Agricultural Economics Commons^™

Cutting Russia's Fossil Fuel Exports: Short-Term Economic Pain For Long-Term Environmental Gain, Maksym Chepeliev, Thomas Hertel, Dominique Van Der Mensbrugghe

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

In response to the invasion of Ukraine, most OECD countries have announced punishing sanctions against Russia. In addition to targeting financial markets and service sectors, some countries have begun to impose restrictions on exports of Russia's fossil fuels. We analyse a scenario whereby most OECD countries put major restrictions on Russia's energy exports. The short-term implications are likely to be non-trivial for the EU – Russia's largest energy export destination. Households' real income could drop by 0.7 to 1.7 percent (relative to the reference case) with energy prices growing by as much as 11 percent. But in the longer run, …

The Researcher–Practitioner Symbiosis: Evolving Mutualisms From Parachutes, María Teresa Vargas, Máximo Garcia, Tito Vidaurre, Alex Carrasco, Natalia Araujo, Camille Medema, Nigel Asquith, Edwin Pynegar, Conrado Tobon, Yurani Manco, Zhao Ma, Jonathan Bauchet, Tara Grillos, Brooke Mcwherter

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Researchers and practitioners often exist symbiotically, but this relationship does not always benefit both parties. We here discuss a mutualistic research symbiosis that our organizations have developed over the last decade, the challenges which we have experienced as part of this process, and how our experiences may help others intending to develop such mutualisms. The defining characteristic of our model is that conservation implementers, not investigators, lead the research. This power balance has promoted synergies between researchers and practitioners and has resulted in one of the first ever Randomized Control Trials of a conservation intervention. We have shortened the distance …

2021 Financial Analysis Summary, Tina N. Barrett

Cornhusker Economics

While the 2021 Average Farm Financial Data summary is not complete yet, we have enough information to start drawing some conclusions about what the numbers mean for farmers and ranchers in Nebraska. The conclusions that can be made are not only on the 2021 statistics but also on how 2021 will supply a boost to the financial health of those operations for 2022 and beyond. The preliminary average net farm income looks to be the highest recorded in the history of our data, dating back to 1976. Many factors combined to make 2021 a fortifying year for many Nebraska Producers. …

Measuring Agricultural Competitiveness: The Case Of U.S. Rice Exports, Estela Barahona

LSU Master's Theses

The United States is known for being one of the world’s largest rice exporters. Rice from the United States is exported to more than 130 nations and territories on all continents. The world rice market accounts for around 50 percent of the U.S. rice yearly sales volume. Even though the U.S. produces less than 2 percent of global rice, exports are significant to its rice industry. Given the various factors that determine trade (e.g., production, distance, income, and trade agreements), theory suggests that the impact of factors on the U.S. agricultural trade will vary according to commodity and country. There …

Economic Aspects Of U.S. Catfish Farming: Technological Progress, Cost Of Regulations, And Economic Contribution, Shraddha Gurupad Hegde

Theses and Dissertations

This research provides a comprehensive picture of the economic status of the U.S. catfish industry through investigating several critical economic aspects such as technological progress, functional production relationships in intensive systems, regulatory costs, and economic contribution of the industry. The use of primary data is a unique aspect of this work reflecting the economic realities of catfish farms. Primary data collected through extensive in-person farm surveys covered over two-thirds of the catfish production areas in the U.S. The results of the study provided evidence of intensification in the U.S. catfish industry through increased adoption of two relatively new alternative production …

Evaluating Cover Crops To Determine The Best Management Practice For The Suppression Of Tall Waterhemp And Italian Ryegrass, Samuel R. Reeves

Theses and Dissertations

To combat herbicide resistance among weeds, non-herbicide methods of control, such as cover crops, are becoming widely adapted. Experiments were conducted to determine how to effectively establish and manage cover crops in order to suppress tall waterhemp and Italian ryegrass and to assess their overall impact on soybean growth and yield. Various cover crop establishment methods were evaluated, and it was determined that interseeding at the R7 growth stage of soybean was the least effective method for proper cover crop establishment. Biomass data demonstrated that interseeding created the least amountof cover crop biomass, with no differences found among the other …

North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center Helps Producers Manage Risks, Christine Lockert, Bradley D. Lubben, Sheila Aikanathan Johnson

Cornhusker Economics

Farmers and ranchers face many risks and challenges in production agriculture every day. Changing market fundamentals, farm policy reforms, and crop insurance program developments defined the risk environment that led to the authorization of agricultural risk management education as part of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. The educational efforts that have followed have been designed to help producers manage the full range of production, marketing, financial, legal, and human risks that are all part of agriculture. In the more than two decades since, the risks facing producers have continued to grow. Producers managed through both the opportunities of …

Economic Implications Of The Mexican Fruit Fly Infestation In Texas, Samuel D. Zapata

Journal of Extension

The Texas citrus industry is threatened by the presence of Mexican fruit fly. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic losses caused by this invasive pest. Economic impact is estimated in terms of loss in revenue and increase in operating costs. Under current quarantined areas and pest management strategies, the Texas citrus industry could experience an annual economic loss of $5.79 million. The analysis was extended to evaluate the economic impact associated with different quarantined area scenarios. This article can be used to increase awareness and adapted to estimate the economic impact of emerging invasive pest outbreaks.

Market Pressure Based On International Food Standards In Export-Scale Urban Farming: Political Ecology Perspective, Kinanti Indah Safitri, Oekan Soekotjo Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan, Yusep Suparman, Parikesit Parikesit

The Qualitative Report

Urban farming has been transformed into urban agricultural activities oriented towards optimizing economic benefits through export market involvement. However, the expansion of the market has consequences for farmers. The involvement of urban farmers in export trade causes market pressures that affect agricultural production practices. This research used qualitative research methods. There were 27 informants in this study. Researchers collected data to determine market pressures faced by export-scale urban farmers in Bandung Metropolitan. Data collection techniques used in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The results showed that the market had put pressure on export-scale urban farmers in Bandung Metropolitan to meet international …

Are You Paid For Your Hard Red Winter Wheat Quality? Yes, But Indirectly, Shane Roberts, Kathleen Brooks, Lia Nogueira, Cory Walters

Cornhusker Economics

Hard red winter wheat (HRWW) is the largest wheat class grown in the United States, with approximately 660 million bushels produced in 2020, representing about 36% of total U.S. wheat production (USDA ERS 2021). The world market is an important destination for U.S. HRWW. In 2020, exports of U.S. HRWW represented 52% of U.S. production and total U.S. wheat exports represented 13% of total world exports (USDA ERS 2021). U.S. HRWW differs from other wheat classes based on physical characteristics such as color, kernel hardness and planting season as well as consistency in producing end uses such as pan and …

Utah Farmers Market Snap Toolkit, Regan Emmons, Bridget Stuchly, Gina Cornia

All Current Publications

Utah State University Extension provides research-based programs and resources with the goal of improving the lives of individuals, families and communities throughout Utah. USU Extension manages Create Better Health, Utah’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program (known as SNAP-Ed), and provides nutrition education and obesity prevention services to SNAP recipients and other eligible low-income individuals. Create Better Health (SNAP-Ed) offers a variety of classes to expand participants’ knowledge of nutrition, budgeting, cooking, food safety, and physical activity. This toolkit outlines how farmers markets can implement a SNAP program and help combat food insecurity in their communities.

Are Some Analysts Superior At Forecasting World Grain Supplies?, Emmie M. Noyes

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Whether agriculture is how you make your living or simply a means of putting food on your table, the prices of agricultural commodities and products affect us all. When buying and selling agricultural commodities, both farmers and firms use futures markets. Futures markets help minimize price risk, which is important to both sides of the transaction.

Recently, private analysis firms have started to forecast the information contained in the USDA’s WASDE report. This is relevant because future prices react to new information contained in WASDE reports. These firms will release their information a few days before the WASDE comes out …

Factors Affecting Graduation With Honors: A Case Study In Business, William Litzinger

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many first-year college students elect to enroll in their university’s honors program. These programs offer students many educational benefits not provided to non-honors students, such as smaller class sizes, priority registration, and added faculty interaction. However, of the students that enter the university as an honors student, many fail to complete their honors program. Researchers have documented completion rates as low as 18.45% (Campbell and Fuqua, 2008). So why are honors graduation rates so low? In this study, variables were examined that the literature suggests affects honors graduation rates (High School GPA, ACT/SAT scores, AP credits, GPA 1^st term …

Possible Surf And Turf Mutualism: The Potential Of Yeast Grown From Maine Wood As Feed For Atlantic Salmon, Gina Scott

All Theses And Dissertations

With fed aquaculture expanding, challenges are being faced with increasing demands for protein for feed. Fishmeal as a protein is at high cost and low supply, and meals from terrestrial agriculture can impact fish health; both also generate environmental challenges. One potential alternative protein is yeast, which can be grown using waste softwood. Simultaneously, Maine forestry has lost buyers of waste wood with several paper mill closures. If yeast is produced as an alternative protein for fish feed using this wood, both Maine Atlantic salmon farming, Maine’s most valuable form of aquaculture, and Maine forestry could benefit. Environmental impact and …

Economic Viability Of Weed Management Strategies In High-Tunnel Tomato, Gracie Morrison

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cost-effective weed suppression is an important consideration for tomato growers. Growers often choose methods which minimize hand labor, as hand weeding can be prohibitively expensive. This project determined economic viability of high tunnel tomatoes treated with several methods of weed control, both organic and chemical. These methods included: 2-week hand weeding, 1-week hand weeding, preemergent, straw, landscape fabric, and untreated weedy control plots. These treatments were applied to randomized blocks in a high-tunnel. Weeding, planting, and harvest were all timed to determine labor and material costs of weed management strategy implementation. After harvest, marketable yield was weighed to determine revenue. …

Consumer Preferences For Lab Grown Meat: The Effect Of Information On Consumer Choice, Aryn Blumenberg

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Global population growth and increased meat demand present challenges for the agricultural industry to produce meat sustainably. In-vitro meat (IVM) is an alternative that could reduce negative impacts associated with livestock production. The goal of this study was to examine consumers’ preferences for IVM. A choice experiment was created with twelve choice tasks that varied across five attributes: production method (IVM or conventional), carbon trust label, organic label, animal welfare label, and price. 1,120 US consumers were randomly assigned to one of four information treatments, differing by information presented regarding IVM: 1) neutral (baseline), 2) positive, 3) negative, and 4) …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 03 - May 2022, Svetlana Micic, Dustin Severtson, Jean Galloway, Cindy L. Webster

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 03 - May 2022 contents:

• Seeing chewing damage in sprayed canola crops but can’t find the culprit?
• Mites and lucerne flea are active
• Slaters
• Meet PestFacts WA team member – Svetlana Micic
• Field pea blackspot forecasts for WA are available online
• PestFacts WA podcast

The Work Of La Via Campesina Regarding The Intersection Of Land Occupation And Food Sovereignty, Josephine Drydale

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

La Via Campesina (LVC), a global movement that supports small and local farmers and their communities, is one of the world’s largest food and agricultural rights movements and advocates for agricultural rights in terms of land, ecology, human rights, and more. LVC is known for its establishment of food sovereignty, defined as the right to control one’s production and consumption of food. This new concept placed them on the map, accompanied by their aggressive editorial and advocacy work against ideals they view as neoliberal and food policies that benefit large food moguls while disenfranchising the small farmer. The concept of …

The Last Leg: A Social Sustainability Assessment Of Ovine Agriculture, Sydney Golding

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Post-war agricultural transformations and the rise of Sustainability discourses have dictated the trajectory of sector industries. The implications of agriculture in lateral policy schemes have neglected the careful consideration of the social health of farmers in decision-making processes, creating a greater divide between the interests of the state and our once revered providers. This study aims to capture the complexity of social matters in agriculture within the specific context of sheep farming in the United Kingdom and the United States and how the concurrent systems have adapted considering the impacts of relevant contemporary historical contexts. The principles of Janker, Mann, …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2021, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

Exploring The Implementation Of Dike Building And The National Endowment For The Oceans Act To Support Coastal Restoration In Louisiana, Taylor Perrodin

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Making Better Farm Management Decisions, Matthew Stockton

Cornhusker Economics

Traditionally, producer education efforts around farm management are directed at understanding the academic topics of business operations and management including, accounting, law, human resources, marketing, production, risk, finance, etc. The information, techniques and tools taught are often concrete and focus on measurement, analysis, and data. For instance, a traditional grain marketing education program would generally include topics in forward contracts, options, futures, hedge to arrive, basis contracts, storage, and seasonality. While these programs can be quite powerful in developing quantitative skills and knowledge, they neglect a key element needed by all farm managers to make objectively clear decisions. This key …

Transforming The “Great Resignation” Into The “Great Attraction”, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

Businesses of all types are scrambling to hire people, especially those that work on the frontline with customers - from healthcare to hospitality to retail and everything in between. This is resulting in an incredibly tight labor market across the nation. Some are calling this time “The Great Resignation” which refers to the more than 19 million workers - and counting - that have quit their jobs since April 2021. Logic would say that if people are resigning in record numbers that there should be a lot of employees out there to hire, but that is not the case. It …

Something Fishy In Seafood Trade?, Kathy Baylis, Lia Nogueira, Linlin Fan, Kathryn Pace

Cornhusker Economics

The safety of food imports continues to be in the spotlight. Globally, each year, contaminated food causes almost 1 in 10 people to fall ill and 420 thousand people to die (WHO, 2017). Protecting consumers from unsafe foods is complicated by the increased role of international trade in our food system. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that disease outbreaks associated with imported food increased from 1996 to 2014, with fish and produce being the main culprits (Gould et al., 2017). For example, in 2019, two separate cases of tuna from Vietnam were found to have sickened …

Valuation Of Dry And Wet Aged Beef By U.S. Consumers, Mario Ortez, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Nathan M. Thompson, Yuan H. Brad Kim

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Aged-beef has historically been available in high-end establishments, but investigation into consumer preferences for aging is increasingly important as it has become more readily available. Consumer perceptions of and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for aged-beef under two methods dry-aging and wet-aging, were studied in a representative sample of n = 1,275 US residents alongside USDA quality grades. In general, US residents are not knowledgeable regarding aged-beef but have a positive direct-stated perception of the practice. Respondents self-reported familiarity with USDA grades Prime and Choice and perceived them as superior beef attributes. Half of respondents were randomly assigned to receive a low information …

The Adoption Of Conservation Practices And Program Participation Among Socially Disadvantaged Agricultural Producers: A Meta-Analysis, Myles A. Brown

LSU Master's Theses

As climate change has become undeniable in recent years, it has become increasingly important for the agriculture industry to address conservation. Within the agriculture industry, small farmers are usually the ones who take on this burden on a daily basis. However, some socially disadvantaged agricultural producers face unique challenges compared to the average farmer, which may impede their ability to adopt the necessary conservation practices or participate in conservation programs. This review sought to provide a definitive economic analysis on the possible effect of race on conservation adoption and program participation, as there is not much research on this topic. …

Farm Succession Planning: Why And How?, Allan Vyhnalek

Cornhusker Economics

If you visit with an ag professional and ask them “What percentage of farmers and ranchers have an estate plan, or an up-to-date estate/succession plan?” the answer will be half, or just less than half. This article will examine why that happens and give some simple steps for anyone to follow to create an up-to-date estate or succession plan. Farmers and ranchers don’t have a plan for a variety of reasons. These might include not ever planning to retire, not wanting to give up control, or not wanting to admit that they will ever pass away. Too often, we don’t …

The Rise Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Their Effects, And How We Can Stop Their Growth, Andrea Prisco

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Dramatic changes in the agricultural industry over the last century have led to the rise of concentrated animal feeding operations– industrial facilities that raise a large number of animals in confined spaces. Animals raised in these facilities suffer from poor quality of life and abuse. For humans, these facilities have had adverse effects on the environment and public health, but they are also associated with high productivity and low food costs. This Comment analyzes the effects of concentrated animal feeding operations on animal well-being, the environment, and public health. This Comment also analyzes current federal legislation that helps combat the …

Essays On Socioeconomic Shocks And Policies In Agriculture, Wilman Iglesias

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The three chapters of this doctoral dissertation estimate the responses of agricultural productivity, production value of agriculture, and crop supply to some external shocks and policies. Using unique panel datasets for Colombia and the United States, this research provides new insights regarding the responsiveness of agriculture to some socioeconomic effects and related market policies. Chapter 1 studies the impact of armed conflicts in rural areas on legal agricultural productivity in Colombia by using a production function that includes violence shocks such as the forced intra-national displacement of the rural population from 1995 to 2017. Chapter 2 investigates the effect of …

Nutrient And Organic Carbon Losses By Erosion, And Their Economic And Environmental Implications In The Drylands Of Kenya, Nathan O. Oduor, Monicah Mucheru-Muna, Jayne N. Mugwe, Isaya Sijali, George Nyabuga, Daniel N. Mugendi

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Erosion causes soil nutrients and financial losses, and negatively impacts the environment. We sought to assess the effects of integrated soil fertility and soil & water management practices on nutrient losses, their equivalent economic losses, and environmental disturbance in the drylands of Tharaka-Nithi County. An experiment was set in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Six treatments implemented included manure + fertilizer + tied ridging under 120 kg ha−1 and 30 kg ha−1 nitrogen (N) application rate, manure + fertilizer + minimum tillage with crop residue mulch under 120 N kg ha−1 and 30 N kg ha−1, Managing …