Showing papers in "Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy in 2003"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the impact of Farmer Field Schools, an intensive participatory training program emphasizing integrated pest management, focusing on whether participation in the program has improved yields and reduced pesticide use among graduates and their neighbors.
Abstract: This paper evaluates the impact of Farmer Field Schools, an intensive participatory training program emphasizing integrated pest management. The evaluation focuses on whether participation in the program has improved yields and reduced pesticide use among graduates and their neighbors who may have gained knowledge from graduates through informal communications. The study utilizes panel data covering the period 1991-1999 in Indonesia. The analysis, employing a modified "difference-in-differences" model, indicates that the program did not have significant impacts on the performance of graduates and their neighbors. Several plausible explanations for this outcome are discussed, and recommendations for improvements are suggested.
418 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, cattle producers were surveyed in Texas and Nebraska to investigate perceptions of sources of risk, the effectiveness of risk management strategies, and interest in further risk management education, particularly production risk, using probit analysis.
Abstract: Beef cattle producers were surveyed in Texas and Nebraska to investigate perceptions of sources of risk, the effectiveness of risk management strategies, and interest in further risk management education, particularly production risk, using probit analysis Important decision variables identified are age, prior use of risk management tools, previous attendances of risk management education, and risk aversion Severe drought and cattle price variability are identified as primary risk factors with potential to affect farm income Extremely cold weather and disease are of less importance Understocking pasture and storing hay are perceived most effective as risk management options
106 citations
TL;DR: A sensory evaluation, willingness-to-pay survey, and feasibility analysis suggest that profit potential exists for producers serving niche markets via small-scale processing ventures using conjugated linoleic acid in milk.
Abstract: Levels of conjugated linoleic acid, which may help prevent cancer, can be elevated in milk. A sensory evaluation, willingness-to-pay survey, and feasibility analysis suggest that profit potential exists for producers serving niche markets via small-scale processing ventures. Households with children and health-conscious consumers appear most willing to pay premiums for “cancer-fighting” dairy products. Consumer demand and the legality of health claims hinge on pending medical research outcomes.
105 citations
TL;DR: Gross entry-exit rates by operator age group suggest there is still an underlying trend toward declining numbers of commercial farms, aging of the farm operator population, and an increasing share of farms operated part-time as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Gross entry-exit rates by operator age group suggest there is still an underlying trend toward declining numbers of commercial farms, aging of the farm operator population, and an increasing share of farms operated part-time. The number of entries by young farmers declined steadily from 1978 to 1997, as did the exit rate for older operators. Between 1992 and 1997, the entry rate rebounded for farmers over age 35 and those principally employed off-farm. A sharp decline in the exit rate for midcareer farmers also helped stabilize the decline in farm numbers.
91 citations
TL;DR: The authors assesses the relative importance of different features of crop insurance products and finds that farmers' preferences for flexibility dominate both type of insurance and coverage level and that revenue insurance demand is greater by those who are larger, younger, and farm in more separate locations.
Abstract: Utilizing survey data from corn and soybean farmers in the Midwest, this study assesses the relative importance of different features of crop insurance products. Conjoint analysis results indicate that farmers' preferences for flexibility dominate both type of insurance and coverage level. Revenue insurance demand is greater by those who are larger, younger, and farm in more separate locations. Results are significant and consistent by size, insurance usage, leverage, and risk perception. The results permit prediction of market shares of competing insurance products within specific producer segments, and thus also provide guidance for targeting specific producer groups with new product configurations.
59 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss a single trade that recently took place in the Lake Dillon drainage basin between point and non-point pollution sources, which demonstrates many of the challenges that are faced in effluent trading but also highlights the potential efficiency gains that can be achieved through such programs.
Abstract: Despite many years of existence, programs that allow transferable discharge permits to control water pollution have had quite limited success. This paper discusses a single trade that recently took place in the Lake Dillon drainage basin between point and nonpoint pollution sources. This trade demonstrates many of the challenges that are faced in effluent trading but also highlights the potential efficiency gains that can be achieved through such programs.
56 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a survey of contract design structures in identity-preserved soybean production is provided, where the allocation of value and decision rights associated with the transaction and the resulting allocation of risk associated with various sources of uncertainty for a sample of contracts for identitypreserved (or segregated) soybeans.
Abstract: This paper provides a survey of contract design structures in identity-preserved soybean production Drawing from economic theories of contract and organizational design, we document the allocation of value and decision rights associated with the transaction and the resulting allocation of risk associated with various sources of uncertainty for a sample of contracts for identity-preserved (or segregated) soybeans We also list several hypotheses and avenues for future research suggested by the contract terms discussed in the paper
54 citations
TL;DR: This paper developed an economic model of the incentive and welfare effects of prescribed burning, where both the burner and potential victims of escaped fires can reduce expected damage with precautionary effort, and examined the characteristics and geographic distribution of prescribed fire liability law in the United States in the context of the model.
Abstract: Prescribed burning is increasingly recognized as a useful but risky land management and conservation tool. Common law relating to prescribed fire is generally predicated on negligence rules. However, virtually all states also have statutory law specifying liability rules or criminal penalties for prescribed burning, and the laws in many states have been changing substantially in recent years. We develop an economic model of the incentive and welfare effects of prescribed burning, where both the burner and potential victims of escaped fires can reduce expected damage with precautionary effort. The model provides implications regarding the comparative advantages of strict liability versus negligence rules. We then examine the characteristics and geographic distribution of prescribed fire liability law in the United States in the context of the model. Specifically, we discuss possible economic underpinnings of the recent emergence of statutes in southeastern states that are more supportive of prescribed fire use, despite its associated risks.
50 citations
TL;DR: The authors used the first-difference version of the almost ideal demand system (AIDS) to estimate demand elasticities of U.S. red wine imports from five countries accounting for over 90% of imports, including Italy, France, Spain, Australia, and Chile.
Abstract: The U.S. wine market experienced rapid growth in all facets—production, consumption, exports, and imports—over the past decade. Red wine imports more than tripled while consumption of domestically produced red wines doubled. This research estimates demand elasticities of U.S. red wine imports from five countries accounting for over 90% of imports—Italy, France, Spain, Australia, and Chile—using the first-difference version of the almost ideal demand system (AIDS). These elasticities are compared with those for domestically produced red wine. Results for conditional expenditure elasticities indicate that the U.S. red wine industry gains over imports when U.S. consumers’ total expenditures on red wine increase. However, comparing own- and cross-price elasticities reveals an increase in the price of U.S. red wine results in a decline in quantity demanded six times greater than for French and Italian red wines and over 20 times greater than other import countries, thus harming the U.S. red wine industry. Empirical results suggest that U.S. red-wine producers could increase their total revenue by decreasing prices, while Italian and French producers can increase total revenues by increasing them.
46 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed why the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) experienced contract withdrawals. And they found that among approved contracts, 17% withdrew one or more conservation practices.
Abstract: This article analyzes why the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) experiences contract withdrawals. Among approved contracts, 17% withdrew one or more conservation practices. After presenting a model of producers' behavior, a logit model is used to examine the withdrawal phenomenon. Withdrawals are linked to producers having an incentive to include low cost-share payments and practices in the conservation plan that increase the probability of approval, but may not be profitable. These results are discussed in light of the changes to EQIP that have been introduced by the 2002 Farm Act. Over the last 15 years, economic instruments have gained much ground relative to command-and-control mechanisms for the promotion of environmental policies. This shift is based on the view that incentive-based tools, directed towards voluntary means of reducing negative environmental externalities, are flexible and economically more efficient. Such was the reasoning behind the establishment by the 1996 Farm Act of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a voluntary conservation program providing assistance to farmers facing threats to their natural resource base. EQIP's main efficiency-enhancing features were (i) a bidding mechanism where farm operators competed for funds based on their "bids" (proposals) for the provision of environmental services, and (ii) the targeting of funds to specific resource concerns, such as soil erosion, nutrient management, water resource management, and wildlife habitat conservation, aimed at achieving the greatest possible environmental benefits per dollar of program expenditure. These are innovative features relative to previous programs,
43 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the relationship between contract production and animal waste management problems and proposed a regulatory framework to allocate the burden of regulation among the contracting parties in a socially optimal way.
Abstract: The policy discussions about the potential linkages between contracting and livestock wasteproblems have been focused on two sets of issues. One set relates to the emergence of livestockwaste as a major environmental problem that requires urgent regulatory intervention. Implicit inthis debate is the notion that animal waste related environmental problems have been caused or exacerbatedby the organizational structure of the livestock industry, notably its high degree of verticalintegration via production contracts with independent farmers. Another set of issues relates tothe design of regulatory policies that could be implemented given the existing organizational structuresof various livestock industries. As far as the emergence of animal waste as a major environmental problem is considered, thecentral objective of this paper is to try to answer the question of whether contracting worsens livestockwaste management problems, how, and to what degree? The evidence about the potentiallinkages between contracting and animal waste management problems presented in the paper fitsinto four categories. First, contrary to the widely held belief that contracting leads to larger scaleproduction (more animals per operation) and thus larger volumes of waste per operation, the existingliterature does not support the hypothesis that the contract livestock producers tend to be largerthen the independent farmers. Second, farmers tend to apply livestock manure in excess of theamount that would require just substitution of the chemical fertilizer because by applying manureon any given field they not only receive the nutrient benefits of that application but also save on thetransportation costs relative to applying the same manure on more distant fields. This result showsthat the use of manure can be expected to worsen nutrient runoff and leaching from croplands regardlessof whether the livestock producer is a contract operator or an independent farmer. Third,contract production results in high concentration of livestock production facilities in a few geographicareas. However, there is also a tendency for the independent livestock producers to concentratein certain geographical areas due to significant agglomeration economies. Fourth, given thefact that monitoring the nutrient content of feed and manure is costly and imperfect and each partycannot observe the effort exerted by the other party, the net benefits (cost) of nutrient applicationmay fail to get incorporated into the payment schedule of a production contract. Therefore, thequestion of the division of responsibilities for providing inputs in livestock production and the resultantpayment schemes used to settle the contracts become important for purposes of optimal contractdesign. When it comes to designing an appropriate regulatory regime, the paper focuses on the questionof how to apportion the burden of regulation among the contracting parties in a socially optimalway. The conclusions can be summarized as follows. First, in light of substantial multi-taskingproblems, the regulation toward some form of a shared responsibility between the integrators andgrowers for manure disposal may render the currently used relative performance piece rate remunerationschemes obsolete. It is conceivable that rather then switching to fixed wage contracts as amethod of rewarding their growers, integrator companies may gradually change their organizationstructure towards more company owned farms. Such an important shift in the industry structureaway from contracting may have dire implications for local rural communities in many parts of thecountry. Especially strong impact could be felt in the Southeast where many small family farmsheavily depend on the supplemental income from contract poultry operations. Second, the incidenceof anticipated increases in environmental compliance cost will depend on the market power1 Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8109.136 The Relationship between Contracting and Livestock Waste Pollutionof the integrator on the market for growers. In markets with absolute monopsony power of the integrator,the increased cost of environmental regulation will always be borne by the integrator regardlessof the initial design. If the market for growers services is such that growers are actually earningpositive rents, then the incidence of costs depends on the distribution of bargaining power betweenparties as well as the presence of other regulatory and legal requirements governing the specificationof the contract form. Finally, the anticipated move toward shared responsibility for accidentalwaste spills between the integrator and growers may or may not be welfare enhancing, dependingon the relative bargaining power of the integrator on the market for growers. In geographical areaswhere the competition for growers is fairly fierce, making integrators liable for environmentaldamages caused by the growers may not be theoretically justifiable. On the other hand, if the integratoris the only game in town and the probability of growers defecting to another integrator islow, making integrators liable for environmental damages caused by the growers may be sociallyoptimal.
TL;DR: The authors predicts an increase in generic advertising litigation based upon the degree of collectivization in an industry and urges economists to bring the controversy into their modeling, arguing that the current round of litigation is simply an inevitable outgrowth of fairly recent Supreme Court rulings on commercial speech.
Abstract: Since the 1980s, generic advertising programs for dozens of farm commodities have been entangled in a great deal of litigation. The author looks at the history of generic advertising policies, discusses why the litigation arose when it did, and argues that the current round of litigation is simply an inevitable outgrowth of fairly recent Supreme Court rulings on commercial speech. The author further examines some of the economic studies that have been performed. The author predicts an increase in generic advertising litigation based upon the degree of collectivization in an industry and urges economists to bring the controversy into their modeling.
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual framework building on transaction cost and principal agent literature is developed and strategies for sharing feeding and packing margins are analyzed for vertical alliances in the cattle industry. But the authors do not consider the impact of price as a coordinating mechanism.
Abstract: Vertical alliances in beef are growing in importance. Alliances struggle with decisions on how to compensate members. Both conceptual development and empirical analysis are needed. A conceptual framework building on transaction cost and principal agent literature is developed and strategies for sharing feeding and packing margins are analyzed. Premiums for high-quality cattle increase revenues to the alliance. Margin and premium sharing interactions are investigated and guidelines are presented. Compensations that provide incentives for improving cattle quality help ensure the success of alliances as vertical coordination and quality control mechanisms. The beef sector is experiencing significant change in coordination of activities along the supply chain. Historically, there have been separate profit centers between the producer and consumer with reliance on the price system to ensure coordination between what is produced and what consumers want. Since the late 1970s, the effectiveness of price as a coordinating mechanism has been questioned. Demand decreases have persisted and accumulated. A demand index developed for the National Cattlemen's Beef AssQciation indicates beef demand decreased more than 49% between 1980 and 1998 (Demand Indexes at http://www.aaec.vt.edu/rilp). The reasons for the demand problems have been apparent for a number of years. Surveys and focus groups indicate that consumers want a consistent, high-quality eating experience. The first national beef quality audit in 1990 listed excessive fat, low palatability, and inadequate tenderness as major quality concerns (National
TL;DR: In this paper, the value of using ultrasound technology to improve cattle marketing decisions by optimally choosing a particular marketing method was estimated, and the results indicated that using ultrasound information to selectively market cattle could have increased revenue by $25.53/head, $4.98/head or $32.16/head.
Abstract: This study estimates the value of using ultrasound technology to improve cattle marketing decisions by optimally choosing a particular marketing method. For the particular group of cattle analyzed, results indicate that using ultrasound information to selectively market cattle could have increased revenue by $25.53/head, $4.98/head, or $32.90/head, compared with simply marketing all animals on a live weight, dressed weight, or grid basis, respectively. Even if producers incorporate such information as placement weight, days on feed, and breed into their expectations about final carcass characteristics, our results indicate that ultrasound measures could improve average revenue by $4.16/head.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between formal strategic planning and financial performance and found that use of strategic planning tools has a positive impact on financial performance as measured by the 3-year average pretax return on assets.
Abstract: Research on the impact of formal strategic planning on firm performance has yielded mixed results. In this study, approximately 200 executives in five food processing industries were surveyed to examine the relationship between formal strategic planning and financial performance. A multiple indicator measure of strategic planning was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Results of the strategic planning-performance model indicate that use of strategic planning tools has a positive impact on financial performance as measured by the 3-year average pretax return on assets.
TL;DR: In this paper, the adverse impact of advance production and private negotiation on seller earnings was emphasized when earnings are compared with those from double auction trading, and price convergence patterns showed spot prices 10.8% lower and the number of trades 12.4% fewer than forward outcomes.
Abstract: Advance production in spot markets increases seller costs because inventories must be held. This cost does not exist in production-to-demand (or forward) markets, for which production follows trading, and sales exactly match quantities produced. Data from laboratory-computerized markets that trade through private negotiation are analyzed. For the experimental supply and demand conditions, price convergence patterns show spot prices 10.8% lower and the number of trades 12.4% fewer than forward outcomes. The adverse impact of advance production and private negotiation on seller earnings is emphasized when earnings are compared with those from double auction trading.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the demise of diammonium phosphate futures and found that the contract failed because it was a poor hedging tool, and was perceived by the industry not to offer benefits beyond existing contracting and risk management practices.
Abstract: Using a survey of industry participants, and an analysis of price relationships, this paper investigates the demise of the diammonium phosphate futures. The results indicate the diammonium phosphate cash and futures markets were not well linked. The results also suggest that the initial specifications of diammonium phosphate futures contract may have resulted in its use as a forward contract with a high rate of delivery, reducing market participation and limiting liquidity. Ultimately, the contract failed because it was a poor hedging tool, and was perceived by the industry not to offer benefits beyond existing contracting and risk management practices.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of the Northeast Dairy Compact on prices, quantities, and producer and consumer welfare are analyzed, highlighting the distribution of these effects across regions and among producers and buyers.
Abstract: We model and measure the effects of the Northeast Dairy Compact on prices, quantities, and producer and consumer welfare, underscoring the distribution of these effects across regions and among producer and buyers. Using 1999 as a base year, simulations show that the Compact raised the farm price of milk in the Northeast by $0.45/cwt., lowered the farm price of milk in the rest of the country by $0.02/cwt., and transferred income from producers outside the Compact region and buyers in the Compact region to producers in the Compact region. Non-Compact producer losses exceeded Compact producer gains. Similar results are found for a scenario of Compact contagion— extension of the Compact to include additional states. In both cases, the Compact changed the distribution of the costs and benefits of price discrimination as practiced by milk marketing orders. The implication is that the regional distribution of the Compact's welfare effects raises again the question of the organization of a government-sponsored milk marketing plan such as the federal milk marketing order system.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the impact of the Northeast Compact on retail fluid milk prices in New England and found that retail milk prices rose 30.5 cents per gallon in Boston and 31.4 cents in Hartford over the Compact period compared with the pre-compact period.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to analyze the impact of the Northeast Compact on retail fluid milk prices in New England. An econometric model was estimated to simulate the farm-to-retail price spread and to analyze the impact of the Northeast Compact on retail milk prices. The results found that retail milk prices rose 30.5 cents per gallon in Boston and 31.4 cents per gallon in Hartford over the Compact period compared with the pre-Compact period. About 70% of this increase was directly attributable to the Northeast Compact.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the preservation of farmland through purchasing of development rights and showed that these programs may provide a net benefit to society, by comparing the estimated costs and benefits associated with the development of open space from 1982 to 1992.
Abstract: This paper examines the preservation of farmland through purchasable development rights. In a comparison of the estimated costs and benefits associated with the development of open space from 1982 to 1992, we show that these programs may provide a net benefit to society. An econometric model is employed to address the question of what factors explain both the creation of these programs and the magnitude of farmland preservation. Elasticity measures derived from the model indicate that a wide range of ecological and sociological variables are important in explaining the activity in purchasable development rights programs.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarized the debate concerning the value of distance education, and reported distance education experiences in agricultural economics courses at The Ohio State University, and analyzed the effects of "distance" on student performance in and acceptance of the distance course.
Abstract: This paper summarizes the debate concerning the value of distance education, reports distance education experiences in agricultural economics courses at The Ohio State University, and analyzes the effects of “distance” on student performance in and acceptance of the distance course. Results suggest that distance and “live” students performed equally in the same course, and they evaluated the course experience in a similar manner. These results provide some assurance that distance education, at least using the two-way interactive synchronous learning model of the courses in this study, does not place the distant student in jeopardy.
TL;DR: This article analyzed the impact of China's accession to the World Trade Organization on major crop and livestock markets using the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) modeling framework.
Abstract: We analyze the impact of China's accession to the World Trade Organization on major crop and livestock markets using the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) modeling framework. We incorporate expected changes in consumer income, textile production, and trade policies as exogenous shocks to the baseline model. Following accession, revenues decline in China's livestock, grain, and oilseed industries, while cotton production prospers despite increased imports. Chinese consumers benefit from lower food prices, with vegetable oil, dairy, and meat consumption increasing significantly. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, and the United States are the greatest beneficiaries from expanded agricultural trade with China.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compared a variety of farm tractor depreciation methods to determine which most accurately estimates farm tractor values, and found that the Cross and Perry method was generally the most accurate.
Abstract: This study compares a variety of farm tractor depreciation methods to determine which most accurately estimates farm tractor values. These alternative depreciation methods consider different factors for estimating remaining value and vary in difficulty of use. Pairwise comparisons of mean absolute percentage error and forecast accuracy regression models were used to evaluate the accuracy of the depreciation methods, which depend on age, intensity of use, and manufacturer. Based on the results of this study, the Cross and Perry method was generally the most accurate.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors draw on corporate information management techniques as a framework for adding value to agricultural data and provide an indication of the potential for lost value and the dilemma facing modern agriculture.
Abstract: Agricultural decision makers rely on information provided by public and private entities. Data is a valuable asset and represents a tremendous investment of resources. However, difficulty locating sources and/or interpreting values may compromise its usefulness. The Florida citrus industry serves as an example of the data problem faced by many users; over 50 publications produced by 13 agencies are identified as official sources of citrus data. An indication of the potential for lost value and the dilemma facing modern agriculture is provided. This paper draws on corporate information management techniques as a framework for adding value to agricultural data.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide details of emerging opportunities for U.S. pork exporters following the United States-China WTO Accession Agreement, which will enable them to gain unprecedented access to the Chinese pork market.
Abstract: This study provides details of emerging opportunities for U.S. pork exporters following the U.S.-China WTO Accession Agreement. The Agreement will enable the United States to gain unprecedented access to the Chinese pork market. The United States enjoys comparative advantages in producing hogs at lower cost, higher quality, and greater efficiency. Moreover, Chinese preference for pork is highly complementary to that of U.S. consumers. Therefore, U.S. pork exporters are expected to target primarily the Chinese variety meats market. Although China is expected to remain a surplus pork production nation, demographic shifts could provide additional opportunities for U.S. pork exporters to increase sales of more premium cuts for urban consumers in China.
TL;DR: Following enactment of the 1996 Farm Bill, corn and soybean implied volatilities covering the preharvest and storage seasons increased 16-23% between 1987-1995 and 1997-2001 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Following enactment of the 1996 Farm Bill, corn and soybean implied volatilities covering the preharvest and storage seasons increased 16–23% between 1987–1995 and 1997–2001. The increase was statistically significant at the 90% confidence level. Standard deviation of corn and soybean prices derived from the implied volatilities increased 7–25%, but only the increase for preharvest corn was statistically significant. Further muddling the picture is the decline in variability of annual U.S. average corn and soybean cash price. These mixed findings point to continuing disagreement about government's role in managing farm risk in the post-1996 Farm Bill world.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explain the methodology arbitrators use to calculate damages and how this methodology differs from an efficiency-based measure of welfare that economists would instinctively provide, there are rational reasons for this difference and the arbitrator's methodology does a better job of providing incentives for countries not to violate trade agreements.
Abstract: Since its inception in 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system has received over 250 notifications of trade disputes. While most have been settled, in a few cases the WTO arbitrators had to approve damage awards. This paper will use one of these cases (Hormones) to explain the methodology arbitrators use to calculate damages and how this methodology differs from an efficiency-based measure of welfare that economists would instinctively provide. Yet, there are rational reasons for this difference and the arbitrator's methodology does a better job of providing incentives for countries not to violate trade agreements.
TL;DR: For example, the authors showed that neither the United States nor Canada dominated in diversity along their northern plains border during 1975-1999, while dominant concentration occasionally switched between the two countries.
Abstract: Cropping diversity, measured by the Gini coefficient, showed neither the United States nor Canada dominated in diversity along their northern plains border during 1975–1999. While cropping was slightly more concentrated in Canada for about two-thirds of the period, dominant concentration occasionally switched between the two countries. The relative price of canola to wheat and American wheat acreage restrictions were important factors determining diversity. In the early 1990s, American farmers lagged Canadian farmers in adopting alternative crops, possibly due to incentives to maintain wheat base acreage. The decoupling of American subsidies in 1996 had not significantly affected cropping diversification through 1999.
TL;DR: In this article, a framework for understanding the changes information technology and e-business may bring to the distribution channel is developed, and some of the attitudes of managers toward E-business and the impacts of information technologies for the agricultural inputs industries are considered.
Abstract: A variety of factors are creating pressure for increased use of information technologies and e-business concepts in the agricultural input industries. Understanding where information technology and e-business concepts will add value to the distribution channels for agricultural inputs requires an understanding of the needs of the two primary agents in the channel: agricultural producers and manufacturers. In this paper, a framework for understanding the changes information technology and e-business may bring to the distribution channel is developed. In addition, some of the attitudes of managers toward e-business and the impacts of information technologies for the agricultural inputs industries are considered.
TL;DR: In this paper, a two-phase research design of major grower-shipper firms of lettuce, tomatoes, and melons reveals a diverse distribution of firms across the time-integration continuum.
Abstract: Traditional views and models of perishable food suppliers fail to capture the fundamental role of time integration in firm-level organization. A two-phase research design of major grower-shipper firms of lettuce, tomatoes, and melons reveals a diverse distribution of firms across the time-integration continuum. Most firms use more than one microclimate to extend product availability. Decision makers are encouraged to understand the implications of these temporally integrated organizations on agricultural and trade policy.