Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

State Regulatory Heterogeneity And Clean Water Act Compliance, Quinn R. Beeson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research evaluates the impact of state regulations regarding Clean Water Act (CWA) compliance on wastewater and drinking water violations in the continental United States from 2007 to 2017. Using data collected from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), community characteristics and state regulations are analyzed for their effects on CWA compliance. We use count data analysis techniques and annual county-level data on CWA and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) violations from wastewater and drinking water facilities in the United States. The results show that total violations are higher when an additional state CWA regulation is implemented. One year after a …

Three Essays On “Production And Technical Efficiency”, Douglas Mugabe

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines production and or technical efficiencies in agricultural and energy systems. The first essay examines production capabilities of smallholder corn farmers following Zimbabwe’s fast track land reform program of 2000. This paper accounts for semi-parametric production frontier to provide more reliable efficiency estimates than can be obtained using traditional parametric methods. The second essay examines efficiency and state level fuel substitution in the US electricity generation sector. I apply the recent fixed effects stochastic frontier estimation to understand the implications of changes in inter-fuel substitution for technical efficiency. The third essay examines the role of drilled but uncompleted …

Three Essays In Applied Econometrics: Understanding Population Changes, Samuel P. Taylor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This body of work consists of three research projects developed around a central theme – what might cause a person to leave the place where they live? As a native and resident of West Virginia, this question is not a purely academic one. My region has long struggled with how to retain our “best and brightest” in the face of challenging socio-economic conditions. Looking at the question differently, understanding what negative influences may exist to cause a person that might otherwise have remained in a place to leave, could provide large influences on policy and strategy for retention of residents …

The Path To Building Resilience In Sri Lankan Rice Farms, Tarea Karunaratne

Student Theses 2015-Present

Rice cultivation in Sri Lanka roots back to its very first Kingdom in 161 B.C, and is still an incredibly populous industry to this day with an estimated 708,000 hectares of land being used for paddy cultivation. However, due to a changing global climate and an increase in natural disasters worldwide, Sri Lanka’s rice industry and the millions of people dependent on it have been greatly affected. This paper seeks to explore resilience building in a Sri Lankan context, taking into account the cultural and socio-economic factors that may influence how rice is farmed and who farms it, and to …

Food Deserts In Urban Areas, Regina Bellian

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

This paper illustrates the issue of food deserts faced by urban areas in three parts. Part one focuses on defining food deserts and what exactly the term denotes as well as who is affected by their present existence socially, physically, and economically. Part two presents research on some of the current policies and programs in place to address the issue of food deserts and discusses a few of the difficulties in implementing them. These approaches are then further analyzed for effectiveness in varying regions. Part three explores a handful of alternative methods to combat this urban issue in order to …

Student Nutrition Access Center: Impact Analysis 2019, Amanda M. Hagman, Hayden Hoopes, Nelda Ault-Dyslin

Publications

Introduction: Access to nutritional food items is crucial to student well-being, which in turn is crucial to student success. Student success emerges from “the amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience” (Astin, 1984). Campus nutrition programs help students eliminate food security issues so that they can devote more energy to the academic experience. However, creating efficient and convenient nutrition programs requires that administrators understand the complexities of their implementation, their effect on specific student segments, and their effect on decisions to either persist at or leave an institution. This report explores the impact …

What Regional Economic Factors Drive Feedstock Cost For Cannabinoid Hemp Processors In The United States?, Tanner Mccarty

Journal of Agricultural Hemp Research

This study measures the importance of various regional economic and agronomic factors on a grower’s decision to cultivate cannabinoid (CBD) hemp flower in the United States, and its subsequent effect on CBD processor feedstock cost. I use real options analysis to recover the price of hemp flower required to trigger land use change from commodity crop production to hemp flower production across various scenarios endemic to different hemp producing regions. Results suggest the most important factors in determining the price required to trigger CBD floral hemp production are the expected yield of floral hemp and CBD concentrations within it. CBD …

Identifying The Suitable Areas For Establishment Of Agricultural Machinery Repair Center Using Gis In Rudsar, Maedeh Shoaei, Razieh Pourdarbani, Mir Sadegh Fazel Dolat-Abad

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

With the increase in mechanization, the need for the agricultural machinery repair centers is increasing. However, there are only a limited number of tractor repair centers in Rudsar. The existence of repair centers will increase the life of the equipment; on the other hand, the presence of machinery repairmen will lead to quick determination of the precision location of the failure and timely repair. The purpose of this study was to determine suitable locations for the establishment of machinery repair and helping to meet the needs of farmers in the Rudsar district. Therefore, spatial information was collected from various relevant …

Genetically Modified Organisms In The United States Crop Market, Toluwani V. Ogunbayode

Quest

Economic Analysis

Research in progress for ECON 2302: Principles of Microeconomics

Faculty Mentors: Millie D. Black, Ph.D., and Michael Latham, Ph.D.

The following paper represents research begun by students in Honors Principles of Microeconomics. The honors course introduced students to numerous economic models and methods of analysis. Students were asked to identify an economic issue or controversy related to topics studied in class and to provide a literature review relevant to their topic. Students were also asked to provide an economic analysis, discuss opposing viewpoints, present an economic evaluation of various policy options, and make a recommendation regarding the preferred …

Eco-News December 2019, Office Of Sustainability, University Of Southern Maine

Eco-News

In this issue:

• Annual Sustainability Fair
• Energy Upgrades Coming To Gorham
• Residential Food Waste Study
• Meet Our Specialty Coordinators

Reaching Zero Waste: Determining The Student Perspective On Campus Food Waste., Cassie Anne Parkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Food waste is an ongoing problem in the complex global food system. College campuses are in a unique position to address food waste through reducing it in their own food systems and by encouraging students to develop behaviors to reduce and divert waste from landfills. In this thesis project I seek to understand how students consider food waste and their attitudes and ideas about reducing it. To this end, I observed student behaviors and waste in University of Louisville’s all-you-care-to-eat dining hall and weighed plate waste there. I conducted informational interviews with University and Aramark employees, along with semi-structured interviews …

Cost Effectiveness Of Greenhouse Gas Reductions Through Afforestation Of Agricultural Land In The Arkansas Delta, Karli A. Moore

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sequestration of atmospheric carbon in forested lands offsets carbon emissions from other industries. Conversion of private lands, particularly agricultural tracts in marginal areas, to forests can bolster carbon abatement. The United States government agencies administer some voluntary, incentive-based programs to encourage landowners to adopt production practices with positive environmental outcomes. This policy stream can be used to increase transition of marginal agricultural land to forests, thereby creating new carbon sinks. We analyze an eleven-county study area in the Arkansas Delta to determine feasibility for a subsidy focused on carbon abatement through afforestation. This study area is significant for two reasons: …

Empowering Rural Participation And Partnerships In Morocco’S Sustainable Development, Yossef Ben-Meir

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This essay explores the vast potential for participatory and sustainable human development in Morocco. Though Morocco is a country with many diverse resources, it remains burdened by severe levels of poverty and illiteracy, and now growing social discord. There have recently been increased public calls for participatory development programs designed and implemented by and for local people. The essay identifies six existing Moroccan Frameworks intended to initiate decentralized human development programs, and critically examines their efficacy. Ultimately, the purpose of the article is to suggest a new model to implement these Frameworks with maximum impact. The six Frameworks deal with …

Biosecurity Research And Development In Western Australia - Report By The Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia, Biosecurity Council Of Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Research and development (R&D) is crucial to managing Western Australia’s biosecurity risks and threats. There is a perception, however, that these risks and threats could be better recognised nationally, which may result in greater levels of funding for biosecurity R&D activities relevant to Western Australia (WA).

The purpose of this work was to provide advice to the Minister for Agriculture and Food on the status of biosecurity R&D in WA and opportunities to enhance biosecurity R&D funding in the State.

Food Insecurity Prevalence On College Campuses, The Stigma Associated With Food Pantries And The Best Practices Moving Forward, Olivia Neff

Student Research

Food insecurity among college students is three times higher than nationally representative households (Nazmi 2018: 8). Literature estimates between 12% and 59% of college students experience some sort of food insecurity (Cady 2014). Food insecurity is prevalent on all types of college campuses. However, there is limited data on food insecurity on college campuses and the stigmas behind food insecurity. This article discusses the prevalence of food insecurity on college campuses, the stereotypes which reproduce food insecurity, the stigma behind pantry usage and potential solutions. The article will highlight best practices for food pantries obtained through eight interviews with pantries …

Essays On Nutrition And Cognitive Production In Developing Countries: Evidence From Ethiopia & Nepal, Mohammad Ali

Economics ETDs

This dissertation is comprised of five chapters. The first chapter provides an outline of the three separate research papers that are combined in this dissertation. It highlights the goals of each paper, discusses their importance to the field of economics, and outlines their contributions to the existing literature. The final chapter summarizes the main conclusions from the three research articles and points to how my future research trajectory is shaped by my dissertation research.

The second chapter explores the effect of current health (denoted by BMI for age scores) on cognitive test scores directly and indirectly, through time allocated to …

The United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Peasants And Other People Working In Rural Areas, Marc Edelman, Priscilla Claeys

Publications and Research

In December 2018, the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. UNDROP is the product of 17 years of struggle by La Via Campesina, other transnational agrarian movements and allies that included NGOs, states, UN mandate holders, and academics. It recognises the dignity of rural populations, their contributions to global food production, and their ‘special relationship’ to land, water and nature, as well as their vulnerabilities to eviction, hazardous working conditions and political repression. It reiterates rights protected in other instruments and sets new standards for individual and collective rights …

An Evaluation Of Food Insecurity And Its Correlates In A Filipino American Study Sample Residing In Clark County, Nevada, Prescott Cheong, Courtney Coughenour, Maya Shegog, Saruna Ghimire, Lawrence Sagadraca, Francisco Sy

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Purpose: Filipino Americans comprise over half of the Asian American population in Clark County, Nevada. Despite their large numbers, food insecurity rates are aggregated with the entire Asian American population. In 2016, 1.6% of Asian American households in Clark County were food insecure, yet, 22% of households reported annual incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. This study aimed to assess the status and correlates of food insecurity specific to Filipino Americans in Clark County, Nevada. Methods: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Short Form Food Security Module was administered among 192 Filipino Americans residing in …

Investing In The New Blue Economy: The Changing Role Of International Development Organizations In Catalyzing Private Sector Investment In Support Of Regional Strategic Action Programmes For The Sustainable Development Of Coasts And Oceans, Ryan Whisnant, Veerle Vandeweerd

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Over the last 20 years, governments sharing common coastal and ocean ecosystems have developed and agreed on concrete regional action programs to stop and, in some cases, reverse a trend of deteriorating coastal and ocean resources. Implementation of these action programs requires significant investments by the public and private sectors alike, with the potential for substantial economic growth and enhanced social well-being. For this to happen, new institutional arrangements, technologies, and financial vehicles and asset classes are needed to mainstream innovative “blue economy” projects that have the potential to transition economies and communities to more sustainable development paths.

This paper …

Actual Versus Hypothetical Wta Stated Values For Recreational Fishing Licenses: Experimental Evidence Of Fish Tales, Scott Steinback, Kristy Wallmo, Sabrina Lovell, Eric Thunberg, John Foster

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

We compared hypothetical willingness to accept (WTA) values for Massachusetts saltwater recreational fishing licenses with WTA values obtained in an actual (simulated) marketplace. Using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation approach, our results align with past evidence that found WTA values elicited from hypothetical transactions overstate those derived from an actual marketplace. We also provide the first evidence about the effectiveness of an ex-post certainty adjustment technique in a WTA environment. While the adjustment technique has been found to eliminate hypothetical bias in willingness to pay (WTP) settings, we find that when applied in a WTA setting, the approach mitigates but …