Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

Modeling The Us Beef Industry’S Response To Covid-19, Owen Michael Fleming

Undergraduate Economic Review

To understand the beef industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I proposed a three-sector model of the beef supply-chain and estimated it econometrically. Based on their definitions, it is found that panic, stay-at-home procedures, and expectations are not significant explanatory variables. However, there is strong evidence that COVID-19 spread in a set of counties with large meatpacking plants has the effect of increasing wholesale beef prices, while country-wide spread has the effect of reducing wholesale prices. The results further imply differences in competition across the market levels, with wholesalers responding as if they face less competition than retailers and farmers.

Consumer Food Waste Behaviors In Relation To Open Date Label Misinterpretation, Daniel Hutchings, Elisabeth Seliga, Anya O'Meara, Anna Blank

Thinking Matters Symposium

In the United States, the legal framework for product date labeling is minimal and varies across states. Manufacturers have the discretion to use any date label that they deem appropriate, and this lack of uniformity leaves room for misinterpretation by both retailers and consumers. Previous studies have examined consumer misinterpretation of date labels and how this lack of knowledge correlates to food waste behaviors. This study was aimed at understanding how consumers apply their knowledge about date labels to make decisions about purchasing and discarding food. The research was conducted via an intercept survey outside of a grocery store to …

Genetically Modified Organisms Are Important But Also Controversial, Masen Pelletier

Thinking Matters Symposium

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms containing a set or multiple sets of genes that have been introduced into the organism using laboratory techniques. In the instance of agriculture, the genes introduced provide advantages for the farmer and consumer by yielding plants that produce greater yields, longer growing seasons, longer shelf lives, greater concentrations of vitamins or add additional vitamins that are novel to the plant. There are two general ways that GM (genetically modified) crops are produced: the addition or removal of genes. This review focuses on an example of each strategy. An example of the latter is GM …

Pulling The Food System Up By The Roots: How Do We Build An Equitable Food System In The Twin Cities?, Aubrey A. Hagen

Geography Honors Projects

Prior to 2020, food insecurity was already a pervasive problem in the United States, with limited access to adequate, nutritious foods being linked to numerous poor physical and psychological outcomes. With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and civil uprisings in response to police brutality and state-sanctioned violence, the Twin Cities communities are facing overlapping crises that threaten individual and community wellbeing and food security. How do we build a just, equitable, and “crisis-proof” food system? Drawing from theoretical frameworks in social epidemiology and radical food geography, this paper assesses how the local food system and community food insecurity in …

Are Small-Scale Fishers In Oman Technically Efficient? The Case Of Al-Batinah Coastal Fisheries, Jaynab Begum Yousuf, Shekar Bose, Msafiri Daudi Mbaga

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

This paper examines technical efficiency and the potential factors affecting it in small-scale harvesting operations involving five key commercial demersal species of Al Batinah coastal fisheries, Oman. A stochastic production frontier (SPF) approach was applied to a pooled data covering the period 2010-2016. There is strong evidence of a considerable extent of technical inefficiency and overutilization of fishing effort (fishing hours). The results from the technical inefficiency model suggested that geographical location and interannual fluctuation of stock were significantly affecting fishers’ efficiency. Finally, the empirical results are discussed along with policy implications and the suitability of the Stochastic Production Frontier …

Eelgrass Restoration In San Francisco Bay: An Interdisciplinary Stated Preference Classroom Experiment, Camille M. Antinori

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

This paper aims to integrate experiential, interdisciplinary approaches into environmental economics courses through a stated preference analysis for eelgrass beds harboring aquatic plants foundational to many estuaries and coastal zones. It argues that such approaches are necessary in undergraduate education to support real-world needs in oceans and climate policy. Through collaboration with ecologists and peers, students developed willingness-to-pay measures of $35 and $42 for a 10-year restoration program for 200 acres of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in the San Francisco Bay based on open- and closed-ended elicitation formats. The experiment provides an example of overcoming the challenge of orienting …

Essays On Agricultural Technology, Resource Allocation And The Value Of Information, Pedro W. Vertino De Queiroz

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

This dissertation studied the adoption of agricultural technologies and the value of information for the allocation of resources in agriculture. Chapter 1 studied traditional (e.g., land and labor) and commercial (e.g., machinery and fertilizers) inputs in South American agriculture. Acemoglu’s directed technical change was used to estimate the process of induced innovation using deforestation as source of exogenous variation for the agricultural land supply. The results indicated that larger availability of land in intensive deforestation countries caused more land-complementary inputs (machinery) to be used relative to labor-complementary inputs (fertilizers). Technical change was biased towards land. Chapter 2 studied nitrogen fertilizer …

Hunger Is A Racial Issue: Closing The Gap Through Strategic Planning In After School Programs Poster, Hannah Pipher, Cayce Watson

Student Works

One particular social determinant of health: food insecurity, is gaining curiosity amongst researchers, social workers, and public health experts for its role in the bio-psycho-social health of children, specifically for low-income populations and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Due to historical disenfranchisement and systemic oppression, BIPOC children are three times more likely to experience this phenomenon than those in White households (American Public Health Association [APHA], 2018; Duffee et al., 2016; NASEM et al., 2017; Nitschke, 2017). BIPOC children also experience chronic health conditions related to malnutrition or unhealthy eating (Morales & Berkowitz, 2016; Vedovato et al., 2016), …

From Memory To Present To An Uncertain Future: An Analysis Of History And Policy On Chinese Food Security, Justin Mascarin

Honors Projects

This paper seeks to analyze China’s historical relationship to famine to better understand contemporary Chinese policy on food security. The historical analysis focuses both at the political level and the level of the peasantry, with a particular focus on the Great Chinese Famine. This Chinese specific analysis in conjunction with an understanding of food security history helps to better understand two white papers on food security from the Chinese Government in 1996 and 2019. This paper finds these white papers to be response to deep rooted doubts in the ability for the Chinese Government to logistically support such a massive …

Possible Implications Of The European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism For Ukraine And Other Eu Trading Partners, Maksym Chepeliev

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

This paper provides a quantitative assessment of the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) implementation. We find limited impacts of the CBAM for most European Union (EU) trading partners. Ukraine is the most impacted country, with a per capita income change of -0.4% and reductions in domestic iron and steel production reaching 3.9%. Global exports of chemical products are impacted the most, with corresponding reductions exceeding 4% in some countries.

The One – Way (Agri)Cultural Mirror: A Case Study Of How Young Agriculturalists Understand And Experience Culture, Janiece M. Pigg

LSU Master's Theses

As the global economy continues to transform how society operates, cultural competence has become a buzzword in education, professional development, research, government, and healthcare (Gay, 1994; Gallus et al., 2014). Cross et al. (1989) developed the most accepted definition of cultural competence: “a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals and enable that system, agency, or those professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations” (p. 13).

Despite this, little to no research has been devoted to understanding cultural competence in agriculture. Thus, a need emerged to describe the cultural competence …

Does Engagement Improve Groundwater Management?, Felipe De Figueiredo Silva, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Mark E. Burbach

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Groundwater use often has external effects on both the environment and future groundwater benefits, leading to over withdrawal. Ostrom’s research on common property resources (CPR) and related literature indicates that CPR management may improve if users have more information about the groundwater system, more opportunities for communication, and empowerment to regulate. In this paper, we conduct a computer laboratory experiment involving 180 students to evaluate the role of these components of engagement in reducing irrigation withdrawals from an aquifer. Our treatments, which consisted of different levels of information, communication and empowerment, resulted in decreases in groundwater extraction and increases in …

The Beef Industry: The Social Costs From An Ecological, Economic, And Social Perspective, Timothy Keathley

Student Papers in Local and Global Regional Economies

Beef products are a staple of western diets and are quickly becoming normalized in more parts of the world. Americans from 1910 to present day have consumed an average of 60 pounds of beef each year, with total beef consumption annually over 27 billion pounds (Beef, 2005). Red meat is a tempestuous topic of discussion. Red meat is a product that has nutritional benefits, is a symbol of status, and has a favored taste for many of its consumers. It can also be said that red meat is associated with health issues, animal cruelty, and environmental sustainability concerns. Jochimsen said …

Determinants Of Discretionary Agricultural Policy Adoption: The Case Of The Livestock Friendly County Program In Nebraska, Cicely Batie

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

This study analyzes the voluntary approach to agriculture promotion programs through the lens of the Nebraska Livestock Friendly County (LFC) Program. In 2003, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) launched the LFC program to bolster the livestock sector in participating counties. The program is unique because of its voluntary nature and targeted agricultural promotion efforts. The NDA designates counties as “Livestock Friendly,” and assists them in streamlining approval processes for livestock feeding operations. This thesis examines why a program like LFC is necessary, the patterns of its adoption across Nebraska, and finally, its impact on the livestock sector of participating …

Oregon Agricultural Trust: Mid-Columbia Research And Engagement Report, Nicole Underwood, Bryan Bruckman, Josh Linden, Briana Orr, Taylor Potter, Lisa Wasson-Seilo

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) is developing their first Strategic Conservation Plan which will guide their farm and ranchland protection work in 2022-2027. Our role was to identify the agricultural interests, needs and opportunities in the Mid-Columbia region (defined as Wasco, Sherman, and Hood River Counties) and identify gaps in current agricultural protection measures along with recommendations to address those gaps. Contextualized with a history of agriculture in the region including land access and ownership distribution, this report starts by examining the existing conditions in the Mid-Columbia Region, utilizing an equity lens. It then details the existing agricultural resources, threats, and …

A Review Of The Economics Of Regenerative Agriculture In Western Australia, Anne Bennett

All other publications

• There is no published work detailing the economics of regenerative agriculture in Western Australia.
• Of the work completed in other jurisdictions and nations captured in this review, the profitability of regenerative agriculture compared with conventional agriculture was variable, although generally lower.
• The loss of income associated with the transition from conventional agriculture to regenerative agriculture is a significant barrier to adoption, although it is enterprise-sensitive.
• Farmers who are operating regenerative agriculture systems self-report higher levels of wellbeing.
• Conventional agriculture and regenerative agriculture are overlapping approaches.
• The literature presented in this review is mostly based on small samples, case studies or …

Lessons From Long-Run (1975–2017) Structural Change In Colombia’S Coffee Production, Mariana Saenz, Diego Alvarez, Gregory Brock

Economics: Faculty Publications

Although coffee is still an important agricultural commodity in Colombia, the coffee share of GDP has significantly declined over the past 40 years. Controlling for changes in relative prices, factor endowments, and technological change, we analyze the coffee share decline in conjunction with other agricultural output by applying a Vector Error Correction model. The results indicate that while market liberalization policies contributed to the declining coffee share of GDP, the decline was partly offset by the end of coffee export quotas. Our results support policies in favor of assistance for farmers to compete in international markets.

Book Review Of Eating Nafta: Trade, Food Policies, And The Destruction Of Mexico By Alyshia Gálvez, Laura Kihlstrom

Journal of Ecological Anthropology

This is a book review of the book 'Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies, and the Destruction of Mexico' by Alyshia Gálvez.

Culture In Agriculture Avs 280x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Determinates Of Georgia White-Tailed Deer Harvests, Evan W. Page

Honors College Theses

This manuscript provides recent evidence regarding the determinates of white-tailed deer harvest densities in the state of Georgia. The data from the 2016/17-2020/21 deer hunting seasons indicates total deer harvest density is positively influenced by the prior year’s mature buck harvest density, the turkey harvest density, higher unemployment rates, higher median incomes, and a higher level of education. Deer harvest density was found to be negatively impacted by larger public land harvests the year before and greater human population densities.