Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Energy Restriction During Breeding Gilt Development: An Economic Analysis, Justin Cech, Darrell R. Mark, Roger K. Wilson

Cornhusker Economics

Swine production has increasingly become a lowmargin business. As costs of production have increased, producers are continuing to increase efficiency in both market pig production and gilt development. Restricting energy during gilt development reduces feeding costs and can enhance some productivity measures, but can also negatively impact other areas of production. Thus, the net economic returns from a restricted energy gilt development program are unclear. This study utilized gilt development and market pig production data for two genetic lines of hogs, LWxLR (a cross between industry Large White and Landrace) and L45X (a Nebraska line selected 23 generations for increased …

A Study Of The Economic Effects Of Imposing Fair Trade Coffee Consumption In San Francisco, Alexander Preston Magginetti

Agribusiness

Noting the rising sales of eco-friendly and fairly traded goods in the United States, this study examines the effects of implementing a policy that would limit the supply of non-fair-trade coffee in San Francisco. The goal of this policy would be to increase the sales of the fair-trade coffee market in the United States, and benefit fair-trade coffee growers by mandating the sale of fair-trade coffee in San Francisco. This study focuses on the economic effects of the policy on consumers and producers of fair-trade coffee, regular coffee, tea, and soda.

“Fair trade” began at the end of World War …

Evaluation Of Qualitative Aesthetics Of Wine Labels, Taryn Ann Barsotti

Agribusiness

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between qualitative label aesthetics of wine labels and recommended price. The variables that were evaluated included Sonoma, Napa, Golden Mean, Font Uniformity, Color, Direction, Realistic, Abstract, Font Sizes, Font Styles, Pictures of Grapes/Vineyards, and Horizontal Label.

The report represents two important techniques when performing the analysis. A regression analysis and an analysis of variance have been performed to determine the relationship between particular variables and price.

It is concluded that there is a relationship between all test label aesthetics in wine labels and recommended price. This relationship is based on a ninety …

Monopoly, Regulation, And Innovation, Matt Bogard

Economics Faculty Publications

Recently the Justice department has started investigations into alleged anti-trust violations by Monsanto. This has helped fuel a lot of already hyped discontent with one of the world’s leaders in innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture. This article discusses how the regulatory environment could possibly have contributed to more concentration and power in the biotech industry. Increasing regulation would likely have the opposite effect of creating a level playing field in the agriculture industry. From AgWeb, March 27,2010 http://www.agweb.com/blog/Economic_Sense_190/Monopoly_Regulation__and_Innovation_10771/

Carbon Emission Control Policies Within China’S Power Generation Sector, Zhenyu Zhang, Karina Schoengold

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

The paper examines the potential for emissions control policy using the example of the power generation sector in China. The analytical model is developed using a joint production function, where carbon emissions and electricity are jointly produced using capital and fossil fuel inputs. Abatement of emissions can be achieved by investment in two types of capital – production capital that improves the production efficiency, or abatement capital that removes the emissions. The analytical model shows that economic growth can be achieved while still keeping the emission stock at a stable level. The results are estimated using data from China’s electricity …

Where The Ends Don’T Meet: Measuring Poverty And Self-Sufficiency Among Oregon’S Families, Melissa Rowe, Sheila A. Martin, Danan Gu, Webb Sprague

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

This report uses the Self-Sufficiency Standard developed by Dr. Diana Pearce at the University of Washington to analyze the extent to which Oregon households earn enough money to meet their basic needs without a public subsidy. This standard, a vast improvement on the federal poverty level, accounts for differences in the cost of living based on family structure, age of children, and county of residence. Dr. Pearce has defined the income required to meet basic needs for every county in Oregon and a number of household types. A large number of Oregon households not considered poor by the federal poverty …

Tailoring Rural Community Web Sites To New Residents, Cheryl A, Burkhart-Kriesel, Randolph L. Cantrell

Cornhusker Economics

Recruiting and retaining new residents is critically important to communities that are experiencing either job growth or a declining population. City councils and village boards across the state often ask the question, “How can we bring in and keep new people today?” This issue has not gone unnoticed by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development or the University of Nebraska.

The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Of 2009, Tina N. Barrett

Cornhusker Economics

President Obama signed the $787 billion economic stimulus package into law on February 17, 2009. What will this mean to individuals or to tax law for 2009?

Cost Of Production And Crop Insurance, Tina N. Barrett, Brad Heinrichs

Cornhusker Economics

As we approach the March 15 th deadline for signing up for Federal Crop Insurance there are many things to consider before producers make a decision. Obviously, the rates, weather scares, market volatility and “whatever I did last year” will play a part in producers’ decisions, but I think very few consider the real issue of their cost of production.

Nebraska Ethanol's Carbon Footprint, Richard K. Perrin, Diego Alvarez

Cornhusker Economics

If burning a gallon of ethanol emits less greenhouse gas or GHGs (CO₂, primarily), than the gasoline it replaces then it has a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline. Actually, it is the amount of fossil CO₂ emitted that matters, because CO₂ from fossil fuels represents "new" carbon in the atmosphere, whereas the CO₂ released by corn ethanol is recycled atmospheric carbon.

Trade Adjustment Assistance For Farmers Available 2010, David J. Goeller

Cornhusker Economics

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 has re-authorized and modified the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers program. The statute authorizes an appropriation of not more than $90 million per year for the next three fiscal years. The TAA for Farmers program helps producers of raw agricultural commodities (farmers, ranchers or fishermen) who have experienced significant declines in price or production, adjust to the changing economic environment brought on by import competition. The program provides benefits to eligible producers in the form of educational assistance, as well as up to $12,000 per producer in cash benefits to help …

Climate Change Response Strategy, Anne Bennett

Bulletins 4000 -

Climate change and policies introduced to reduce emissions will affect the agricultural sector and will lead to social and economic outcomes.

In addressing the Western Australian Government's priority plan for the agriculture and food sector, the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia has a number of roles it can play to assist industry to adapt and respond to climate change.

This document provides a balanced and coordinated strategic direction for climate change activities by identifying and prioritising key actions to be achieved over the next five years. The strategy is split into four chapters: emissions abatement, carbon sinks, adapting …

Decoupling And Recoupling: Global Links To The Business Cycle; Cattle Market Fundamentals, John A. Sodney, Matthew Diersen

Economics Commentator (1972- 2016)

No abstract provided.

Variation Of Environmental Regulation Stringency Among The Top Ten U.S. Hog Producing States, Gibson Nene, Karina A, Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

The U.S. hog industry, once primarily made up of small owner-operated crop-hog farms, has become dominated by large specialized operations characterized by low costs and improved technologies in livestock management. Such changes have triggered concerns over the dangers large Hog Feeding Operations (HFOs) are likely to pose to the environment. In 2007, the top ten states accounted for more than 85 percent of total U.S. hog production (Iowa (IA), North Carolina (NC), Minnesota (MN), Illinois (IL), Nebraska (NE), Indiana (IN), Missouri (MO), Oklahoma (OK), Ohio (OH), and Kansas (KS)). With such domination on production, these states are often the subject …

The U.S. Import Of Beef: Friend Or Foe To Domestic Beef Production?, Sunil P. Dhoubhadel, Matthew C. Stockton

Cornhusker Economics

Controversy surrounding the United States import of beef has been an issue since at least 1958, which marked the beginning of major imports from Australia (Edward, 1964). From the onset, U.S. beef producers have been concerned that beef imports would depress the prices they receive for their product. Consumer groups, on the other hand, have welcomed increased imports, expecting that increased competition would lower meat prices. As a result of these conflicting views, the past 50 years has seen the creation of various measures of legislation which control the volume of imports.

Landowner Wind Energy Associations, J. David Aiken

Cornhusker Economics

Many Nebraska farmers and rural landowners are receiving offers to purchase wind energy leases. However, landowners have little information regarding wind lease rates in Nebraska, and wind leases are relatively new in the state. Some rural advocates suggest that landowners pool their interests in what are called Landowner Wind Energy Associations (LWEAs). LWEA advantages include information pooling and the ability to solicit wind energy development proposals meeting LWEA specifications from wind energy developers. This newsletter takes a quick look at LWEA advantages, LWEA operating agreement provisions and LWEA wind energy development requests for proposal provisions.

Risk Management Challenges And Opportunities In 2010, H. Douglas Jose

Cornhusker Economics

In 2009, agriculture was impacted by significant volatility in commodity and input prices and major world economic events. The world economy continued to flounder, resulting in reduced demand for agricultural commodities, particularly livestock products. The H1N1 outbreak further exacerbated the situation as consumers around the world reduced their consumption of pork. In the last quarter of 2009, unemployment in the United States reached ten percent and continues to rise each month, albeit at a slower rate. In recent reports economic analysts contend the reported figures underestimate the actual unemployment, and that we will continue to face ten percent or more …

Empathy Conditioned Conservation: “Walking-In-The-Shoes-Of-Others” As A Conservation Farmer, Robert Sheeder, Gary D. Lynne

Cornhusker Economics

Since the destruction and despair caused by the dust bowl of the 1930’s, Americans and their government have taken a keen interest in natural resource conservation policy on agricultural land. The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 was the first farm bill to include provisions that provided payments to farmers willing to employ soil conservation measures (Cain and Lovejoy, 2004). While the main purpose of this bill was to provide financial support to impoverished farmers, the fact remains that natural resource conservation was starting to become an important issue for the American public.

Two And A Half Cheers For The Midwestern Bourgeoisie: Role Of The Virtues In Tempering Business Decisions, Marianna Khachaturyan, Gary D. Lynne

Cornhusker Economics

A recent book (The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce, D. N. McCloskey), raises the matter of the role of the virtues in business and economic choice, arguing that capitalism can indeed, be virtuous or at least better than the alternative(s). This argument is especially timely in light of the apparent excesses on Wall Street and in some banking/financial institutions. Excessive greed and often the lack of business ethics contributed in substantive ways to the financial crisis and near economic meltdown we have been experiencing. As McCloskey, (2006, pp. 1-2) argues (in setting the stage for …

Science And The Climate Change Debacle, Ray Supalla

Cornhusker Economics

As I write this on the first business day of 2010, I find myself thinking about the importance of respecting alternative views --- not only alternative political views, but also alternative scientific views. Good science requires that we understand the limits of knowledge and continuously seek the truth through respectful questioning, replication and review. In the climate change debate, which recently culminated in a disappointing and largely ineffective conference in Copenhagen, these salient principles of science were grossly violated. Well respected climate scientists proceeded well beyond the limits of their knowledge and became policy advocates. They demeaned anyone who dared …