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on Agricultural Economics |
| By: | Primov, Abdulla |
| Abstract: | This paper assesses food security in Uzbekistan, focusing on agricultural diversification, policy reforms, and sustainability challenges. Since gaining independence, Uzbekistan has reduced its reliance on cotton and wheat, expanding production of fruits, vegetables, and livestock to enhance self-sufficiency and improve rural livelihoods. Using secondary data, international reports, and policy analyses, the study identifies progress in reducing hunger and increasing the output of high-value crops. However, constraints such as limited processing infrastructure, water scarcity, dependence on imports, and rural micronutrient deficiencies persist. Recommendations emphasize diversification, technological innovation, and aligning strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure resilient and sustainable food systems and improved national food security outcomes. |
| Keywords: | Food security, Crop diversification, Agricultural policy, Sustainable development, Uzbekistan |
| JEL: | Q1 Q10 Q18 Q58 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:334548 |
| By: | Gallagher, Nicholas; Kakimoto, Shunkei |
| Abstract: | There is a growing need to develop a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation policies aimed at reducing nitrogen loading in agricultural production. However, existing agricultural production models often fail to accurately represent farmers’ decision-making processes regarding nitrogen fertilizer use, particularly in relation to other crop management practices such as crop rotation and tillage. This paper presents a novel modeling framework that endogenizes the yield response to nitrogen in agricultural production models. By integrating a continuous yield response function based on the Mitscherlich-Baule formulation, the framework captures the interrelated decisions of nitrogen application, crop rotation, and tillage practices. Calibrated to Minnesota agriculture, the model successfully replicates observed land allocation, tillage choices, and nitrogen use while providing enhanced responsiveness to policy incentives. The results demonstrate that this approach not only improves the representation of farmer behavior but also serves as a valuable tool for evaluating conservation policies aimed at reducing environmental nitrogen loading. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360643 |
| By: | Joris Gerald Niilante Amissah1; Maame Yaakwaah Blay Adjei2; Jacqueline Naalamle Amissah3; Freda Elikplim Asem4; Jude Dokbila Kolog4 |
| Abstract: | This review paper examines the processing and preservation methods of indigenous food crops in West Africa with a focus on their importance for nutrition security as part of the strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. Indigenous crops are nutritious, climate resilient and important in the diets of local communities. However, they tend to be underutilized when addressing national and regional food security needs. This paper explores the use of indigenous traditional food processing and preservation methods as well as the use of modern and innovative technologies for the reduction of postharvest losses, maintenance of nutritional quality, value addition and increased shelf-life, to ensure the year-round availability and affordability of these food crops. The paper also demonstrates how the integration of indigenous traditional methodologies with more modern processing techniques can increase the utilization of indigenous food crops with improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers and additional benefits for national and regional food security. Findings show that traditional methods remain vital but are faced with hygiene and labor challenges, while modern technologies improve efficiency but are costly. Integrated approaches enhance food safety, nutrient retention, and market access, empowering women and smallholder farmers. The paper recommends gender-responsive policies, decentralized processing hubs, and participatory innovation to scale integrated methods for resilient food systems |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety |
| Date: | 2025–10–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ugaeab:387581 |
| By: | Alcantara, Reymark T.; Che, Yuyuan |
| Abstract: | Risk has always been central to agriculture, and climate change has amplified production challenges like droughts and heatwaves. While tools such as irrigation and federally subsidized crop insurance help manage uncertainty, the impact of crop insurance on water resource use under extreme heat remains underexplored. This study investigates how crop insurance participation affects irrigation water use, particularly under varying heat conditions. Using a county-level panel dataset from 2008–2020 that combines crop-specific irrigation, insurance, and weather data across the United States, we apply fixed-effects and instrumental variable approaches. Results show that higher crop insurance participation is associated with increased total irrigation water use, driven primarily by surface water. Groundwater use shows weaker and less consistent responses. Additionally, the effect of crop insurance on water use diminishes as heat intensity increases. Our findings reveal a trade-off between risk management and water sustainability, suggesting that integrating conservation incentives into crop insurance programs could help align climate risk mitigation with long-term resource goals. |
| Keywords: | Production Economics |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361073 |
| By: | Kang, Nawon; Rad, Mani Rouhi |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates whether counties positioned upstream in river networks—those physically first in line for stream flow under riparian water rights—experience greater resilience in agricultural land values and crop productivity during drought. Using county-level panel data from 1950 to 2022 across the Eastern United States, we combine agricultural outcomes with geospatial measures of stream proximity and groundwater access, and evaluate their interaction with standardized precipitation anomalies. Benchmark specifications show that groundwater access consistently enhances farmland value and yields, while stream access yields more nuanced patterns: downstream access is associated with higher farmland values under normal conditions, whereas upstream access is negatively associated with corn yields on average and shows limited benefits under extreme drought. However, upstream counties exhibit higher farmland values under prolonged dryness and greater corn yield gains during wet years—benefits not observed for soybean yields or in downstream areas. These results suggest that upstream proximity offers conditional advantages tied to crop water sensitivity and climate regime. As drought risk intensifies, this study provides the first systematic empirical evidence on how spatial positioning within stream networks under riparian doctrine shapes the economic geography of agricultural resilience. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360772 |
| By: | Hossain, Marup; Songsermsawas, Tisorn |
| Abstract: | Climate change poses serious risks to agricultural production, particularly for small-holder farmers who often have limited resources to adapt to changing conditions. This study evaluates the impacts of a bundled intervention—combining training and financial support—on the adoption of climate technologies and the resilience of smallholder farmers in Nepal. Leveraging exogenous variation in project roll-out resulting from administrative restructuring following the country’s new constitution, we show that the intervention increases the uptake of selected adaptation practices and improves household resilience. Adoption is associated with the timing of expected benefits and exposure to extreme weather, but not with demographic factors such as the gender or education level of household heads. These findings underscore the importance of climate adaptation practices in enhancing the resilience of vulnerable smallholders and highlight that adoption patterns vary by type and contextual relevance of the practice. |
| Keywords: | Food Security and Poverty |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361170 |
| By: | Hao, Jinghui; Wang, Mengshi |
| Abstract: | This study empirically analyzes the impact of livestock and poultry restriction policy on corn production, based on county-level data from China spanning the years 2000 to 2021. Utilizing a multi-period difference-in-differences model, the research also explores the policy's effects on water environment quality. The findings indicate that while the policy has had some success in reducing the emission of acidic substances and raising water pH levels, its overall effectiveness in improving water quality remains limited. Conversely, the policy has led to a 6.8% reduction in corn planting area and a 5.7% decrease in total corn production. Notably, the impact on corn production is more pronounced in regions designated for moderate pig farming development and in counties not primarily engaged in livestock farming. Overall, the policy achieves relatively modest environmental benefits at a substantial economic cost. This study provides valuable insights and empirical evidence on balancing rural environmental protection with ensuring food supply, thereby reinforcing China's food security. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360749 |
| By: | Do, Ngoc Ha |
| Abstract: | Water is an essential but increasingly scarce resource, especially in the Western U.S., where climate change and institutional fragmentation make efficient water regulation challenging. Adjudication, a legal process to formalize and clarify water rights, has emerged as part of efforts to establish clearer and enforceable rights. Despite its potential economic and environmental benefits, empirical evidence of the impacts of water rights adjudication remain limited. In this paper, I examine the effects of irrigation water rights adjudication on agricultural land and rural home values in Idaho. Using a repeated sales sample and a newly compiled water rights dataset, I employ a hedonic pricing model to estimate capitalization effects of adjudicated appurtenant irrigation rights. The main findings how that adjudicated rights significantly increase land value. The treatment effect evaluated at the sample mean implies an increase in a parcel’s land value by $381 per acre. Moreover, adjudication effects are highly heterogeneous. Parcels with more senior or larger rights gain more from this process. In particular, downstream senior water users experience the largest benefits from adjudication. These findings suggest adjudication can enhance the market value of water but also introduce distributional concerns that should be carefully considered in the design of future water policies. |
| Keywords: | Demand and Price Analysis |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361196 |
| By: | Kolog, J.D.; Asem, F.E.; Mensah-Bonsu, A.; Atinga, R.A. |
| Abstract: | The diversification of livelihoods by households has been widely acknowledged as a way to overcome food insecurity and poverty challenges in developing countries. Diversification of livelihoods helps spread the risk among multiple livelihood earning activities to provide households with a range of their food needs all year round. By examining the integrated livelihood systems of 405 rural farm households in the Upper East Region of Ghana, empirical evidence is provided in this study using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to advance arguments in the literature for the creation of sustainable strategies that improve diversified livelihood systems. The mean diversification indices estimated were 0.45 for agricultural diversification systems, 0.32 for non-agricultural diversification systems and 0.59 for integrated agricultural and nonagricultural diversification systems. With the use of the Cragg two-step regression model, we demonstrate that the decision to diversify and the extent of diversification of rural livelihoods are distinct decisions and are influenced by distinct sets of factors. Similarly, for the three categories of livelihood diversification studied, the effect of these factors also differed. The results emphasize the significance of access to good road network, credit and market information in encouraging rural farm households to diversify their livelihoods. In the short term, improving access to credit and market information through community-based initiatives can provide immediate support to rural households. Communities should also organize local markets and cooperatives to strengthen their economic resilience. While government and stakeholders should focus on long-term infrastructure projects, these community actions can complement such efforts and contribute to achieving global and regional goals targeting food insecurity and poverty eradication. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025–09–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ugaeab:387590 |
| By: | Yao, Shiyue; Baker, Justin S.; Brown, Zachary S. |
| Abstract: | This model presents results from an intertemporal hydro-economic optimization model of land use and water allocation in California’s Central Valley (CV). We assess potential competition for land use between traditional agricultural production, solar leasing, and agri-voltaics production methods that jointly produce crops and solar electricity on the same unit of land. We evaluate the extent to which setting aside agricultural land for solar generation or switching to agri-voltaics (AV) production methods can provide groundwater conservation benefits under a wide range of illustrative policy scenarios. We find that solar and AV can complement groudnwater conservation efforts in the CV at a local scale, but would require substantial land use change and investment to provide broad water conservation benefits across the region. Our results also highlight the potential for ”water leakage” from concentrated innvestments in solar and AV systems in lieu of traditional crop production as regional crop mix patterns could shift, leading to irrigation intensification in other regions and potentially exacerbating water management challenges. |
| Keywords: | Resource/Energy Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361209 |
| By: | Lin, Yingyun; Taylor, Mykel R.; Won, Sunjae |
| Abstract: | Drought is a major factor contributing to agricultural production losses in Alabama, bringing tremendous challenges to agricultural productivity and food security, but its impact on farmland value is still lacked. This study investigates the influence of droughts on farmland value in the State of Alabama from 2007 to 2021. We combine a unique parcel-level farmland data set with drought information provided by United States Drought Monitor (USDM). Based on hedonic price method, we employ spatiotemporal fixed effect models, a newly developed moment-based instrumental variable model and kinky least square method as well as several robustness checks, finding longer periods of drought exposure can lead to farmland value reduction, and its long-term impacts are stronger than short-term, reflecting such influences on market are gradual and slowly. We also reveal that the land value response to drought stress is heterogenous, across different land use types, rural-urban divisions, ownership types as well as agricultural policies coverage. Our findings highlight the critical role for climate-resilient adaptation strategies in land use policies. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360731 |
| By: | Hadachek, Jeffrey; Karwowski, Nicole; Stevens, Andrew |
| Abstract: | Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture is the leading cause of nutrient pollution in the US. This paper addresses whether localized, farmer-led programs can cost-effectively reduce nonpoint source pollution by increasing the adoption of agricultural conservation practices. We study this in the context of an innovative program in Wisconsin that incentivizes farmers to take collective leadership of improving water quality in their local watersheds. Using a shift-share instrumental variables design, we find that a 10 percentage point increase in farmer participation in these programs leads to a 0.03 mg/L reduction (14%) in ambient phosphorus concentrations in local streams and rivers. We also show that this change causes an increase in the adoption of cover crops, conservation tillage, and more diverse crop rotations. Importantly, this localized approach achieves water quality and conservation improvements at a substantially lower cost than existing federal subsidy programs, demonstrating the potential for bottom-up approaches to address nonpoint source pollution in other contexts. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360770 |
| By: | Chandio, Rabail; Fiechter, Chad; Shew, Aaron; Tester, Colson |
| Abstract: | For some investors, farmland has been shown to be an attractive asset. However, the role that investors play in the farmland market has become a topic of interest, particularly around land access, rural equity, food security, and adversary nations. This study uses detailed farmland transaction data, a hedonic matching framework for farmland transactions on state borders, and a descriptive analysis of state-level farmland ownership regulations to examine the degree to which ownership restrictions affect farmland sale price. We do not find evidence that ownership restrictions affect the expected value of farmland transactions. However, our results suggest that investors may play a role in prices across the conditional distribution. For example, Illinois farmland transactions seem to be driven by agricultural use value to a greater degree than transactions in Iowa and Indiana. The results have implications for farmers, farmland investors, farm real estate professionals, and policymakers. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, Farm Management |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360675 |
| By: | Kondo, Ebenezer; Asem, Freda Elikplim,; Osei-Asare, Yaw; Bonsu, Akwasi Mensah; Onumah, Edward Ebo; Ofori, Selorm; Marri, Dinah; Dompae, Francis; Osae, Michael |
| Abstract: | The adoption of integrated pest management practices has been widely promoted in low- and middle-income countries to enhance farmers’ economic outcomes. The main challenge is the lack of quantitative synthesis of scholarly works to ascertain whether, for farmers in these countries, those who adopt a single component or a full bundle of integrated pest management practices achieve higher yields, farm income, food security and reduced pesticide use compared to non-adopters. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) methodology. A total of 24 studies were used for the review based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was employed to combine the individual and overall effect sizes across these studies. The results indicate that there is evidence that adopting integrated pest management practices has the potential to lead to a large improvement in crop yield for farmers. The findings also reveal that such adoption causes a small effect in food security level, and a moderate to large effect in farm income for farmers. The evidence further suggests that adopting these practices does not directly lead to behavioural change among farmers in reducing synthetic pesticide use. Overall, the findings demonstrate that adopting integrated pest management practices is a promising strategy for improving farmers’ economic outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. Policymakers and development partners should not only focus on IPM programmes for economic improvements for farmers, but also address behavioural barriers to ensure effective and consistent adoption for the desired environmental benefits |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty |
| Date: | 2025–07–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ugaeab:387582 |
| By: | Akolgo, J.A.; Osei-Asare, Y.B.; Sarpong, D.B.; Asem, F.E.; Quaye, W. |
| Abstract: | The Ghanaian population is aware of the increasing health challenges in our health facilities and the need to consume more vegetables to improve their health status. This, coupled with population growth and changing consumer patterns has led to an increasing demand for vegetable products in Ghana. Smallholder farmers in the country have thus intensified the production of vegetables during the dry season to meet consumers’ demand and to generate income. However, their outputs have been lower than the country’s potential, so the research was conducted to identify the causes and determinants of the low yields. A total of 322 dry-season vegetable farmers in seven (7) districts in twenty-four (24) communities were selected from the Upper East Region of Ghana using a purposive random sampling technique. The Kumbhakar model was employed to compute the production risk, technical inefficiency and determinants of vegetable production in the region. The study reveals that the input variables: labour, seed, fertilizer, agrochemical and irrigation costs positively are related to the output value of vegetables with an increasing return to scale. In addition, labour, seed and agrochemical costs show a significant production risk-decreasing effect while the risk of vegetable production is reduced with fertilizer and irrigation costs. The study further depicts that extension visits, experience, water pumps and gravity-fed irrigation systems positively affect the technical efficiency of dry-season vegetable production. Again, given the current state of technology and resources available to the farmers, enhancing the vegetable outputs could be achieved by reducing the technical inefficiencies by 27% while considering the effects of production risk. The study concludes that the farmers can improve the output of the vegetable farms for higher income by adopting the best vegetable production practices such as efficient water-saving irrigation technologies and fertilizer usage while adopting the knowledge from the extension training to improve their technical efficiency |
| Keywords: | Farm Management, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Risk and Uncertainty |
| Date: | 2025–02–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ugaeab:387588 |
| By: | Yu, Shuo |
| Abstract: | Agricultural runoff significantly contributes to nutrient water pollution, leading to harmful environmental and economic consequences. Cover cropping (CC), the practice of planting non-cash crops during off-seasons, has emerged as a promising conservation strategy to mitigate these impacts. Payment for ecosystem services programs, such as the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), have increasingly supported CC adoption through incentives. This study evaluates the social value of EQIP in enhancing water quality by examining its impact on CC adoption and the subsequent reduction in water pollution in the Midwest. Leveraging a unique 17-year, satellite-derived dataset on plot-level CC adoption and granular harmonized water quality metrics, we find that a one percentage point increase in upstream CC adoption reduces total nitrogen in surface water by 0.9%. An event-study analysis of EQIP’s Mississippi River Basin Initiative shows an initial 8.7 percentage point increase in CC adoption, with the impact diminishing over time. Overall, EQIP’s CC practices recover 48% of their implementation costs through reductions in nitrogen pollution under conservative assumptions, suggesting partial but significant economic returns via water quality improvements. |
| Keywords: | Production Economics |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360735 |
| By: | Ogundari, Kolawole |
| Abstract: | Evaluating agricultural extension programs enables the assessment of success and continuity using various research designs, data, and methodologies. We synthesize the literature on the impact of agricultural extension services to compare the magnitude and direction across four outcomes: agricultural production, input use, adoption, and welfare of farming households. We also examine their variation across the study attributes. Our literature search yielded 120 causal inference studies, which produced 579 estimates published between 2004 and 2025. We then employed meta-regression analysis for empirical analysis. Our results show that the estimated impact of agricultural extension services reported in the literature increased over time across all estimates and outcomes related to agricultural production, input use, and household welfare, while it decreased over time on outcomes associated with adopting agricultural technologies. Other results indicate that the average estimate of the impact of agricultural extension services reported in the literature is positive and statistically significant, with small but consistent effects across all outcome domains, as revealed through meta-regression and bias-corrected models. We also find that some study attributes are associated with the variation in the study's reported impact of agricultural extension services. |
| Keywords: | Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361182 |
| By: | Dahal, Bhishma R.; Mooney, Daniel F.; Hoag, Dana L.; Burkhardt, Jesse; Mason, Seth |
| Abstract: | Amid ongoing policy discussions around water scarcity in the Colorado River Basin, we examined factors influencing farmers’ stated participation in agricultural water conservation programs (AWCPs) in Colorado’s Upper Basin. Using data from a discrete choice experiment, we assessed preferences for hypothetical program attributes and payment levels. Respondents preferred AWCPs with shared conservation responsibility, water shepherding, and higher compensation. Participation declined for more intensive conservation practices and larger land commitments. Larger farms required lower payments to participate, while older and higher-income farmers required more. The findings identify program attributes, such as flexibility and transparent water use outcomes, that can help policy makers drive voluntary participation in AWCPs. |
| Keywords: | Production Economics |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361067 |
| By: | Zhang, Jian; Mishra, Ashok K.; Koppenberg, Maximilian; Zheng, Linyi |
| Abstract: | The study uses nationally representative panel datasets on rural Chinese households to examine the interrelationship between smallholders’ participation in land rental markets and their agricultural commercialization, while also evaluating the interactive effects of these market-oriented farming practices on agricultural land and labor productivity. We adopted bivariate tobit model, fixed effects models and instrument variable methods to solve the endogeneity problems. Results reveal a mutually reinforcing relationship between farm households’ land rental area and commercialization decisions. Furthermore, renting in farmland improves agricultural labor productivity while reduces land productivity. Agricultural commercialization has significantly improved farm households’ land and labor productivity. Finally, commercialization could positively moderate the effect of land renting on agricultural productivity. Policymakers should design policies and strategies to promote land rental market development and farmers’ commercialization that could improve labor and land productivity. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, Farm Management |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360674 |
| By: | Zhu, Yanlin; Miao, Ruiquing; Duke, Joshua |
| Abstract: | The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is one of the most important agrienvironmental policies in the United States. Farmers and landowners retire their land into vegetation cover and receive rental payments paid by the government. Although the program generates well-documented ecosystem benefits, there are debates about its potential negative impact on the local economy. This paper studies the distributional impact of the CRP program on the local agribusiness sector. By leveraging a detailed county-level panel dataset of agricultural expenses, we use an instrumental variable (IV) approach to identify the causal impact of the CRP enrollment acreage and local agricultural expenses. We find that an additional 10% increase in the acreage of CRP enrollment reduces local agricultural expenses by about 0.175% on average. This effect is robust in most regions and expense categories. We also find regional variations in the response between the Southeast and the Midwest. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360614 |
| By: | Hamilton, Stephen; Ouvrard, Benjamin |
| Abstract: | Growing global concern on the link between international trade of agricultural products and deforestation in developing countries is underscored by EU deforestation regulations in 2024 that prominently include agricultural products such as cocoa, coffee, and oilseed products that are commonly sold as fair trade . We consider the potential for a fair pricing standard to cause structural excess farm supply conditions that can lead to food waste and unnecessary land development. We demonstrate that fair pricing decouples farm supply from the retailer’s optimization problem, resulting in revenue maximizing behavior in the consumer market. This decoupling of cost from profit can cause the agricultural product market to be structurally oversupplied even for small increments in pricing fairness. We confirm these results in a laboratory experiment that endogenizes the fair pricing standard as an equilibrium outcome of private politics between a retailer and eco-certifier. Our experiment generates excess supply that is an order of magnitude larger, in equilibrium, when retailers accept the fair pricing demands of eco-certifiers than when they reject them prior to setting prices. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360647 |
| By: | Schneider Lecy, Kate; Sun, Bangyao; Cash, Sean B.; Feng, Wenhui; Thorne-Lyman, Andrew; Love, David C. |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how diet quality changes with food prices, using detailed U.S. household purchase data. We find modest decreases in overall diet quality associated with price increases. By food group, consumers decrease meeting fruit recommendations by 13.4% for a 1% price increase, but better meet protein (5.4%) and vegetable (10.6%) requirements. This could be explained by a shift from unobserved random weight items to standardized packaged, frozen, and canned items and/or a shift to leaner proteins. The results suggest encouraging healthier diets likely requires more than pricing policies as well as better data linking food prices and diets. |
| Keywords: | Food Security and Poverty |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360876 |
| By: | Nuthalapati, Chandra; Saha, Shree; Areef, Mulla |
| Abstract: | This paper presents findings from two discrete choice experiments conducted among 836 vegetable growers across four Indian states during 2020-2021. The study aimed to elucidate farmers’ preferences within evolving food supply chains, particularly amidst the supermarket revolution. The first experiment focused on farmers’ supply chain preferences, and we found interesting results, revealing no preference for a specific place of sale, but rather a preference for credit and input support, while showing a significant aversion to delayed payment methods. The second experiment investigated their contract preferences in modern food supply chains, highlighting nuanced preferences for contract terms that minimize financial and legal risks, as well as favor pricing mechanisms that ensure a minimum base price with quality incentives. Demographic factors, initially influential, exhibited varying impacts across different models, highlighting the complex dynamics that shape farmers' decisions. Understanding these preferences is crucial for shaping effective policies and strategies that enhance market access, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and contribute to global food security and economic development. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360604 |
| By: | Asem, Freda Elikplim; Ayeduvor, Selorm; Saalia, Firibu K.; Asiedu, Matilda Steiner; Affrifah, Nicole Sharon; Kunadu , Angela Parry-Hanson; Essien, Emmanuel |
| Abstract: | Increasing the accessibility of nourishing food options is important to tackle micronutrient deficiencies in Ghana. Using a value chain approach that prioritizes nutrition, a Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chain approach, the study aimed to select appropriate value chains based on their economic value, income generation, nutritional significance and potential for high postharvest losses and food waste in Ghana. We employed key informant interviews and commodity scoring methods to select suitable commodity value chains that met all set criteria. Initially, 40 commodities were shortlisted among the five food groups for this study. Subsequently, 27 crops were selected for value chain interventions. Mango, cashew, oil palm, banana/plantain, shea and pineapple were selected as tree crops. Cowpea, groundnut, soybeans and bambara beans were selected as legumes, while maize, rice, sorghum, millet and fonio were selected as cereals. Cabbage, ginger, onion, shallot, eggplant, chilli pepper, okra and tomato were selected in the fruit category. Finally, yam, cassava and sweet potatoes were selected as the roots and tubers. It is recommended that experiments be developed and executed to introduce foods to infants that consist of a balanced mix of locally accessible options. Furthermore, it is important to pursue the creation and promotion of supplements and snack options specifically designed for school children, as well as efforts to implement programs that focus on nutrition and effective communication strategies to encourage behavioral change. Finally, efforts must be directed towards minimizing food waste and improving food safety measures. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies |
| Date: | 2025–03–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ugaeab:387587 |
| By: | Chandio, Rabail; Lacy, Katherine |
| Abstract: | This paper examines consolidation trends in U.S. livestock agriculture using the Share Weighted Size Index (SWSI), a distribution-sensitive measure of structural change. Using publicly available data from the Census of Agriculture (1997 - 2022), we construct SWSI values across three dimensions of farm size - acreage operated, inventory (headcount), and sales - for cattle, dairy, hogs, and poultry (layers and broilers). Results reveal substantial variation in consolidation patterns by commodity and measurement approach. Broiler and hog sectors show high and increasing consolidation in sales and inventory, consistent with vertically integrated and capital-intensive production systems. Dairy exhibits pronounced consolidation in acreage and sales, reflecting industry-wide shifts toward large-scale operations. In contrast, beef cattle operations remain relatively stable over time, with higher consolidation in land use than in sales or inventory. The SWSI provides a more nuanced and transparent measure than average farm size or operation counts, enabling replicable analysis of structural change overtime. By applying the SWSI across multiple livestock commodities and measurement dimensions, this paper highlights the important variation in the pace and form of consolidation, underscoring the value of flexible, commodity-specific tools for understanding structural change in U.S. agriculture. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, Farm Management |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360683 |
| By: | Kramer, Berber; Porter, Maria; Wassie, Solomon Bizuayehu |
| Abstract: | Index insurance lowers agricultural risk but covers only covariate risks. Since farmers do not have complete insurance, they may develop mistrust of insurance when experiencing crop losses and not receiving payouts. Although recent innovations in remote sensing enable the provision of more complete insurance including coverage for idiosyncratic risks, such insurance introduces differences in payouts within social networks, which might be considered unfair, introduce jealousy, and depress insurance demand. We conduct a lab-in-the-field experiment with farmers in Ethiopia to examine whether providing complete insurance coverage affects perceived fairness and insurance demand. We also examine effects of informing farmers about neighbors’ payout experiences. We find that such social comparison increases perceived fairness of index insurance. Providing complete crop insurance increases perceived fairness of outcomes and willingness to pay for insurance, without introducing jealousy over neighbors receiving different payouts. These results are concentrated among men and those with little insurance knowledge. |
| Keywords: | Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361093 |
| By: | Zeng, Shuhan; Mérel, Pierre; Sanchirico, James N. |
| Abstract: | The spread of crop diseases poses significant challenges to the stability and location of agriculture. This paper examines how pest pressure influences the spatial patterns of crop production. Using detailed spatial data on pest infestations and crop acreage, we study the impact of Pierce’s Disease and its vector, the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, on the spatial patterns of grape (the target of the disease) and citrus (the host of the vector) production in California. We combine crop maps and pesticide use reports to estimate how pest outbreaks affect growers’ location decisions. Our results show that pest pressure leads to spatial avoidance behavior: grape acreage tends to decline in infested areas, and the distance between citrus and grape production increases. We also find that pest control programs mitigate some of these effects, supporting their role in stabilizing agricultural land use. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating pest dynamics into models of agricultural spatial decision-making. |
| Keywords: | Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361095 |
| By: | Che, Yuyuan; Aglasan, Serkan; Burchfield, Emily K.; Rejesus, Roderick M. |
| Abstract: | This study explores how increased participation in the Federal Crop Insurance Program likely influences county-level landscape complexity. We utilize 2008-2018 county-level panel data with information on landscape complexity, crop insurance participation, and a number of weather variables to achieve the study objective. We apply linear fixed effect models, fixed effect instrumental models, and a number of robustness checks in the empirical analysis (i.e., two “external-instrument-fre” estimation procedures and a variety of alternative empirical specifications). Our estimation methods take advantage of the panel nature of the data to address various specification and endogeneity issues. Our results suggest that counties with greater crop insurance participation, especially at the intensive margin, tend to have lower landscape complexity. The finding underscores the idea that governmental policies aimed at helping farmers manage risk may inadvertently influence rural landscape diversity and sustainable agricultural systems. |
| Keywords: | Risk and Uncertainty |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360700 |
| By: | Meerza, Syed Imran Ali; Mottaleb, Khondoker |
| Abstract: | Zinc biofortified rice presents a promising solution for addressing zinc deficiencies in developing countries, but its adoption is still very limited. Interventions that provide information on both demand and supply, along with social interactions, have the potential to increase farmers' adoption of biofortified crops such as zinc rice, though their combined effects are not well explored. Our study examines how information-based interventions and social interactions impact smallholder farmers' valuations of zinc and non-zinc rice seeds. Results reveal that demand-side information about zinc rice alone significantly raises farmers’ willingness to pay for zinc rice seeds and that additional supply-side information further raises this premium. Our findings also indicate that combining information-based interventions with social interactions among farmers had a synergistic effect, promoting greater adoption of zinc rice. The results provide a key policy implication that combining information-based interventions with social interactions can effectively promote biofortified crops and other agricultural innovations. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360613 |
| By: | Adabrah-Danquah, Vera; Britton, Logan L.; Tonsor, Glynn T.; Coffey, Brian K.; Pendell, Dustin L. |
| Abstract: | This study examines U.S. consumer acceptance of meat from animals affected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), a non-zoonotic yet economically significant disease. A January 2025 survey of U.S. residents assessed demographic factors, disease knowledge, neophobia, and trust. Experimental approaches, including discrete choice and best-worst scaling, evaluated willingness to pay for attributes like vaccination status and geographic origin, and acceptance of alternative uses for recovered meat. Results highlight key consumer acceptance barriers, emphasizing strategies for integrating recovered meat into supply chains to reduce waste, mitigate market disruptions, and enhance sustainability. The study provides insights to balance economic recovery, food security, and sustainability in food systems following disruptive animal disease events. |
| Keywords: | Livestock Production/Industries |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361174 |
| By: | Xi Chen; Shuo Li; Ding Ma; Jintao Xu |
| Abstract: | Extreme temperatures threaten agriculture and exacerbate global food insecurity, yet their direct impact on dietary choices remains poorly understood. We provide novel evidence of how short-term exposures to extreme temperatures affect macronutrient intake in China. We show that both hot and cold weather elevate high-fat diet risks. In particular, hot weather reduces carbohydrate and protein consumption but not fat intake, while cold weather increases all nutrient intake, particularly fats. Temperature-induced dietary changes are shaped primarily by physiological responses to thermal stress, whereas physical activities demonstrate little effect. Technologies that improve indoor thermal comfort (via fans, air conditioners, and heating systems) substantially mitigate high-fat diet risks. Socioeconomic disparities are evident, with rural and poor individuals more likely to adopt high-fat diets under hot or cold weather. Projections indicate that more extreme temperatures due to climate change may increase the prevalence of high-fat diets nationally, while substantial regional heterogeneity emerges, with declines in northeast China and increases in southern China. These results highlight a crucial but overlooked pathway linking climate change to dietary health inequality. |
| JEL: | I12 I14 O13 Q18 Q54 |
| Date: | 2026–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34609 |
| By: | Zhou, Mi; Cao, Yinchuan; Guan, Boyao; Hu, Wuyang; Huang, Li |
| Abstract: | The growing human population poses severe challenges to food security, yet research on food security in the most populous countries, also known as mega-countries, remains limited. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution of food security in mega-countries through the lenses of quantity, nutrition, and ecological security. A Shape Constrained Generalized Additive Model is employed to explore the nonlinear relationship between population size and food security, and to project future trends in food security among mega-countries. The results show that from 2001 to 2022, quantity security improved substantially, followed by nutrition security, while ecological security showed a declining trend. Disparities in food security across mega-countries have also widened. The relationship between population size and food security is nonlinear in various dimensions. Under our assumptions, food security is projected to decline in export-oriented mega-countries but improve in import-oriented ones. While urbanization tends to enhance food security, population aging may intensify food system pressures. |
| Keywords: | Food Security and Poverty |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360873 |
| By: | Li, Youmin; Schmitz, Andrew; Weng, Weizhe |
| Abstract: | The trade war was triggered by US concerns about the trade deficit, intellectual property theft, and unfair trade practices. This paper studied the far-reaching impacts of the U.S.-China trade war on agricultural trade dynamics, focusing on the Chinese dairy-livestock belt (primarily in Inner Mongolia) and U.S. agricultural competitiveness. According to time-series data from the China Dairy Association, the paper identified a marked decline in per capita milk production in Inner Mongolia and highlights the economic ripple effects of tariff policies on both nations. The imposition of tariffs on critical commodities, such as alfalfa, oats, and soybeans disrupted supply chains and escalated production costs for Chinese dairy farmers, while simultaneously reducing the global competitiveness of U.S. exports. The paper further analyzes various scenarios regarding tariff impacts and examines how subsidies mitigate the effects of twin tariffs. Results illusion that tariffs on inelastic goods disproportionately affect economic efficiency, leading to cascading supply chain issues. |
| Keywords: | International Development |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361012 |
| By: | Corbi, Raphael; Falco, Chiara; Uberti, Luca J. |
| Abstract: | We estimate the impact of infrastructure investment on conflict using 163 hydroelectric dams in Brazil (2002–2022). Leveraging the staggered rollout of construction in a difference-in-differences framework, we find that dams trigger sharp, temporary surges in land invasions, water disputes, and homicides. These effects peak during construction and dissipate upon operation, suggesting they stem from the displacement process rather than the public good itself. Crucially, conflict is mediated by local institutions: violence occurs only where property rights are weak and displacement affects vulnerable smallholders. Our results demonstrate that without effective compensation, state-led modernization generates destabilizing redistributive shocks. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Dairy Farming, Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2026–01–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:387608 |
| By: | Rosenberg, Andrew; Gramig, Benjamin M.; Beeson, Peter; Iovanna, Rich |
| Abstract: | For years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and increasingly private incentive programs, have provided financial assistance to farmers to plant new forestland in place of commodity crops. Afforestation of cropland can provide multiple ecosystem services. However, as with any voluntary incentives, an increase in ecosystem services depends on the degree to which realized afforestation is additional and persistent. Incentives are additional if farmers would not have switched to timber without government assistance; and defined as persistent if managers of new timberland do not simply return their land to crops after their afforestation contracts end. In this study, we assess the long-run impacts of incentives for afforestation of cropland in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program. We estimate impacts using a regression discontinuity design, relying on the Conservation Reserve Program’s General Signup auction mechanism. We use remote-sensing data to detect the extent of trees within tracts of land that rejected and accepted offers in the program. We find that more than 50 percent of land enrolled is additional; and that impacts are persistent as well, with most long-run impacts coming from parcels that have exited the program. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360765 |
| By: | Annan, Kenneth; Bigelow, Daniel P. |
| Abstract: | Wildfires have become more prevalent and have negatively affected economic well-being and human health in wildfire-prone regions. Compared to other sectors, the effects of wildfires on agriculture have received less attention. In this paper, we estimate the effect of wildfires on agricultural land prices. To the extent that wildfires pose a threat to current and future farm-related returns, agricultural land prices should decrease in response to nearby wildfires. We employ a difference-in-differences research design to examine how wildfire risk, measured by proximity to wildfire, affects observed parcel-level agricultural land prices. The study uses pooled cross-sectional data covering agricultural land transactions in Oregon over the period 2000-2023. Preliminary results indicate that wildfire risk has lowered agricultural land values in Oregon by 19-54% for parcels in close proximity (within 2km) to wildfires. The findings highlight the importance of measuring the economic costs of recent catastrophic wildfires in Oregon and the western US, particularly in relation to wildfire-related damages to the agricultural sector. |
| Keywords: | Research Methods/Statistical Methods |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361102 |
| By: | Wongpiyabovorn, Oranuch |
| Abstract: | This work explores the potential cover crops and no-till adoption in the United States under four policy designs using a highly stylized economic model. Farmers who will adopt these conservation practices may receive cost-share payment from the federal conservation program and carbon payment from a voluntary private carbon initiative. To limit the number of acres receiving the cost-share payment from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), two types of limitations to EQIP participation (HEL and budget limits) and two different types of additionality requirements (financial and physical) are imposed in the simulated models. Four scenarios include four policy designs: (1) full additionality required; (2) physical additionality required and unrestricted EQIP payments; (3) physical additionality required and HEL-limited EQIP payments; and (4) physical additionality required and budget-limited EQIP payments under reverse auction in HEL-acres. The results show that the estimated adoption rates are highest in scenario 2 (cover crops: 34% of total cropland, no-till: 69%) and lowest in scenario 1 (cover crops: 2%, no-till: 25%). Imposing restrictions on EQIP participation can reduce the adoption of conservation practices to 6%–11% for cover crops and 28%–34% for no-till, but EQIP spending has become more cost-effective in terms of cost per ton of greenhouse gas emissions reduction. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:360631 |