Food waste is a problem throughout the supply chain and across the globe that is increasingly capturing the attention of policymakers. Gustavsson et al. (2011) estimated that one-third of the food produced for consumption globally is lost or wasted. Within the U.S., Buzby et al. (2014) estimated that 31% of food available at the retail […]
Archive | Consumer
The Volkswagen Scandal: A Case of Vanishing Utility
The 2015 Volkswagen emissions measurement scandal has so far caused the resignation of VW’s CEO, a long list of lawsuits and the creation of an $18 billion damages fund, placing it in the dubious company of FIFA, Takata airbags, and Turing Pharmaceuticals as one of the most-maligned corporations of 2015. When news broke last fall […]
Some Strings Attached: Cash Transfers and Brazil’s Continued Response to Poverty
For Brazil’s poor, systemic poverty, inequity, and corruption shape the landscape of the country. Even the picturesque beaches of Rio de Janeiro offer high-rise luxury apartments that sit neatly across from dilapidated slums in an ironic homage to a country holding some of the highest rates of economic inequality in the world. The fight to […]
The Potential Implications of the False Belief that SNAP Participants are more likely to be Obese than Eligible Non-Participants
Hunger and its accordant consequences were serious problems in the United States 50 years ago. In response, the U.S. government established the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, then known as the Food Stamp Program). Fifty years later, more than one in seven Americans received benefits at a cost of over $75 billion. (See Bartfeld et […]
Economics Behind a 5,000 Percent Price hike
Conventional pharmaceutical companies have a specific business strategy. They usually stay unprofitable for decades until their drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to enter the market. Then they start to raise their drug price gradually at a rate above inflation every year. For instance, according to Deutsche Bank, Merck and Pfizer raised […]
Questioning the Final RFS Rule, Part 3: Reasonableness of the Interpretation
Today’s article completes the discussion of EPA’s final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Parts one and two in this series provided background on the RFS, a general review of the final rule and questioned EPA’s definition of the word ‘supply.’ This article delves into whether EPA’s interpretation in general can be considered reasonable […]
Holiday Spirits: Notes from the Bourbon Trail
Good fortune recently provided me a brief, pre-holiday detour on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail with my dad and brothers. The amber of the value-added agricultural products and the informative tours included a few interesting bits of farm policy and history – starting with the fact that our visit (unintentionally) coincided with the 82nd anniversary of the […]
Can peers help improve crop revenues in villages in India?
By Tisorn Songsermsawas, Kathy Baylis and Hope Michelson on December 7, 2015 in Agriculture, Consumer, Economics, International
Why do some farmers earn more than others? Scholars have worked to explain the large observed differences in economic outcomes across firms, households, and industries. In developing countries, where small farmers often face limited access to agricultural markets, their agricultural revenues can vary dramatically within the same region, even after accounting for differences in capital […]
Does Food Cost More in Food Deserts?
Recent research has found that in the United States, limited access to healthy food is associated with a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, and a higher probability of obesity and other dietary related health problems. Areas with limited food access and low average incomes are often referred to as food deserts. Several federal, state, […]
What is Driving the Decline in Ethanol Prices?
After briefly rallying in November 2014, the price of ethanol continued to fall through the beginning of 2015. With the collapse of oil prices continuing to dominate the news, it is tempting to assume that the decline in ethanol prices is being driven by the bearish news coming out of the crude oil market. However, […]