Poisonous plants are a major cause of economic loss to the livestock industry. Each year these plants adversely affect 3 to 5 percent of the cattle, sheep, and horses that graze western ranges. These losses result from death of livestock, abortions, photosensitization, decreased production, emaciation, and birth defects. In addition to these losses are those of increased management costs associated with such things as fencing, altered grazing programs, and loss of forage. This bulletin describes more than 30 of the principal poisonous plants growing on western ranges and the signs of poisoning in livestock. Suggestions are included for the prevention of livestock poisoning by plants.
This report presents comprehensive information on family and nonfamily farms and important trends in farming, operator household income, farm performance, and contracting. Most farms are family farms. Even the largest farms tend to be family farms. Small family farms account for most of the farms in the U.S. but produce a modest share of farm output. Average farm household income has been at or above the average for all U.S. households in recent years, with farm households receiving most of their income from off-farm sources.
The Nutrition and Health Characteristics of Low-Income Populations study examined longrun average, or usual intakes of 10 key nutrients and dietary components: energy intake, vitamin C, iron, zinc, calcium, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber. Results were estimated for participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Food Stamp Program (FSP) participants, school-age children, and older adults. Because the recommendations for nutrient intake have been under revision, intake distributions are useful for estimating the prevalence of adequate intake under different standards. The study provides a baseline from which to monitor the nutrition and health characteristics of each group over time and to identify priorities for further research.
The Nutrition and Health Characteristics of Low-Income Populations study examined several measures of body weight status for children and adults using 1988-94 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. The measures provide a baseline to monitor the weight status of Americans, focusing on the low-income population.
The Nutrition and Health Characteristics of Low-Income Populations study examined several eating behaviors for children and adults using 1988-94 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III) data. The measures provide a baseline to monitor eating behaviors of Americans, focusing on the low-income population.
Although consumer diets are being upgraded globally, food purchase patterns vary across countries based on income levels. Developing countries are registering rapid increases in retail sales of high-value foods, while developed countries are seeing a rise in sales of products that meet consumer demands for variety, food safety, and quality. To meet these increasingly varied needs, multinational food retailers and manufacturers are expanding their presence in developing countries, and food retailers and suppliers are adding value and differentiating their products in developed countries. The ongoing changes are driving food supply chains to adopt closer coordination between producers and retailers to facilitate customizing products to meet consumer demands. Even as the food industry is becoming more global, food markets are increasingly responding to consumer preferences at a local level and catering to specific demands in each market. Contents: Chapter 1: Factors shaping global food markets, by Mark Gehlhar and Anita Regmi; Chapter 2: Demand for quality drives changes in food supply chains, by Robert P. King and Luciano Venturini; Chapter 3: Retail sector responses to changing consumer preferences: the European experience, by Jean-Marie Codron, Klaus Grunert, Eric Giraud-Heraud, Louis-Georges Soler, and Anita Regmi; Chapter 4: Supermarket expansion in Latin America and Asia: implications for food marketing systems, by Thomas Reardon, C. Peter Timmer, and Julio A. Berdegue; Chapter 5: Global food manufacturing reorients to meet new demands, by Chris Bolling and Mark Gehlhar
The Nutrition and Health Characteristics of Low-Income Populations study examined several eating behaviors for children and adults using 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III) data. This summary focuses on the nutritional biochemistry blood tests and bone density measures that showed differences between income groups. The measures provide a baseline to monitor eating behaviors of Americans, focusing on the low-income population.
safety issues have been linked to meat and poultry products (e.g., mad cow disease and Salmonella). Some countries have voiced concerns over the use of antibiotics in animal production, partly due to limited scientific understanding about the human health implications. How have food safety hazards affected international trade and how are public and private sectors responding to minimize or prevent adverse impacts from these hazards?
For good health, USDA urges American consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables-5 to 9 servings per day-and to choose a healthier, more varied mix of these foods. The variety of produce available to Americans has blossomed in recent years, but are consumers responding? The first step in determining this is to ask who eats what, where, and how much. Since 2000, ERS has been analyzing data from national USDA food consumption surveys, and we are ready to share some highlights.
Nutritionists recommend a variety of vegetables, including regular servings of deep-yellow and dark-green vegetables prepared with limited amounts of fats and sugars. In contrast, the most popular vegetable choice of most Americans is fried potatoes.
The U.S. sheep industry has changed greatly since the end of World War II. Both sheep meat and wool production have seen rapid declines. So, too, have revenues and the number of sheep operations. The wool industry has suffered from increased use of synthetic fivers, which were found to be less expensive than wool and, when blended with natural fibers, more attractive to consumers. Historically, lamb meat was a byproduct of the wool industry, but wool's decline has changed that. Lamb meat production became the emphasis of the sheep industry, but lamb prices have been unable to support a recovery in the sheep industry. U.S. lamb production continues to decline, but with lamb meat imports filling in, expansion and diversification of demand for this meat offers hope for recovery of the U.S. sheep industry.
Many Americans do not consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Almost half of Americans think eating more fruits and vegetables would make their diets healthier, so why don't they? One argument is that fruits and vegetables are expensive, especially when purchased fresh. According to an ERS study, a consumer can meet the recommendation of three servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables daily for 64 cents.
Farmer bankruptcies, bankruptcy rates, and related issues are explored from the beginning of modern bankruptcy legislation over a century ago. Farmer bankruptcies historically have been controversial because they are thought to indicate changes in the economic well-being and structure of the rural economy. Concerns about farmer bankruptcies were heightened twice during the past century. The first was from 1920 through the Great Depression and the second was during the 1980s. Bankruptcy data for Chapters 7, 11, and 13 exist for farmers for the 1899-1980 period, but there are no Chapter 7, 11, or 13 farmer bankruptcy data available beginning in 1980. However, data are available for the 1986-2002 period for Chapter 12, the Family Farmer Bankruptcy Act of 1986, that became effective on November 26, 1986, in response to the farm financial crisis of the 1980s. Some 22,519 Chapter 12 cases were filed through 2002, with the highest rate being in 1987. Farmer bankruptcy filing rates trended down after the late 1980s because of improved economic conditions and institutional changes.
Health researchers and health policy advocates have proposed levying excise taxes on snack foods as a possible way to address the growing prevalence of obesity and overweight in the United States. Some proposals suggest higher prices alone will change consumers' diets. Others claim that change will be possible if earmarked taxes are used to fund an information program. This research examines the potential impact of excise taxes on snack foods, using baseline data from a household survey of food purchases. To illustrate likely impacts, we examine how much salty snack purchases might be reduced under varying excise tax rates and possible consumer price responses. We find that relatively low tax rates of 1 cent per pound and 1 percent of value would not appreciably alter consumption - and, thus, would have little effect on diet quality or health outcomes - but would generate $40-$100 million in tax revenues.
Rising income, higher educational attainment, improved diet and health knowledge, more frequent eating out, and a growing population that will become older and more diverse in race and ethnicity are all shaping U.S. agricultural consumption. These effects are analyzed using data from the 1994-96 and 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. We then project the consumption of 25 food groups and 22 commodity groups, including various fruit and vegetable groups, to 2020.
National data on the diets of U.S. children and adolescents indicate they are consuming more fat and saturated fat than recommended while their intakes of fruits and vegetables fall well below recommended levels.
The USDA encourages people to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables through the Food Guide Pyramid and participation in the National 5-A-Day Partnership. A varied diet helps ensure a complete mix of nutrients, and a lack of variety in vegetable consumption has been further linked to the incidence of obesity (e.g., McCrory et al.). To assist these efforts, the USDA's Economic Research Service has investigated the factors that influence the purchase of vegetables, and identified obstacles to variety.
