Equipment On Cropland Rental Arrangements In Nebraska, Jim Jansen, Jeff Stokes

Cornhusker Economics

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey and Report 2022-2023 provides insight into recent trends in the market value of agricultural land and cash rental rates across the state. Each year, the special feature section covers topics on new or emerging issues related to the agricultural land industry in Nebraska. These topics reflect the interest expressed by panel members and readership of the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Highlights Reports. The 2023 special feature section focuses on cash lease adjustments on irrigation equipment for cropland rental arrangements across Nebraska when the tenant provides a component of the …

The Influence Of Framing And Recent Experience On Farmer Choices In Experimental Games Depicting Risk-Reducing Agricultural Technologies, Ana Maria Ospina Tobar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is a major threat to food security, particularly in low and middle-income countries that are highly dependent on staple crops for subsistence. The vulnerability of staple crops, like maize, in the face of climate change, is increasing due to the increasing frequency of droughts. This thesis aims to evaluate two mechanisms through which farmers may be more willing to adopt new technologies that increase their resilience to climate change: First, I evaluate the effectiveness of a new virtual maize farming game as a learning tool to teach farmers about the outcomes they could obtain under different weather events …

Your Farm’S Financial Condition And Profitability Revisited, Matt Stockton, Shannon Sand

Cornhusker Economics

Looking at December futures contracts, corn prices may have reached a high and are tending to recede. If they stay higher, producers will likely have a good year. Still, if they tend to decline, which is possible given current carryover and supply projections, prices may stabilize or decline as we approach harvest. Those with multiperil crop insurance in areas with lower yields, e.g., droughtstricken areas with sufficiently high enough levels of coverage, will benefit from the February projected price of $5.91/bu. For the past two seasons, fall prices exceeded projected prices in the spring, making selling at harvest an attractive …

Assessing Determinants Of Participation In Conservation Programs In The U.S., Manita Ale, Simanti Banerjee, Taro Mieno, Karina Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

In order to generate ecosystem services (ES) from privately owned intensively managed agricultural land, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have implemented many conservation programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to name a few. These programs provide financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to adopt land management practices that generate ES.

Intertemporal Preferences Or (In)Attention To Future Costs: Identifying Factors Influencing Variation In Health Behaviors, Christopher Gustafson

Cornhusker Economics

When you have the urge to buy a fancy coffee drink at your favorite coffee place, do you think about alternative future uses of the money that you would spend on the drink? If, in the end, you decide to forego buying the drink to save money, you have, by definition, considered what you are giving up now—the drink—in order to have the money later, but many people may not consider the future opportunities they forego when they make decisions now. Research suggests that this asymmetric attention to immediate versus future opportunity costs— the benefits that we give up when …

Beef And Dairy Substitution Effects Associated With Carbon Labeling And An Information Intervention, Sara Gardner Hedgecock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding consumer perceptions of carbon emissions in agriculture is a critical step to help increase the sustainability of food consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 14.5 percent of all global anthropogenic GHG emissions are estimated to be represented by livestock (FAO), and cattle, raised for beef and milk, are the largest animal species responsible for emissions, comprising over 60 percent of the livestock sector’s emissions. This motivates this study’s analysis of beef and dairy milk products and alternatives. To better understand how consumers may substitute meat and milk products when provided with information about …

Nebraska Extension: Supporting The Well-Being Of Farmers And Ranchers, Jessica Groskopf

Cornhusker Economics

Nebraska Extension is a proud member of the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center. A regional center funded by USDA NIFA, it delivers farm and ranch stress and mental health resources and services in 12 states, including Nebraska.

Since 2021, several programs delivered by Nebraska Extension and its partners have been supported with these funds. This article will review the key programs supported in Nebraska.