Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons^™

The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center Giving Garden At Coogan Farm: A Practitioner Report On Community Gardens For Health And Regional Food Security, Emma Sutphen

Sustainability and Social Justice

The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC) is a community organization that, through its various programming, works to perpetuate a vision of humans as part and parcel of the world. In 2013, when the Nature Center acquired the Coogan Farm property, the organization built a community garden called the Giving Garden to serve surrounding communities, expanding services to the foodservice sector educational programming around sustainable agriculture. DPNC’s partnership with the Robert G. Youngs Family Foundation, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut, and Gemma E. Moran mobile food pantry, forged in 2014, has allowed the garden to minimize area food insecurity through its …

Agricultural Information Needs And Food Access In The Stann Creek District Of Belize, Sam Harris

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to describe agricultural information sources available to farmers and to describe food access and availability for the people of Dangriga, Stann Creek, Belize. This study used descriptive survey research methods with convenience sampling of the general public (n=22) and of farmers (n = 38) in the summer of 2017. Farmers use a variety of agricultural information sources with the extension service cited most often, followed by friends and fellow farmers. Weather, lack of information, pests, and inadequate access to capital were of primary concern for farmers. Face to face meetings were …

Degrowth Lessons From Cuba, Claire S. Bayler

Sustainability and Social Justice

Cuba is the global leader in practicing agroecology, but agroecology is just one component of a larger climate-ready socio-economic system. Degrowth economics address the need to constrain our total global metabolism to within biophysical limits, while allowing opportunity and resources for "underdeveloped" countries to rebuild themselves under new terms. Degrowth recognizes the role of overdeveloped countries in surpassing the ecological limits of our planet at the cost of wellbeing for billions of dispossessed people within and between countries. Cuba's circumstances during and following the Special Period exemplify both sides of the degrowth scenario, as well as demonstrating policy and grassroots …

Determining The Physical And Social Barriers That Prevent Food-Insecure Students At The University Of Arkansas From Using The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry, Sarah Elizabeth Yanniello

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the reasons why 38% of the students at the University of Arkansas experience food insecurity, yet only 1% of students have used the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Campus Food Pantry, in hopes to provide a guide to the Center for Community Engagement in their endeavors to reduce food insecurity on campus (Lisnic, 2016). An online survey was created using Qualtrics software, was submitted to and approved by the University of Arkansas Institutional Review Board, and was distributed to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Arkansas. The sample size …

The Effects Of Food Security On Socioeconomic Mobility In The United States: A Case Study In Allendale County, South Carolina, Taylor St Clarke

Senior Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between food security – defined as accessibility to an affordable, nutritious, and sustainable source of food – and socioeconomic mobility in the continental United States. This thesis is primarily focused on the effects of food insecurity on both individuals and communities, examining the chronic long-term effects of such insecurity on areas known as “food deserts,” which are often given status as areas of persistent poverty. This research further examines the effects of a sustained poor diet, brought about by food insecurity, on the individual and overarching community in a food desert and how such a …

2018 South Dakota Commodity Crop Producer Survey Results, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, Abdelrahim Abulbasher, Department Of Sociology And Rural Studies, Ness School Of Management And Economics

South Dakota Farm Survey

From January to March 2018, we surveyed South Dakota commodity crop producers about their land management practices and attitudes. Farming operations in 34 South Dakota counties east of the Missouri River, where most of corn and soybean farming activities in the state are located, were targeted to take the questionnaire (see map below). We obtained a list of 10,000 farming operations that had participated in Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs in 2016 from the FSA and selected 3,000 operations to participate using proportionate stratified-random sampling according to number of farming operations in the study counties. The questionnaire directed the person …

Effects On Producers Of The Transition To Revenue-Based Federal Crop Insurance Programs, Evan Wiese

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Prior to the passage of each farm bill, there is much debate regarding the programs contained within it. One of these programs is federal crop insurance, which underwent a major shift in the mid-1990’s with the introduction of revenue-based crop insurance rather than yield-based. Revenue-based programs provide insurance of a certain revenue level, rather than a certain yield level, which contributed to their popularity among producers. These revenue-based programs have become a key component of federal crop insurance. From 2014 to 2018, the costs of federal crop insurance were approximately $41 billion, much of this a result of subsidized insurance …

Enhancing Quality Of Life Through Foreign Direct Investment In Northern Mozambique, Sarah-Beth Delay

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has the potential to increase economic activity and improve GDP growth in low-income countries, but can hinder economic development (quality of life improvements) if not sustainable and holistic in manner. Africa serves as a host to many cases of FDI focused on economic growth, but not necessarily improving the quality of life for its citizens. FDI has spread throughout the African continent, where many countries are well endowed with natural resources, like minerals and coal. These economies have experienced rapid GDP growth with few benefits reaching citizens of the host country. Mozambique is a low-income country …

Vietnam: Reaping Long-Term Gains From Agricultural Land Reforms, Pham Chi Lan

Asian Management Insights

Agriculture in Vietnam is in need of flexibility, efficiency, modernisation and innovation.

A Meat Paradox: Media's Role In Mitigating The Omnivore's Dilemma, Karyn Camille Lewis

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to identify and understand media’s role in meat consumption and a disassociation of meat and its animal of origin. This study questions consumer behavior based on media portrayals of meat products as well as how consumers perceive these portrayals, meat consumption patterns based on media and family influence, and the types and levels of satisfaction (ex: self-esteem or masculinity) consumers receive from meat products.

A quantitative research approach was proposed for this study. The primary research method was a survey among students, faculty and staff at The University of Southern Mississippi. A total of …

Global Climate Change, The Political Economy, And Development A Case Study: The Kingdom Of Tonga, Demonte Simon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Globalization has created prosperity and growth for many of the countries across the globe especially in the Global North, which experience some of the greatest benefits of globalization while being the least affected by its negative impacts. Small island nation states tend to experience these negative impacts of globalization more often than the states that are fueling these trends. Globalization has many meanings, but the most agreed upon definition is the increasing interaction between people and corporations due to advances in transportation and communication technology. These advances have created a more interconnected world where trade, and culture have become international …

Full Circle: Building A Local Economy Through Pollinator Enterprises In The Food System, Catherine M. Demets

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

As the alternative food movement gains traction in mainstream American society, it is essential to document how enterprises in the movement are building robust local economies. As Eric Holt-Giménez (2010: 1) points out, the movement “has successfully shone the spotlight on hunger and food access in the US, created a drive for more local food, and gotten better policy from the federal to the local level,” yet no assurance exists that our society’s interest in food issues is not a passing fad. Rather, we should ask: “how do we turn initial reforms into lasting food system transformation?” (Holt-Giménez 2010: 1). …

Examining Food Insecurity Among High School Students: A Risks And Resources Model, Jill Niemeier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationships between food insecurity, risks, and resources among adolescents attending a large high school in Northwest Arkansas. In a sample of 1,493 students, in which the majority are Hispanic/Latino and receive free and reduced lunch, food insecurity relationships were first assessed controlling for a number of sociodemographic variables, such as ethnicity, gender, and social class. In addition, a number of risk and resource variables were identified at four ecological levels: individual, family, school/peer, and community. These risks and resources were analyzed using a three-step ordinal regression model in order to examine how sociodemographic controls, risks, and …

Capital Growth: Precision Agriculture And Vertical Farming In The Corporate Food Regime, Justin Taylor

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Agriculture in the 21st century has entered a digital age. New technologies emphasize GPS, big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, automation, sensors, and robotics, contributing to two modes of modern food production known as precision agriculture and vertical farming. Through an interdisciplinary review of scientific and social scientific scholarship, this paper examines the ways in which these two technologies interact with the global corporate food regime and explores their impact in core, peripheral, and semi-peripheral countries. It also engages in a discourse analysis of promotional materials and interview statements from precision agriculture and vertical farming firms to expose …

Is Oil Nationalization For The Nation? The Causal Nature Of Institutional Impacts And Economic Hindrances Of The “Resource Curse”, Imani Sherrill

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

This thesis examines the theory of the “oil resource curse” and how structural, demographic, and economic variables presented by previous scholars and academics do not fully unpack the narrative and mechanisms of how the “resource curse” is developed. Different oil wealthy nations around the world have varying levels of development. Why? Adding to the existing literature of the Resource curse and Institutions, my hypothesis remains that through institutions that history has developed, mechanisms, such as oil nationalization lead to different varieties of the economic resource curse. Using a most-difference case scenario in a historical analysis, statistical and empirical data will …

Correcting For The Inconveniences Of Cultivation: Foraging As A Food Source In Southwestern Burkina Faso, Julia Deryn Morgan

Geography Honors Projects

Malnutrition is an important public health issue in Burkina Faso where 30 % of children are underweight for their age and 92% suffer from iron deficiency. Such statistics indicate that there is a significant lack of adequate nutrition in the country. With approximately 80% of the population employed in the agricultural sector, development projects have focused on increasing agricultural production and commercializing output to ameliorate poor nutrition. However, this strategy ignores the importance of local knowledge and food traditions, most notably by neglecting to acknowledge foraging as a significant source of food. To address this concern, I seek to understand …

Helping Farmers And Reducing Car Crashes: The Surprising Benefits Of Predators, Christopher O'Bryan, Eve Mcdonald-Madden, James Watson, Neil Carter

Human-Environment Systems Research Center Faculty Publications and Presentations

Humans may be Earth’s apex predator, but the fleeting shadow of a vulture or the glimpse of a big cat can cause instinctive fear and disdain. But new evidence suggests that predators and scavengers are much more beneficial to humans than commonly believed, and that their loss may have greater consequences than we have imagined.

Three Essays On Understanding Municipal Water Demand In The Western United States, Michael J. O'Donnell

Economics ETDs

Scarce water resources in the Western United States, in concert with population growth and climate change, constitute a need to better understand factors that impact water demand. In this dissertation, Chapter 1 provides cultural and historical context for water use in the West and argues that understanding water demand is important, especially when managing scarcity is a goal. Chapter 2 uses aggregate city-level data from four municipalities in New Mexico to investigate seasonal trends and breakpoints. Although per premises and aggregate demand tend to decline in all geographies investigated, existence and timing of breakpoints varies by geography. Additionally, drivers of …

Maine's State Policy For Solar Farms On Agricultural Land., Elliot James Lee

Student Policy Briefs

A change is coming to the Northeast, and Maine is not prepared to handle it. Across the Northeast, agricultural land is being converted to solar farms, with no policy in place to handle it. Opening Maine up to numerous problems with, permitting, regulations, taxes, best management practices, size of these farms, and lack of infrastructure to name a few. All of which need to be addressed, while dealing with the general instability of policies surrounding green energy and green technology like solar panels. This change is coming quickly, and although we need this policy soon, it cannot be rushed, or …

An Application Of Economics & Environmental Planning: The Impacts Of Variable Rate Irrigation Technology On Net Farm Income, Hannah Jones, Zhenghong Tang, Karina Schoengold, Yunwoo Nam, Dana Varner

Community and Regional Planning Program: Professional Projects

Restoring playa wetlands back into predominantly agricultural landscapes has been a pressing issue for decades. The Nebraska Rainwater Basin Joint Venture (RWBJV) and its partners represent a wide variety of private and public groups who are offering solutions to this problem, while helping farmers maximize net farm income. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln partnered with the RWBJV on a project to determine how Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) technology would impact the profitability of farm management operations, while allowing the preservation of adjacent wetland areas. This study conducted an economic analysis that compared net farm income for producers that had participated in …