Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Beyond Emergency: Charting Pathways To Sustainable Development In Fragile And Conflict-Affected Settings: A Case Study Of Yemen, Sharif Abdurabu Salem Farid Alsahbool

Theses and Dissertations

For nearly a decade, Yemen's eastern governorates of Hadramawt, Shabwah, and Al‑Mahrah have been relatively stable, yet the international aid system has kept delivering short‑term humanitarian relief like food baskets and water trucking instead of shifting to sustainable development that could rebuild people's lives, create jobs, fix infrastructure, and strengthen local government. This thesis investigates why this transition has taken so long. Based on 21 interviews with government officials, international NGO staff, and local NGO managers in these three governorates, the study develops a new way of understanding the problem. It introduces three ideas: the 'emergency mentality', which is a …

Rural Entrepreneurship In Upper Egyptian Communities: Exploring The Intervention Of Agri-Tech Startups, Marwa Wael Abohamda Hulail

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change and economic disturbance have changed the state of the world and increased the dependence on digitization in running people's daily life. In Egypt, the economic instability and climate change have affected people’s standard of living, making it challenging to sustain their life, especially in the agriculture sector. Farmers have been affected by the risks of climate change, economic shocks, and trends of digitization, which have impacted their profit, employability, and livelihood.

Several Egyptian Agri-tech startups were launched to support the farmers in the digital revolution that came to agriculture, attempting to make a change in the Egyptian farming …

Integrated Agricultural Interventions And Women’S Empowerment\ A Case Study Of “She Feeds The World” – “Aysheen Bekhirha” Program In Egypt, Pakinam Shibl

Theses and Dissertations

“She Feeds the World” program is a program that empowers women in farming communities by integrating them into the agricultural value chain. With increased access to essential resources such as land, seeds, water, and technical training, women are expected to actualize their full potential and generate more income. This paper explores the intersection of societal mobilization and economic development through a case study of the “Aysheen Bekhirha” program. By drawing on primary sources, the researcher aims to provide insights into the program’s multifaceted approach and its impact on economic and social outcomes. The analysis focuses on the significance of women’s …

May The Soil Be Everywhere: Portraying A Family's Love And Revolution Through Oral History, Performance, And Film From A Granddaughter's Perspective, Yehui Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

May the Soil Be Everywhere is a feature-length documentary film that tells an intimate four-generational family story about farming, survival, and regeneration. Set against a backdrop of war, famine, and rapid urbanization, May the Soil Be Everywhere delves into oral history, trauma, family heritage and generational love. It represents a community’s collective effort to preserve its identity.

We Built This Country For Free – Using A Phenomenological Approach For (Re) Imagining Mississippi Black Small-Scale Farmers, Destiny Denise Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

By the early 20th century, in 1920, Black farmers owned 14% of US farmland. Today, in the 21st century, Black farmers own less than 2% of US farmland. The demise of Black farmers and Black farmland in US Agriculture is a direct result of social, political, and racial weaponization against their foodways, culture, and livelihoods. The history concerning the plight of Black farmers goes beyond USDA's historical discrimination but enters a position where racism is embedded and perpetuated within the structure of US agriculture. In effect, Black small-scale farmers have reaped the downfall of this system, enduring racial biases and …

Valuation Of Oyster Reef Restoration Along The Gulf Coast, Freedom Enyetornye

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to estimate the willingness to pay of U.S. Gulf Coast residents to support oyster reef restoration. The Gulf Coast is the leading commercial oyster- producing region in the United States, accounting for approximately 46% of the total commercial oyster harvest in 2021. My benefit estimates were based on data obtained from a contingent valuation survey of 6,475 Gulf Coast respondents. I estimated the willingness to pay (WTP) for oyster reef restoration using interval regression and Turnbull lower-bound methods. The estimated mean WTP value is in the range of $142 and $436 per household. The …

Regional Economic Impacts Of Enterococcus-Related Beach Closures In Mississippi, Jessica Lynn Browne

Theses and Dissertations

High levels of Enterococcus are the most frequent reason for beach closures on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and can be made worse by human activities. When beaches close, tourism can decrease, affecting sales. This study aims to 1) analyze the regional economic impact of beach closures at the county level, 2) show empirically how serious the impact of high levels of Enterococcus are compared to other causes of beach closures, and 3) discuss the policy implications for regional economies linked to beach closures. I use a response function approach with beach closure and county-level monthly gross taxable sales data. Results …

Utilizing Soil Quality Data For Premium Rate Making In The Federal Crop Insurance Program, Rylan Moore

Theses and Dissertations

The federal crop insurance program provides crop insurance for millions of acres and many commodities every year. The Risk Management Agency of the USDA is responsible for determining the premium rates for these covered commodities. Currently, the quality of soil is not considered when determining baseline yields and expected premium rates. This study utilizes the moment-based maximum entropy method to assess the effect of incorporating soil in the rate making methodology. Several moments of upland cotton yield in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas are conditioned on weather, irrigation, and soil control variables. Ultimately, I find evidence of mispriced premium rates for …

An Analysis Of Coastal Restoration Projects In Alabama And Mississippi, Barbara Nyarkoa Okai

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to review thirteen coastal restoration projects considering the various ecosystem services provided by restoration and estimates the economic value of one of the ecosystem services of restoration. These ecosystem services include water quality improvement, fish and benthic species productivity, shoreline stabilization, oyster abundance, and marsh growth. The projects represent a set of large-scale projects within Alabama and Mississippi, with construction and monitoring costs ranging from $2.3 million to $50 million per project. To determine the economic value of one of the ecosystem services of coastal restoration projects, I used the meta-analysis method to estimate the willingness to …

Nutrient Optimization For Vegetable Production Under Decoupled Aquaponics Using Brackish Water, Salma Walid Hany Ahmed Abdelfattah

Theses and Dissertations

As the world moves to more sustainable agriculture methods in the agribusiness industry, decoupled aquaponics is recognized as one of the newest techniques currently being utilized to achieve more local food security. As the topic is still freshly new within the industry, a finite number of publications and studies have been made that address the topic hands-on with its many variables. Subsequently, in this paper, an experiment was conducted to assess the most optimized production conditions of both lacinato kale (Brassica oleracea var.palmifolia) and Swiss chard Bright Light (Beta vulgaris ssp. Cicla var. flavescens) plants through the utilization of a …

Natural Capital Value Of Fisheries Under Environmental Stressor: A Case Of Blue Crab Under Hypoxia In The Gulf Of Mexico, Shelby Leigh Brewer

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental threats to fisheries are a rising concern for fishery managers. Gulf of Mexico hypoxia is particularly concerning. In order to properly manage Gulf fisheries, the sustainability of species stock and its natural capital values should be analyzed. As an empirical effort, I use blue crab in Louisiana waters as a case study to build a bioeconomic model of blue crab under hypoxia. I apply the natural capital valuation approach to estimate the blue crab value function under hypoxia in order to assess blue crab sustainability. I find that blue crab management in Louisiana under hypoxia is not sustainable, being …

The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Food Security Of Mississippians, Hannah Noel Irwin

Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi leads the United States in food insecurity, with 15.3% of Mississippians experiencing food insecurity in a given year. To determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food insecurity of Mississippians, a survey containing the USDA Household Food Security Questionnaire was distributed to adult Mississippi residents. By employing the USDA Household Food Security Scale and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke Methodology, this study finds that the food insecurity rate, food insecurity gap, and squared food insecurity gap have worsened in Mississippi since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study finds that households which were food insecure prior to March …

U.S. Financial Literacy: Does Urban-Rural Residency Matter?, Mckenzie Leanne Carvalho

Theses and Dissertations

Financial illiteracy broadly affects people’s financial and economic well-being. The purpose of this thesis is to identify how the magnitudes of financial literacy determinants change under different residency settings. A county-level calculation of financial literacy is created, and logit and negative binomial regressions are employed to compare the relationship between demographic variables and financial literacy in metro/non-metro and urban/rural counties. Data on individual’s financial knowledge and personal characteristics is obtained from the FINRA National Financial Capability Study. Urban and rural residency is determined using USDA ERS Rural-Urban Continuum Codes and the Index of Relative Rurality. These results provide an improved …

The Diffusion And Adoption Of Precision Agricultural Technologies And Practices In Six Selected Southern States, Patterson Perez Hilaire

Theses and Dissertations

Precision agriculture continues to be prevalent within row-crop production. The purpose of this study was to investigate the adoption status of precision agricultural practices among selected row-crop (soybean, wheat, corn, cotton, peanuts, and rice) producers in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Seventy-four percent of row-crop producers surveyed in this study had adopted precision agricultural practices in their farming operations. Eighty-three percent of respondents indicated they were using automated GPS technology such as autosteer, 66% were using manual guidance such as lightbar, 63% variable-rate prescription map, and 34% auto-sprayer boom section or nozzle control. The primary source for receiving …

An Examination Of Capacity Building For Sanitary And Phytosanitary Measures For Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: Empowerment Theory At The Individual, Organizational, And Community Levels, Lisa De Leon

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge and application gaps exist for women farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa who are key agricultural players for economic growth and food security. This study examined capacity development for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and empowerment of women farmers considering Rappaport (1984) and Zimmerman’s (1995, 2000) lenses of empowerment theory. The central research question was, how does capacity development for sanitary and phytosanitary measures empower women at the individual, organizational, and community levels in Sub-Saharan Africa? The study employed an embedded mixed methods design collecting data via an electronic survey from 23 Sub-Saharan women farmers; 22 from Ghana and one from …

Egyptian Women’S Agriculture Contribution; Assessment Of The Gender Gap For Sustainable Development, Noha El Khorazaty

Theses and Dissertations

Women’s contribution to the agriculture sector in developing countries is undeniable, yet they do not have equal access to the resources and opportunities they need to be more productive. Sustainable development entails inclusive and effective management of natural resources, this entails gender equity in agriculture. Bridging the gender gap in agriculture far exceeds the benefits of the individual. According to the latest estimates bridging the yield gap in agricultural productivity could possibly decrease the numbers of undernourished people in the world by around 100 – 140 million people. Sustainable agriculture development and gender equity necessitate policy interventions targeting the gender …

Impact Of Selected Financial Measures On The Term Debt Repayment Ability Of Illinois Grain Farms, Samuel Awortwe Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

A clear and accurate assessment of the financial performance of a farm business is an important component of financial management at any time but becomes even more crucial in periods of economic downturn in the farm sector. Farmers continue to increase their debt even though the prices of commodities are low, and the prices of inputs are high (Krapf, Raab, & Zwilling, 2017). In addition, high family living expenses can also place financial pressure on farms (Scott, 2016). This study focused on identifying and estimating the impact of key factors which included financial measures and family living expenses on the …

The Impact Of The 2008 Economic Recession On The Food Security Level Of Veterans Relative To Non-Veterans, Galo Casals

Theses and Dissertations

Using nationally representative data, this paper aims to determine the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on the food security level of veterans relative to non-veterans. An ordinal logistic model reveals that the aforesaid recession did not have a significant impact on the food security level of veterans vis-à-vis non-veterans.

Determining The Effects Of Sulfur Fertility Levels On Edamame Soybean [ Glycine Max ( L. ) Merrill ] Protein Components, Theoneste Nzaranyimana

Theses and Dissertations

Edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] a vegetable type soybean is harvested and consumed before reaching its maturity stage (R6). Its health properties drew attention to U.S. consumers because of its high protein content. Proteins are the major structural component of all cells in the living organisms. They are made of essential and non-essential amino acids which play a big role in growth and development and are source of energy. Proteins act as enzymes, antibodies, and hormones and blood protein. Sulfur (S) is a component of the amino acids cysteine (Cys) and methionine (Met) which are the building blocks for proteins. …

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 …

Expanding Eco-Visualization: Sculpting Corn Production, Jennifer E. Figg

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation expands upon the definition of eco-visualization artwork. EV was originally defined in 2006 by Tiffany Holmes as a way to display the real time consumption statistics of key environmental resources for the goal of promoting ecological literacy. I assert that the final forms of EV artworks are not necessarily dependent on technology, and can differ in terms of media used, in that they can be sculptural, video-based, or static two-dimensional forms that communicate interpreted environmental information. There are two main categories of EV: one that is predominantly screen-based and another that employs a variety of modes of representation …

Effect Of Food Aid Delivery Mode On Food Production In Recipient Nation, Steven Marc Wolf

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide quantitative evidence linking food aid delivery mode and its correlation with food production in the recipient nation. Debate over the best way to provide food aid to developing countries inspired this study. The three delivery modes used for this study were direct transfer, locally purchase, and triangular purchase. Food aid data was available from The World Food Programme and food production indices were available from The World Bank. Correlations between the independent variable (food aid quantity by delivery mode) and dependent variable (food production index) were examined using the coefficient of determination, …

Effects Of River Stages And Barge Rates On Illinois Corn And Soybean Basis, Zachary Gass

Theses and Dissertations

During the drought of 2012 the Midwest suffered one of the worst droughts to date which created adverse effects on multiple sectors of the agriculture economy including river transportation. During the last week of 2012, grain barge movement decreased by 41 percent from the same period in 2011. This thesis identifies the relationship between river stages, barge rates, and Illinois corn and soybean basis. By implementing simple regression techniques, river stages and barge were each used as an independent variable and experimental region basis minus control region basis was used as the dependent variable. Multiple regression techniques combined both river …

Participatory Strategic Plan For The Marketing Of Chicken Broilers Produced By Beneficiary Families In The Area Of Influence Of The Benson Institute, In The City Otavalo, A. Lourdes Paola García

Theses and Dissertations

This study was done with the objective of helping families that produce poultry to market their product. Therefore, we determined that it is important to develop a strategic marketing plan to help producers reach their sales targets.
As such, this research is focused on the development of chapters that sustain and support the importance and benefits that will be achieved through the development and execution of the plan. This will help with the satisfaction of demand expectations.
The first chapter shows the theoretical framework, which explains basic concepts about diagnosis, marketing plan, marketing, projects, chicken broilers, and other related topics. …

Feed Conversion Index In Two Populations And Two Lines Of Guinea Pigs For Meat Production, Kathia Jordán Vargas

Theses and Dissertations

The guinea pig (Cavia aperea porcellus) is an alternative to improve human nutrition because its meat is of excellent taste and quality. Thus, it is an important nutritional source. The feed conversion index was determined under the basic (forage) and mixed (forage and concentrate) diets during the growth phase. This was done with both sexes located in the Tamborada and MEJOCUY populations, using the AUQUI, and San Luis lines. This was done in order to quantify how many kilograms of feed an animal must eat to gain one kilogram of live weight. The animals were randomly distributed into individual pools …

Evaluation Of The Production Yield In Two Guinea Pig Populations Under Field Conditions And Project Mejocuy Cages, Elbert Alan Estevez Siles

Theses and Dissertations

The breeding of the guinea pig in Bolivia has always been important for the inhabitants of rural areas. Nevertheless, in recent years there has been broader acceptance for consumption of the guinea pig in the urban middle class, beginning to grow the market of the meat of guinea pig in the Departamentos of Bolivia, because the good flavor and high degree of nutrition of this meat, therefore offering a good option to improve nutrition in the diet of Bolivians. Currently the type of breeding found of the valleys of Bolivia in the great majority of the communities is family-based, with …

Creation Of Three Nutritional Mixes Based On Amaranth (Amaranthus Caudatus) And Other Andean Crops For School-Aged Children (Cochabamba-Bolivia), Sandra Carola Delgadillo Barriga

Theses and Dissertations

In Bolivia we have three very valuable Andean grains: amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus), quinoa (Chenopodium quinua), and canihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule), which combined with cereals and legumes can become a complete and balanced food in order to combat the malnutrition that is so widespread in our region. In this study, various nutritional mixes were formulated, based on amaranth and other Andean crops, and the three best were chosen according to nutrition, palatability, and cost. They were: Andean Baby Food, Mixicereal, and Amaranth Cookie, which have an amino acid complement between 79% and 100% and give satisfactory amounts of protein, energy, and minerals …

Livestock Production Costs Of Small Ranches On The Central Altiplano, Alfredo Benito Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

One of the more important economic activities in the Altiplano region is raising livestock, the exploitation of cattle, sheep, and llamas which are raised and adapted to the conditions surrounding this activity. Livestock production plays a fundamental role in the economy of farming families by providing them products such as meat, milk, cheese, fiber, skins, and other products that each translate into monetary revenues. The present study was carried out in the community of "Chama 6 de julio," Ingavi Province, Department of La Paz, about 83 km. (51.6 miles) outside of La Paz at an elevation of 3,792 m. (12,440 …

Analysis Of A Mixed Cereal Of Legumes That Processes Similar Nutritional Characteristics To A Cereal Product Of Local Consumption And Its Economic Feasibility, Willy Ivan Anzaldo Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

In this analysis, we plan on developing vegetable mixes with high nutritional qualities and instant fuel consumption. These are to be used as a nutritional supplement in the feeding of children from 6 months of age. Initially, I selected the raw material, due to its high protein content and low cost (soy, tarhui, Cuban corn, rice, wheat, barley). They formed mixes with nutritional characteristics similar to the control for reference (15.5% of protein, 419 kcal of energy). From these formulas, different tests of completed production of mixtures, going so far as to obtain eight mixes with good nutritional and organoleptic …

Diagnosis Of Livestock Production In Three Communities (Tunshi San Javier, San Antonio And Maria Auxiliadora) Using The Chambo Irrigation System - Guano, Egresado ÁNgel Montalvo Silva

Theses and Dissertations

During 43 weeks three communities belonging to the Chambo-Guano irrigation system (María Auxiliadora, San Antonio, and Tunshi San Javier) were studied. Each family had 0.662 ± 0.149 producing cows, 0.115 ± 0.048 dry cows, 0.381 ± 0.095 heifers, 0.252 ± 0.068 young bulls, 0.158 ± 0.052 bulls, and 0.568 ± 0.096 calves. The age at first mounting (21.696 ± 9.28 months) showed that the cows enter reproduction late. Of the cows, 71.94 ± 5.26% were of household varieties. To feed them, alfalfa was used at 79.86 ± 4.5%, undergrowth 56.83 ± 5.62%, corn stalks 48.2 ± 6.02%, kikuyu 19.42 ± …