Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Cost Benefit Analysis Of Café Standards Compared To The Alternative Fuel/Carbon Tax, Brian Levinson

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

The Cafe Standards were introduced in 1975 following the Oil Embargo. The goals of this program were simple. To reduce co2 emissions in vehicles by increasing a mandatory average mpg level for car manufacturers in the United States. Recently, in 2012, the Obama Administration set new Cafe Standard requirements for car manufacturers. By 2025, all new cars on the road in the United States must average 54.5 miles per gallon, which would double the current 27 mpg average in place right now. While the intentions of this policy are to reduce co2 emissions while at the same time increasing savings …

The Economics Of The Audubon Society's Sanctuary Program For Golf Courses, Dan Hyszczak

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

Millions of people play golf every year, and in 2011 Golf Courses gained $22 billion dollars in revenue. This statistic combined with golf’s inherent place in the natural environment lead to questions of value and development for golf course owners. In 1991, The Audubon Society created their Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP) to promote environmentally sustainable practices for golf courses and to recognize the courses that are the most environmentally in both the United States and around the world.

This paper builds off of prior research that connects golf course beauty with revenue by examining the effects of …

Preferences For Coral Reef And Fishery Management In Okinawa, Japan, Nils Carlson

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This study is an example of how a nonmarket valuation method – a choice experiment – can be used to influence and guide ecosystem conservation efforts. Using a choice experiment survey, this study estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for certain hypothetical attributes of a restored and conserved coral reef in Okinawa, Japan. I find that an increase in the amount of fish available to catch in ten years as well as an increase in the extent and health of the coral reefs and the number of marine biodiversity found in the Okinawan waters after ten-years, both positively affect respondent’s …

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis Of The External And Internal Effects Of Art Museums In The United States, John Eder

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

An Exploratory Statistical Analysis of the External and Internal Effects of Art Museums in the United States

Invited Introduction To Jerec, Noelwah Netusil

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

No abstract provided.

Welcome By The Editor, Sahan T. M. Dissanayake

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

No abstract provided.

Protecting Ecosystems, Culture, And Human Rights In Chile Through Indigenous And Community-Conserved Territories And Areas, William G. Crowley

Capstone Collection

In environmental conservation circles around the world, the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities to the sustainable maintenance of ecosystems and natural resources are being given increased attention. Whether for cultural, spiritual, economic, or other purposes, the use of traditional and local knowledge of habitat and resource management is slowly making its way into the modern environmental movement, and is being incorporated into the dominant conservation paradigms. These managed areas, known as Indigenous and Community-Conserved Territories and Areas, or ICCAs, are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “natural and/or modified ecosystems containing significant biodiversity …

Interdisciplinary Modeling For Water-Related Issues Graduate Course, Laurel Saito, Alexander Fernald, Timothy Link

All ECSTATIC Materials

The science and management of aquatic ecosystems is inherently interdisciplinary, with issues associated with hydrology, atmospheric science, water quality, geochemistry, sociology, economics, environmental science, and ecology. Addressing water resources issues in any one discipline invariably involves effects that concern other disciplines, and attempts to address one issue often have consequences that exacerbate existing issues or concerns, or create new ones (Jørgensen et al. 1992; Lackey et al. 1975; Straskraba 1994) due to the strongly interactive nature of key processes (Christensen et al. 1996). Thus, research and management of aquatic ecosystems must be interdisciplinary to be most effective, but such truly …

Container Vegetable Gardening, Terri James, David Lott

Nebraska Cooperative Extension: Faculty and Staff Publications

If well-managed, vegetables grown in containers can provide high-quality produce in a small space.

Container vegetable gardening is a wonderful option for people who have limited space, impaired physical mobility, or conditions that interfere with in-ground gardening, such as poor garden soil. It also can help avoid problems with soilborne diseases and nematode pests that can exist in the soil in traditional, in-ground gardens. People who do not have access to a garden space, or simply do not want to grow a full-scale garden, may choose container vegetable gardening to provide them with enjoyment and produce. Containers are available in …

Food Waste At Retail, Erin G. Killeen Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food waste at retail represents forgone sales and embodies store management and disposal costs. Fresh produce is the largest contributing sector to food waste at retail and bulky, seasonal products are an added challenge when stores experience a high waste event. In order to improve, retailers need to better understand the costs of food waste, as well as how management strategies can impact these costs.

Using pumpkins as an example of bulky, seasonal products, a twofold research project was conducted to better understand contributors to, and costs of food waste at the retail level. In part one, using data from …

The Ability Of Select Probiotics To Reduce Enteric Campylobacter Colonization In Broiler Chickens, Sandip Shrestha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campylobacter is the leading cause of foodborne illness worldwide and is often associated with consumption and/or mishandling of contaminated poultry products. Probiotic use in poultry has been an effective strategy in reducing other enteric foodborne pathogens but not consistently for Campylobacter. As Campylobacter resides and utilizes intestinal mucin for growth, isolates selected on the basis of mucin utilization might be a strategy to screen for efficacious probiotic bacterium. In this study, bacterial isolates demonstrating increased growth rates in mucin, in vitro (trials 1 or 2), or isolates demonstrating a reduction of Campylobacter counts when co-incubated with mucin, in vitro (trials …

The Perceptions Of The Unwanted Horse Population In Illinois 2015, Kelsey Annette Schueler

Theses and Dissertations

A survey to measure the perceptions of the unwanted horse population in the state of Illinois was developed. Horse owners, non-horse owners, and equine industry stakeholders in Illinois were the focus of the study. Participants were surveyed on their perceptions, awareness, and knowledge of the unwanted horse population in the state. Each survey included questions of current knowledge of legislation, background with equine, current methods to control the unwanted horse population, and methods they believe would benefit the population. A block style survey was developed, emailed to a statewide equine association listserv, and advertised through articles online. Findings show that …

Biosecurity Council Stakeholder Workshop - Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Biosecurity Council of Western Australia (the Council) held a stakeholder workshop to explore perspectives on risk-based decision making and biosecurity investment across industry, government and community. This report presents a summary and interpretation of the workshop discussion to enable a statement on ‘where we are at’ in terms of biosecurity decision-making and joint effort.

The workshop process identified clear differences in the current biosecurity priorities of industry, government and community:

• Industry priorities were focused on biosecurity activities that would preserve a profitable/sustainable industry.
• Government priorities were targeted toward prevention and early eradication, but also included ongoing actions for biodiversity …

Heir Property In The African American Community: From Promised Lands To Problem Lands, Roy W. Copeland

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

African American landowners have been reluctant to take advantage of intergenerational succession laws which provide for an orderly transfer of property from one generation to the next. This reluctance has led to a prevalence of heir property. Heir property is created when a person dies intestate. Heir property has created an impediment to wealth accumulation and has contributed to African American land loss in America. Partition actions are a byproduct of heir property which has operated to accelerate the loss of real property in the African American community. The Uniform Partition of Heir Property Act provides for procedural safeguards …

Assessing Alabama Consumer Attitudes And Beliefs About Locally Or Regionally Produced Livestock And Products, Nii O. Tackie, Jannette R. Bartlett, Akua Adu-Gyamfi

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Local and regional food production has gained increased interest of consumers in recent years. The study, therefore, focused on assessing consumer attitudes and beliefs on local or regional livestock products. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 432 participants from South Central Alabama, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including chi-square tests. A majority of respondents thought using chemicals and additives in locally or regionally produced beef or goat meat was a serious hazard. Therefore, many were willing to pay more for meat certified as locally or regionally produced. Also, most agreed or strongly agreed with statements on …

Assessing The Educational Program Needs Of Small And Limited Resource Meat Goat Producers, Francisca Quarcoo

College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

ASSESSING THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM NEEDS OF

SMALL AND LIMITED RESOURCE MEAT GOAT PRODUCERS

by

Francisca A. Quarcoo

The purpose of this study was to assess the preferred educational program needs of small meat goat producers. The specific objectives were to (1) determine if current educational programs by the Caprine Research and Education Unit and/or the Cooperative Extension Program, Tuskegee University, reflect the actual needs of meat goat producers, (2) measure adoption and impact of past educational efforts by the Caprine Research and Education Unit and/or the Cooperative Extension Program, (3) determine the desired presentation or delivery format for future …

Fishing For A Sustainable Future: Aquaponics As A Method Of Food Production, Richard Ramsundar

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis compares and explains the advantages aquaponics farming has over modern industrial intensive farming. Through a comparison natural capital usage, conservation, recycling and cost, the thesis advocates for the expansion of aquaponics usage in urban settings. The thesis also explains the history of intensive farming and aquaponics in America, the science of how aquaponics operates, the economic and environmental costs of modern intensive farming versus aquaponics farming, and the social implications of aquaponics. Lastly, I propose a policy that reallocates farm subsidies by modifying the Farm Bill. Then I propose policies that support creating a new standard of farm …

An Assessment Of The Impact Of Sand Mining: Unguja, Zanzibar, Caroline Ladlow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Resource consumption is one of the most crucial environmental problems facing the world today. Therefore nonrenewable resources need to be sustainably used to ensure the survival of both future generations and the resources at stake. The goal of this study was to investigate the impacts of sand mining on the environment, economy, and communities of Zanzibar. The environmental, economic, and social impacts of sand mining activities were studied at various sites on the island of Unguja. The effects on vegetation, coastal erosion, communities, and local economies were researched based on field observations and interviews with local people and officials at …

Western Farmers’ Markets In Kathmandu: Vendor Perspectives, Caroline Saunders

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study seeks to understand Western farmers’ markets (FMs) in Kathmandu by understanding vendors’ motivations for attending FMs; and further, their perspectives on the purpose and potential for expansion of FMs in Kathmandu’s food economy. In the US and Europe, FMs are often seen in the literature as a component of a social movement (SM) called the ‘alternative food movement’ (AFM) concerned with environmental sustainability and social justice within the processes of food production and consumption (Isenhour 2012). FMs, a type of direct market that offer face-to-face interaction between producers and consumers, are a site for the transmission of values …

Urban Gardening Practices In Bangalore: Towards A More Localized Food System?, Delfina Grinspan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Localized Food Systems (LFS) have garnered much attention in recent years among civil society, research, and policy circles, among others. Increased attention and efforts to build more localized food systems are principally motivated by the awareness of the pressures exerted by increasing urbanization on food security and access, and concern for the ecological and social costs of the dominant globalized food system. In their varying purpose to address these two issues, LFS tend to be characterized by certain patterns of (localized) land, water, and other resource use; by direct marketing and distribution arrangements; and by the presence of extensive linkages …

Rural China In Transition: Changes And Transformations In China’S Agriculture And Rural Sector, John A. Donaldson, Forrest Q. Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Agribusiness companies operating in China are transacting in various forms with small agricultural producers, and in doing so, transforming the household-based agriculture in rural China. We argue that the presence of these distinct forms and the diverging relations between agribusiness and producers show the central importance of China’s collective land rights. China’s unique system of land rights – featuring collective ownership but individualized usage rights – has acted as a powerful force in shaping interactions between agribusiness and direct producers. It provides farmers a source of economic income as well as political bargaining power – albeit to various degrees – …

The Pelagic Artisanal Fishing Of Mangapwani, Northern Unguja, Shavonne Stanek

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A total of 99 interviews were conducted. Over a period of 28 days from April 5- May 2, 2015, a total of 75 interviews were conducted with 72 fishermen, 2 drying processors and 1 Bwana Diko. During a 5 day preliminary period from March 12-16, 2015, a total of 24 interviews were conducted with 7 fishermen and 14 drying processors. The interviews focused on their work in the local fishing industry, the amount of fish caught and dried, and their opinions on the sustainability of their industry. The interviews were conducted using a translator who relayed the responses in English …

Taming The Teesta: Exploring The Holistic Effects Of Hydroelectric Dam Development On The Teesta River Through Documentary Film, Taylor Graham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since time immemorial, the Lepcha people have called the Himalayan region that makes up the modern state of Sikkim their home and have held sacred the rivers, mountains, and forests that make up the biologically diverse region. Over the past two decades, India’s rapid development has generated a powerful thirst for electricity, and the country has increasingly looked to the cold, powerful rivers thundering from the Himalayas to supply that desired power. Hydroelectric projects have been proposed and implemented throughout the Himalayan region. Nowhere, however, are the dams as numerous or their effects as acutely felt as in India’s northwestern …

Household Demography And Early Childhood Mortality In A Rice-Farming Village In Northern Laos, Shinsuke Tomita, Daniel M. Parker, Julia Jennings, James Wood

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

This paper extends Alexandr Chayanov’s model of changing household demography (specifically the ratio of food consumers to food producers) and its influence on agricultural behavior so that it includes possible adverse effects of a rising ratio on nutritional status and early childhood mortality within the household. We apply the model to 35 years’ worth of longitudinal demographic and economic data collected in the irrigated-rice growing village of Na Savang in northern Laos. When appropriate controls are included for other household variables, unobserved inter-household heterogeneity, and changes in local conditions and national policy over the study period, the analysis suggests that …

Presentations And Posters From The 2015 Research That Matters Sustainable Food Conference: People, Policy, & Practice, Various Authors

Food and Gardening Working Group

The University of South Florida Sustainable Food Conference: People, Policy, & Practice brought together food researchers from USF and the larger Tampa Bay community to share ideas and findings that will pave the path toward more sustainable and resilient communities. It featured research papers and presentations from all disciplines and methodologies addressing issues concerning food production, distribution, retail, and/or consumption.

Operations And Profitability Of Snail Dredging In Laguna, Rizal And Pasig City, Eden Piadozo, Mj Malabayabas, Dominic Hamada, Roberto F. Ranola Jr.

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The objective of this study is to provide a better understanding of the snail dredging industry and its current situation. Specifically, it describes the snail dredging activities done in selected areas in Laguna Lake, determines the profitability of snail dredging, and identifies the market destinations of the snails dredged. Snail dredging has been banned because of its adverse effects on the lake environment. However, the study finds that snail dredgers continue to operate all year round. On a daily basis, dredging operations range from 4 to 10 hours. Snails dredged from Laguna Lake are brought to the provinces of Pampanga …

Decoy Effect And Student Preference With Regard To Usb Flash Drives, Jeff Arapoc

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

Standard economic theory assumes that individuals make decisions that are consistent across different choice situations. Behavioral economics challenges the standard economic theory account of individual behavior. This budding field suggests that consumer preference for one option over another changes as a result of adding another option. This study aims to determine the effect of a decoy option on consumer preference for USB flash drives. A quasi-experiment was conducted among 100 UPLB students wherein each respondent was initially asked to choose between two kinds of flash drive. The researcher then adds a decoy option to test if the respondent will change …

Farmers’ Willingness To Pay For An Alternative Irrigation Policy To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Rice Farming In The Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System, Fezoil Luz C. Decena, Impa Buayon

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The practice of continuous flooding of rice fields in the national irrigation systems has attendant issues, including the inefficient use of water, unequal distribution of water along the irrigation canals, and greenhouse gas emissions. An ex-ante analysis was conducted to evaluate alternative policy options in the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems, using both market and non-market approaches. The market approach estimated the greenhouse gas avoided and water savings due to the shift in policy. The non-market approach used choice experiment to estimate willingness to pay of farmers to shift the current to an alternative policy. The study concludes that …

Price Cointegration And Leadership In Regional Tilapia And Roundscad Markets In The Philippines,1990-2007, Yolanda T. Garcia

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

This study aims to investigate the price dynamics between the wholesale and retail prices of roundscad and tilapia in the regional markets of the Philippines. It also seeks to analyze how the observed dynamics in these prices could be linked to the development in market-related infrastructures that can promote trade, e.g., telecommunication and transportation facilities. Results of the study reveal that there is a general decrease in the number of regions that show cointegrated wholesale and retail prices over time in both fish species. Moreover, price leadership under the “Granger-causality” sense (of either wholesale or retail price) seems to diminish …

Building Disaster Resilience To Address Household Food Security: The Case Of Sta. Rosa-Silang Subwatershed, Roberto F. Ranola Jr., Mi Cuesta, Bam Zaraf

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

The Laguna Lake Region is one of the places in the Philippines that are most vulnerable to natural disasters because of their location and ecological condition. Among the natural calamities that regularly hit the country, one of the most frequent and disastrous is flooding. The most affected are the poor who are faced with the double risk of being food insecure and living in conditions that are very vulnerable to natural hazards. The most negative and long-term effect of flooding is reduction in food security because flooding erodes the asset base of households that in turn results in the adoption …