INVOLVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS IN GRADUATE AGRIBUSINESS PROGRAMS: AN UNCOMFORTABLE LINKAGE

Departments of agricultural economics face a changing environment. Some argue for the adoption of the Master of Agribusiness degree. I argue that agribusiness in not well differentiated from agricultural economics and that the forte of agricultural economics departments is teaching applied economics, not teaching management. Furthermore, in today's dynamic, open economy, a good understanding of economics is more valuable than ever before. Rather than leave our area of strength, we should look to improve our current degree programs given today's business needs.Agribusiness, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

CAPACITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE SERVICES

Public Economics,

A MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Entrepreneurial Supply Chains and Strategic Collaboration: The Case of Bagòss Cheese in Bagolino, Italy

Many small towns and communities are struggling to sustain their competitiveness in the face of increasing globalization. Yet, through entrepreneurial supply chains, some communities are organizing themselves to forge local solutions to their global challenges. The essence of entrepreneurial supply chains is its ability to facilitate alignment of all participants in the chain, eliminating moral hazard and opportunism risks. It is argued that this governance system and an ability to protect the common assets from infringement by outsiders are necessary for the success of these solutions. The research uses Bagòss cheese, produced in the small Italian village of Bagolino, to illustrate the characteristics of entrepreneurial supply chains and test the effect of the identified necessary conditions for their successful implementation.entrepreneurial supply chain, Bagòss cheese, globalization, International Development, International Relations/Trade, Q10, Q17,

European Preferences for Beef Steak Attributes

A choice experiment is used to evaluate how consumers in London, Frankfurt, and Paris value beef steaks with attributes such as: "hormone-free," "GM-free," farm-specific source verification, and domestic origin. The effect of various consumer characteristics on steak selection is also evaluated. Results suggest that European consumers are significantly heterogeneous in their preferences for beef steak attributes. French and German consumers have a higher willingness to pay to avoid genetically modified feed use than British consumers, while German and British consumers would pay more for growth hormone-free beef. French and German consumers are willing to pay for farm-specific source verification.beef, choice experiment, country of origin, genetically modified, hormones, preference heterogeneity, random parameters, source verification, Consumer/Household Economics,

INVOLVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS IN GRADUATE AGRIBUSINESS PROGRAMS: AN UNCOMFORTABLE LINKAGE

Departments of agricultural economics face a changing environment. Some argue for the adoption of the Master of Agribusiness degree. I argue that agribusiness in not well differentiated from agricultural economics and that the forte of agricultural economics departments is teaching applied economics, not teaching management. Furthermore, in today's dynamic, open economy, a good understanding of economics is more valuable than ever before. Rather than leave our area of strength, we should look to improve our current degree programs given today's business needs

GRAIN PRODUCERS' ATTITUDES TO NEW FORMS OF SUPPLY CHAIN COORDINATION

This paper reports the analysis of two groups of wheat producers: American White Wheat Producers Association members who produce white wheat under contract with the cooperative and those who have chosen not to do so. The results show the diversity of producers' attitudes, preferences, knowledge and decision making. Nonmembers tend to rely more on short-term profitability and are less willing to risk innovation for unproven profits. Nonmembers also are less supportive of contract production and less inclined to use a young cooperative in that situation. This study demonstrates that the development of a new coordination mechanism entails much education of participants and that producer involvement also depends on learning on the part of everyone in the supply chain