Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Empowering Ugandan Women Smallholder Farmers: Documenting Her Mighty Hands Agriculture Extension Nonprofit, Anna Mathis

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women smallholder farmers in East Africa, including Uganda, provide the majority of agriculture labor. However, women are significantly less productive than men due to extreme barriers such as their lack of decision-making rights, inability to solely own land, and familial responsibilities. The purpose of this project was to create a full integrated communications and fundraising campaign for Her Mighty Hands, an agriculture extension nonprofit whose mission is to connect Ugandan women subsistence farmers to technology and knowledge which empower them to advance their agricultural business; enabling them to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and communities. Photos …

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Prosperity: Harnessing Traditional Ecological Knowledge To Revitalize Australia's Economy, Environment, And Human Wellbeing, Environmental Studies, Annabelle L. Baulch

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper explores the traditional knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous people and how it can improve Australia's environment, health, and economic prosperity to shape a more sustainable future. Indigenous Australians managed the land for thousands of years; however, being forced off the land following European colonization resulted in terrible cultural, social, and environmental disruption for Aboriginal Australians and made conservation efforts difficult. Wildfires, imported species, mining, and agriculture is steadily destroying the Australian ecosystem, contributing to climate change, species extinction, and gaps in our cultural and ancestral knowledge. Chapter One overviews Australia's environmental issues; it uses quantitative data to explore the …

Identifying Phytoremediation Performing Plant Species That Can Be Utilized In The Improvement Of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils, Ashley Clark*, Samuel Mutiti

Graduate Research Showcase

Heavy metal pollution is a problem associated with industrialization and development. Two major metals that are commonly mined and can enter the environment, which can jeopardize communities’ health, are copper (Cu) and lead (Pb). There are different options for reducing heavy metal pollution in the environment via remediation efforts, including physical, chemical, and biological methods. However, physical and chemical remediation can be costly and labor-intensive, making them unsuitable for regions that do not have the funds to utilize these practices. Biological remediation is a more cost-conservative practice that has been shown in many studies to be effective in the gradual …

The Digital Pivot: Exploring Credit Card And E-Payment Utilization In Direct-To-Consumer U.S. Agriculture, Amanda Thomsen

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study examines the adoption of electronic payment systems within direct-to-consumer (DTC) transactions in U.S. farmers' markets to draw broader implications for small business strategy. Through primary and secondary data sources, this paper assesses the impact of electronic payment integration on consumer behavior and market dynamics. The analysis reveals significant disparities in payment system adoption across different geographic and demographic landscapes. Regions with higher adoption of credit card systems at farmers' markets are predominantly urban and higher-income areas, suggesting a correlation between market access to technology and economic status. Consumer data further indicates that the availability of electronic payment options …

Community Development In Stann Creek, Belize, Connor O'Neill

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research attempts to understand the inner workings of community development by taking part in ongoing development projects in Belize. Through collaboration with existing government entities, we took part in meetings, surveys, and site visits to gather the data necessary for the development projects. These projects consisted of finding cost of production, collecting market research, and constructing business plans. During our time, we experienced multiple difficulties similar to those that developers consistently encounter. Ultimately, we gained valuable insight into procedures involved in community development, as well as being able to aid in ongoing development work.

Factors Affecting Graduation With Honors: A Case Study In Bumpers College, Timothy Dalton Roberts

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study aims to understand the factors influencing the graduation rate with honors in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences (Bumpers College) at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville (UAF). Utilizing data from 2004 to 2014 provided by the Office of Strategic Analytics & Insights at UAF, this research investigates several demographic and academic variables to potentially identify predictors of successfully graduating from the Bumpers Honors Program. The methodology involved cleaning the data, statistical analyses including T-test and Chi-square tests, and logit regression models to determine significant factors impacting graduating with honors.

After chi-square and t-tests and …

Understanding The Impact Of Food Insecurity Among First Generation College Students On The University Of Arkansas Campus, Madison Price

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to: 1) better understand food insecurity among first generation college students and how it might differ from that of other college students, and 2) gather opinions from students that may serve as solutions to alleviate food insecurity. This study was conducted with a mixed-methods survey that included both open-ended and close-ended questions. This study had six detailed parts, including research design, population sampling, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, and finally, the results. All of these unique phases allowed for first generation students’ voices to be heard and to help meet their needs on the …

Implementing A Dairy Industry In Mauritius, Lainey Deitrick

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I interned at the University of Mauritius and the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security from May 18th to July 15th, 2022, researching issues with Mauritius’s food security and helping to create solutions to their economic problems. My project covered all Mauritius’s agricultural imports, but it had an emphasis on their dairy industry. While in Mauritius, I conducted research on food security among Mauritians, and a feasibility study on if residents would be open to drinking more fresh milk, which is a market the country is exploring to replace sugar cane. My data analysis will be …

Surveys Assessing Food Security And Willingness To Buy Dairy Products In Mauritius Conducted Summer 2022, Abigail Burch

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the summer of 2022, I worked on a team of University of Arkansas and University of Mauritius students to administer surveys regarding the consumption of dairy milk and the impact of COVID-19 on food security in the island nation of Mauritius. This project was created by both universities in conjunction with the Mauritian Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security.

Drip Irrigation And Water Conservation In Onions; An Economic Analysis, Jenny De Boer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Water diversions for irrigated agriculture have contributed to increased water stress in drought prone areas across the globe. Previous research finds that farmers increase irrigation intensity per unit of product grown, increase total area under irrigation, and switch to more water intensive crops to increase yields and compensate for the cost of drip irrigation installation. Other studies have shown that drip irrigation can produce yields that parity surface irrigated yields or even surpass them using less water and increasing profits. Ultimately this plot trial showed drip irrigated onion yields were 6.31% greater than surface irrigated onion yields using an average …

U.S. Dairy Farmer Perceptions And Actions Around Climate Change, Meredith T. Niles, Zachary Goldstein, Lauren Hunt, Rebecca C. Mitchell, Sarah Tabor

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

In the spring of 2023, a national survey of United States dairy farmers was conducted to understand how producers are thinking about and approaching changing climate and weather, with a focus on animal, manure management, and land use strategies that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.. A total of 920 dairy farmers, approximately 1 in every 29, responded to this survey. This report summarizes the findings of this survey.

Exploring The Intersection Between West Virginia Farmland Protection Boards, Landowners, And The West Virginia Agrarian Commons, Samuel W. Bayne, Joshua Lohnes

Undergraduate Scholarship

New Roots Community Farm (NRCF) came to life through the purchase of a piece of land by the Fayette County Farmland Protection Board in a buy-protect-sell model. NRCF then partnered with The Agrarian Land Trust, a New England based organization experimenting with land commons models across the United States, to purchase the property and create the West Virginia Agrarian Commons (WVAC), an entity that could advance land access for the next generation farmers in WV. The experience of NRCF and the WVAC and the vision for its operation and extension of the buy-protect-sell model in partnership with county farmland protection …

Suggestions For Layout Adjustment Of China's Agricultural Regions During Fifteenth Five-Year Plan Period, Yong Xu, Hua Yang, Jian Duan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Adjusting and optimizing the strategic paradigm of China’s agricultural regions in the new era is of great significance to the implementation of the “Greater Food” concept and the building of a strong agriculture. This study takes the layout adjustment of China’s agricultural regions during the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan period as its theme, and firstly summarizes the problems that exist in the main agricultural production regions and the layout changes in grain production bases. Then, in conjunction with the new requirements of the national strategies, the functional types of agricultural regions are refined, the different function positions are clarified, the adjusting …

Wildlife Trafficking And Illegal Trade In Endangered Species, Caden J. Kump

ATU Research Symposium

There has been a long endeavor with illegal trade and trafficking involving endangered species. There are ways to fix it if we put more focus into the type of punishments or boons to give to the people who do it right. There are numerous ways to fix this like better surveillance or rewards/encouragement for the people who do it by the book where it outweighs doing it illegally. Using surveillance has helped locating and identifying the lawbreakers for people like game wardens. Giving rewards or encouragement has also kept people at bay from committing these crimes because now they can …

High And Dry - Contextualizing Domestic Root Cellar Drains In Southern Ontario, Anatolijs Venovcevs

Northeast Historical Archaeology

The subterranean root cellar is the quintessential feature of rural nineteenth-century archaeological sites in Ontario and much archaeological, historical, and architectural research on rural farmsteads has focused on defining and understanding these structures. However, this work has neglected an important component of this feature – the root cellar drain. This paper contextualizes these features within their broader nineteenth-century ideals of drainage and goes on to tackle the topic with the use of statistical analysis on the associated geographical, social, and economic attributes. The discussion presents opportunities that are present from the vast quantities of historical sites that have been excavated …

Seed Value Chain Analysis: Enhancing Culturally Meaningful Seed Access By Harmonizing Seed Companies, Seed Growers, And Farmers/Gardeners In The Northeastern United States, Claire Fischer

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Seeds are often valued solely as agricultural inputs, which diminishes the other benefits they provide such as cultural connections between people and the food they consume. Because seeds are primarily valued for their ability to enhance productivity and profit, a limited supply of culturally meaningful (CM) seeds exist in the US, creating barriers for individuals and communities - and particularly ones of color - seeking to connect to their traditional foodways. The Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance (UCFA), a collective of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) seed growers and distributors, is working to construct a seed value chains (SVC) …

Unveiling The Power Of Tourism Research: Navigating Insights From Montana For 2024 And Beyond, Melissa Weddell, Kara Grau, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

ITRR presentation from the 2024 Governor's Conference on Tourism

The Montana Travel Industry - 2023 Summary, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

2023 summary infographic of the Montana travel and recreation industry.

Food Insecurity Among The Aging Population, Mojisola Alli

Capstone Research Posters

Food security in any given economy is vital for country’s growth and development. The main goal of this study is to determine food insecurity status among the aging population and its influential factors in Canada. Poverty, demographic trends, community and social support, and health status and costs were causes linked to food insecurity. The study used a qualitative research design , obtaining primary data from the participants. Semi-structured questionnaires with four questions were used to explore the status of food insecurity on the aging population. Next, the data was analysed using qualitative coding, identifying the emerging themes and potential patterns. …

Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A summary of Montana residents' attitudes towards tourism from the 2023 season. Overall, results from this study show that Montana residents hold a generally positive attitude towards tourism in the state. Residents are aware of the economic benefit that tourism provides to their communities, and agree that the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts. Perceptions of crowding at the statewide and community level appear to be easing from previous years.