ABSTRACT This paper examines racial differences in farm succession planning using survey data from Tennessee farmers. While observed differences between White and Black farmers are small, decomposition and counterfactual analyses show that structural characteristics, particularly farm size, would predict higher succession planning among White farmers. Conditional on these characteristics, Black farmers are equally or more likely to plan for succession. These findings indicate that similar outcomes mask unequal underlying conditions and suggest that policies aimed at reducing disparities in farm succession must address differences in land access and farm viability rather than focusing solely on planning behavior.
ABSTRACT This study examines how formal and relational governance mechanisms are associated with perceived cooperative success in agrifood cooperatives. We argue that, because cooperatives are user‐owned and user‐controlled organizations with multiple objectives, their overarching goal is member welfare, which requires balancing long‐run viability with member‐oriented outcomes. Drawing on the cooperative governance and social capital literatures, we develop hypotheses that link different governance mechanisms to two complementary outcomes: perceived financial‐economic performance and perceived member satisfaction. We test them on a unique primary dataset of 117 Spanish agrifood cooperatives using survey responses from knowledgeable organizational informants (e.g., CEOs, member‐managers, and management‐involved technical staff). The results show three main findings. First, among property‐rights innovations, only mild forms of hybridization are positively associated with perceived financial‐economic performance while their use is not significantly related to perceived member satisfaction. Second, among decision‐rights innovations, neither hiring a professional CEO nor appointing external professionals to the Board of Directors is sufficient on its own; only their joint presence—organization‐wide professionalization—is associated with both perceived outcomes. Third, relational governance is associated with both perceived outcomes through different mechanisms: social capital is robustly associated with higher perceived member satisfaction, whereas a more proactive and engaged board is more closely associated with stronger perceived financial‐economic performance. Overall, the findings suggest that a portfolio of complementary formal and relational governance mechanisms is associated with perceived cooperative success by addressing different organizational outcomes relevant to member welfare.
ABSTRACT Household refrigerators extend the last mile of the cold chain into the home, but their implications for dietary quality in developing food systems remain unclear. Using household panel data from China's Fixed Observation Rural Survey for 2003–2018, we estimate the effect of refrigerator ownership on rural dietary quality along three dimensions: food‐group structure, macronutrient energy shares, and dietary balance, by combining household two‐way fixed effects with instrumental variables based on the Home Appliances to the Countryside subsidy, event‐study diagnostics, and heterogeneity‐robust difference‐in‐differences estimators. The results show that, on average, refrigerator ownership reduces dependence on cereals and increases consumption of selected under‐consumed, nutrient‐dense foods, including fruit, eggs, aquatic products, and soybeans. These changes reduce deficiency‐side dietary imbalance. However, refrigerator ownership also increases meat and cooking oil consumption, lowers the carbohydrate energy share, and raises the fat energy share, with little change in total energy intake or the protein energy share. The reduction in under‐consumption is therefore offset by greater excess‐side imbalance, leaving overall dietary balance statistically unchanged. Event‐study estimates further show that the fruit and meat responses are concentrated in the first 2 post‐adoption years and then attenuate, whereas the cereal reduction and the macronutrient shift from carbohydrates toward fat are more persistent. The qualitative pattern is robust to checks for pre‐trends, staggered adoption, income‐related dietary upgrading, and food‐away‐from‐home substitution. Heterogeneity analyses show that nutritional returns depend on health education, purchasing power, and regional food culture. Household refrigeration is thus an enabling technology for dietary upgrading, but not a stand‐alone nutrition policy. Cold‐chain and appliance‐promotion policies should be paired with nutrition education, portion guidance, and measures that improve affordable access to healthier perishables.
ABSTRACT Weather is a central determinant of production risk in agricultural markets, but markets respond not only to weather conditions themselves, but also to how those conditions are noticed, framed, and interpreted in public discourse. In this setting, real‐time online weather discussions may shape price uncertainty by influencing how market participants process evolving production risk. This study examines whether daily weather‐related online media attention and sentiment contain information relevant for short‐run conditional variance in U.S. corn, soybean, and winter wheat futures. Using 30.6 million weather‐related online mentions from January 2022 through January 2025, we construct commodity‐specific indicators of weather mentions and sentiment and incorporate them into GARCH models alongside key USDA report dates. The results reveal economically meaningful links between online weather discourse and short‐run variance dynamics, though their strength and consistency vary across markets. In corn, increases in weather‐related mentions are associated with higher conditional variance, while more positive sentiment is generally associated with reductions in conditional variance. Soybeans show smaller but consistently stabilizing variance responses. Wheat exhibits fewer significant media effects, but when present they imply economically large proportional changes in the heteroskedastic component of conditional variance, on the order of 40%–60% relative to baseline. Taken together, the results indicate that weather‐related online media provide incremental information about short‐run price uncertainty in agricultural futures markets. USDA reports continue to generate the largest discrete variance adjustments, but weather‐related attention and sentiment help explain additional, higher‐frequency changes in conditional variance between scheduled releases. In this sense, online weather discourse appears to reflect how developing production concerns are interpreted in real time, offering a complementary signal of evolving market uncertainty.
ABSTRACT This paper examines how mandatory disclosure of added sugar content on the updated U.S. Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) affects consumer demand and market outcomes. Using NielsenIQ Retail Scanner Data (2015–2020) and a random coefficient discrete choice model, we estimate how added sugar labeling influences purchasing behavior in yogurt and cookie markets. We find that separate disclosure of added sugar reduces demand for products with higher added sugar content in both categories. Counterfactual simulations show that the revised NFP produced meaningful reductions in both total and added sugar consumption relative to a no‐label‐change scenario, and that a targeted sugar tax applied only to products with added sugar achieves similar reductions in added sugar consumption as a broad‐based tax on all sugar content, while encouraging within‐category substitution toward lower‐added‐sugar alternatives rather than reducing category sales uniformly. These findings illustrate how labeling reforms and fiscal policy can operate as complementary policy instruments, and they suggest that information disclosure on the revised NFP expands the set of tax designs available to policymakers targeting added sugar consumption.
This paper estimates technical efficiency (TE) and environmental efficiency (EE) of agricultural production at the municipal level of the Brazilian Cerrado in 2006 and 2017, and investigates their underlying mechanisms in relation to forest transition theory. A stochastic production frontier was estimated using a large database, and deforestation was modeled as an environmentally detrimental input. The results indicated an average TE of 75% in both periods, while EE increased from 39% in 2006 to 45% in 2017. A heterogeneous distribution of forest transition stages in the Cerrado was also observed: municipalities in the southeast and central-west regions are predominantly in the transition between the second and third phases, while the northeastern regions remain mostly in the initial stages, suggesting that deforestation in these areas may increase in the future. Our findings also suggested that, among the factors associated with efficiency, rural credit and technical assistance stand out due to their potential to reduce deforestation and enhance productivity. The results highlight the urgency of regionally targeted public policies to conserve the Brazilian Cerrado, especially in frontier regions where deforestation pressures remain highest.
Since the final decade of the 20th century, Latin American countries have increasingly regarded the signing of regional trade agreements (RTAs) as a promising strategy for expanding their exports. Within this context, the main objective of this study is to assess the impact of RTAs on agri-food exports in Latin America over the period 1990-2019, during which such exports experienced significant growth. To this end, our analysis starts with an examination of the various trade agreements signed in the region and the export flows they have progressively channeled. Second, we estimate the effects of each type of agreement on agri-food trade using gravity models and export data from 19 Latin American countries to their main trading partners (239 in total) between 1990 and 2019. Our main finding regarding the average effect of RTAs is that the estimates are robust to recent developments in gravity modeling. However, when we estimate the effects of each agreement type separately, we find considerable heterogeneity. This variation depends not only on the type of agreement, but also on the export destination region and the period under analysis.
The inability to ensure stable incomes for Chinese forage farmers has contributed to a severe shortage of forage supplies. However, there is currently a lack of research on pathways to achieve income enhancement and stabilization for forage farmers. Considering forage characteristics and farmer constraints, this study argues that close vertical coordination constitutes a necessary pathway to income enhancement and stabilization. An income function for forage farmers is first constructed to theoretically examine the income effects and underlying mechanisms of close vertical coordination. Subsequently, empirical analysis is conducted using survey data from key forage-producing regions in China, primarily applying a multinomial endogenous switching regression method. The results demonstrate that compared with market transaction models, close vertical coordination has a significant positive effect on income enhancement and stabilization for forage farmers. Specifically, the production contract coordination model yields the highest income enhancement effect at 30.17%, while organizational coordination and production contract coordination models lead to income stabilization effects of 63.16% and 70.81%, respectively. The operational mechanisms vary among close vertical coordination models in terms of achieving income enhancement and stabilization. Organizational coordination largely relies on production efficiency and quality control, while sales contract coordination emphasizes quality control and transaction value, and production contract coordination encompasses production efficiency, quality control, and transaction value. These findings indicate that policy interventions should encourage wider participation in close vertical coordination models, thereby enhancing their income effects and increasing forage supply capacity.
Following international food safety incidents, the mechanisms for consumer stated preferences for origin-labeled foods remain complex. Using the discharge of treated radioactive wastewater as a contextual shock, this study examines how consumer ethnocentrism and risk reactions can explain Chinese consumers' preferences for origin-labeled aquatic foods (shrimp and ribbonfish). To address the measurement error and potential bias associated with generated regressors, we utilized an online discrete choice experiment and estimated Random Parameter Logit (RPL) and Integrated Choice and Latent Variable (ICLV) models. Results reveal a pronounced premium for domestic products. The main predictors are the affective component of consumer ethnocentrism and event-specific risk perceptions, whereas general risk preferences lack predictive power for origin-labeled preferences. Notably, perceived harm is associated with severe market rejection, as indicated by the Willingness-to-Pay for certain imported products dropping below zero. These findings inform the boundary conditions for origin-based preferences. To support market stability, we recommend that agribusiness and policymakers move beyond generic information campaigns toward segment- and product-specific risk communication, including clear origin-based safety labeling that addresses event-specific consumer anxieties.
Using survey and discrete choice experiment data, we examined US specialty crop growers' preferences for marketing contract attributes in the context of emerging blockchain-based technologies and expanding traceability initiatives. Results show that farmers preferred traditional written contracts but might be willing to accept digital blockchain-based smart contracts if offered a price premium. Producers without prior experience with cryptocurrencies required a substantial premium to accept digital currency as payment instead of cash, and even those with experience demanded a higher price. However, if the digital currency was a Central Bank Digital Currency backed by the US Federal Reserve, farmers indicated they would be more willing to accept it. Farmers with traceability systems were indifferent to traceability lot code requirements, whereas those without such systems would require additional compensation. Growers of certified-organic, sustainably grown, or naturally grown crops valued digital contracts and traceability requirements positively, likely because these tools help preserve product identity in differentiated supply chains. Farmers who typically receive fast payment required substantial compensation to accept delayed payment compared to those who already experience delays. As new contracting arrangements emerge, our findings provide insight into which contract attributes may encourage or discourage participation and can help inform the design of contracts that align with grower preferences while supporting technologies that may improve supply chain transparency and efficiency.
This paper examines how the attributes of Lycium-based skincare products influence U.S. consumers' choices and willingness to pay. Data was collected from a national online panel survey in 2022, with 428 participants responding to questions about their preferences for a Lycium-based cream. The survey included a choice experiment where U.S. consumers were presented with three hypothetical products that varied in price, production type, location, scent, and organic status. Consumers' product selections in these experiments were analyzed using mixed logit models. The results indicate that U.S. consumers have a strong preference for U.S. and organic Lycium-based creams. They are willing to pay $6.35 for U.S.-origin creams and $10.60 for organic creams. These findings offer valuable insights for U.S. producers considering growing Lycium trees in the country and skin products manufacturers [EconLit Citations: D12, Q13, Q18].
Secure land rights are critical for agricultural investment and productivity, yet in many developing countries, land use rights remain informal and fragmented, creating uncertainty and discouraging long-term agricultural planning. This paper examines the relationship between formal land ownership (tenure security) and both household agricultural productivity and the agricultural participation of rural youth in Ghana. Using data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey 7 (GLSS 7) and employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Instrumental Variable (IV) regression models with household- and village-level controls, we find that formal land ownership is not significantly associated with higher productivity. However, it increases the likelihood that rural youth choose agriculture as their main occupation. Youths in households with formal land titles are nearly twice as likely to engage in farming compared to those without. These findings suggest that transparency and affordability in land registration may encourage greater youth participation in agriculture in developing countries.
ABSTRACT More food products are carrying seemingly redundant labels, which are marketing claims or certifications that reiterate product attributes already conveyed. In this paper, we aim to answer two questions on redundant labels. First, do consumers view redundant labels as deceptive or informative? Second, how do redundant labels affect product and brand perceptions? Using an online experiment, we find that consumers viewed redundant labels as more informational than deceptive, though there was more skepticism toward a no hormones added label on chicken than a gluten‐free label on corn tortilla chips. Second, we find that redundant labels can affect product and brand evaluations, but the direction may depend on how consumers perceive the label.
The 2025 U.S. tariffs on Brazilian imports exemplify the resurgence of global protectionism and its ripple effects across interconnected agri‐food systems. This study analyzes Brazil′s agribusiness response to this geopolitical shock, revealing how trade barriers disrupted key exports, while accelerating diversification toward for new markets. Through a qualitative case study, the research reveals that differences in governance amplified smallholders′ vulnerabilities, whereas large firms leveraged multinational structures and innovations to adapt. The crisis underscores broader lessons on resilience in global trade, protectionist shocks, though disruptive, can foster adaptive capacity, institutional learning, and sustainability‐oriented reconfiguration in emerging economies.
As tariffs have declined globally through bilateral and regional trade agreements, food safety standards have emerged as significant determinants of agricultural trade flows. This study examines the impact of maximum residue limits (MRLs) for five pesticides-Azoxystrobin, Chlorpyrifos, Chlorantraniliprole, Clothianidin, and Cyhalothrin-on Vietnam's coffee and rice exports from 2002 to 2017. Employing a Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood (PPML) estimator on a sample of 194 potential trading partners, we address heteroskedasticity and zero-trade observations that bias traditional gravity estimates. MRL endogeneity is addressed via a control function IV-PPML approach; the endogeneity test confirms the baseline estimates are not materially biased. A probit-based margin decomposition further reveals that MRL barriers operate through distinct cost channels. For coffee, Azoxystrobin and Chlorpyrifos act as significant trade barriers operating exclusively through the intensive margin, with a 10% reduction in permissible limits reducing export values by approximately 12% and 17% respectively. For rice, Clothianidin and Cyhalothrin restrict trade through both the intensive and extensive margins, while Chlorpyrifos operates as a pure market-entry barrier. These heterogeneous findings reflect the domestic prevalence of specific chemicals, regulatory alignment between Vietnam and its principal importers, and differential enforcement capacity across destination markets, with distinct implications for targeted compliance investment.
This study examines why German farmers show limited adoption of commodity futures contracts despite substantial price volatility, applying Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to understand the cognitive processes driving participation decisions in futures markets. Survey data from 303 German farmers collected in 2024 were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The extended PMT framework incorporated Threat-Appraisal (Perceived Severity and Vulnerability), Coping-Appraisal (Response Efficacy, Costs, and Self-Efficacy), and Social Norms. Implementation barriers and Social Norms, rather than price risk perceptions, are primarily associated with adoption decisions. Social Norms showed the strongest correlation with adoption intentions, while Response Costs exhibited a negative correlation. Surprisingly, neither Perceived Severity nor Vulnerability of price risks is correlated with adoption intentions. Policy interventions should focus on reducing administrative burdens and leveraging peer networks rather than increasing risk awareness. Agricultural advisors should emphasize practical implementation support over general risk management education. The study demonstrates that protective financial behaviors follow different patterns than health or environmental domains, with response evaluation and social context outweighing threat perception. This research provides the first application of PMT to commodity futures adoption, offering a nuanced framework that distinguishes between risk perception components and implementation barriers previously conflated in agricultural adoption studies.
US fitness trends and rising interest in protein have underexplored economic implications. This study evaluates how consumers' fitness orientation relates to their allocation of meals across food outlets and to within-outlet preferences for protein sources. Prior studies document higher willingness-to-pay and reduced price sensitivity for protein among fitness-oriented consumers, but do not examine where these consumers source meals or which proteins they prefer. Addressing this gap is important for targeted strategies by food retailers and foodservice establishments seeking to respond to societal trends. We use prior-day meal reporting from a large consumer survey to estimate random parameters logit models of food outlet choice. The models allow outlet choice to vary across meal occasions and for protein sources to contribute different levels of utility to a meal. Split-sample estimation permits analysis of heterogeneity by consumers' fitness orientation, defined here as respondents who report intentionally consuming protein to aid fitness-related goals. Fitness-oriented consumers source fewer meals from physical retail outlets (e.g., grocery stores and supermarkets) and more from foodservice establishments (i.e., restaurants), especially at lunch and dinner, and have a 13.9 percentage point higher probability of skipping dinner than other consumers. Within outlets, fitness-oriented consumers exhibit selective protein preferences where whole cuts and simple preparations of beef and whole cuts of chicken rank highest, while pork often provides low or negative utility. These results can inform demand forecasts and targeted product positioning across meal occasions and outlet channels.
In the agricultural landscape of most developing countries, the last decade has witnessed the expansion of outsourced agricultural extension services. Private firms and nongovernmental organizations focused on delivering agricultural extension and advisory services to farmers have emerged. The Association for Resilience and Commitment to Food Security (ARESA) stands out as a key organization making a difference in Cameroon. In northern Cameroon, ARESA offers capacity-building training to soybean farmers and helps them access improved soybean seeds. To inform stakeholders about the effectiveness of such initiatives, this study evaluates the impact of the support services provided by ARESA on the technical efficiency and financial returns of soybean farms in the North region of Cameroon. We apply stochastic production frontier analysis, inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA), and propensity score matching (PSM) to data collected from 266 soybean farmers. Our results demonstrate that access to ARESA support services is associated with improvements in technical efficiency. We also observe a negative association between access to ARESA support services and both total production cost and total farm income. However, there are no significant associations between the support provided by ARESA and either net income or the profitability ratio. Our findings suggest that improvements in efficiency and cost reduction may not automatically translate into earnings for soybean farmers. The absence of significant improvements in farm income and profitability highlights the necessity to complement extension interventions with market-oriented policies.
Agricultural entrepreneurship is the driving force of endogenous rural economic development, which is conducive to rural revitalization and sustainable development in developing countries. Based on a quasi-experiment in policy intervention and China's county-level panel data from 2010 to 2022, this study empirically investigates the impact of digital village construction on agricultural entrepreneurship using the difference-in-differences model. The empirical results indicate that policy interventions in digital village construction have a significant impact on increasing agricultural entrepreneurship, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. Specifically, digital village construction affects agricultural entrepreneurship through the direct path of developing characteristic agriculture-referring to agricultural activities that leverage local distinctive resources, cultural heritage, or ecological conditions to produce unique and often branded products (commonly termed 'specialty agriculture' or 'specialized agriculture' in the international literature)-and modestly improving agricultural diversification as well as through the indirect path of improving regional innovation capacity, enhancing fiscal expenditure, and accelerating marketization. In addition, the heterogeneity analysis shows that the digital village construction effect on agricultural entrepreneurship is more pronounced in the major food-producing areas and in regions with well-established digital infrastructure. These findings provide implications for the policy optimization of the construction of digital villages and the development of county-specific agriculture. The endowment advantages of different types of regions should be combined, and the application of digital facilities should be strengthened to stimulate the vitality of agricultural entrepreneurship.
