Consumption of Food in the United States, 1909-52

This publication revises and brings to date the detailed information on per capita consumption of all major food commodities in continental United States, including the basic data on supplies and distribution from which the consumption estimates are derived. Sources and methods are described and evaluated; indexes of supply-utilization, production, and per capita civilian consumption are developed; the nutritive value of the food supply is estimated and appraised; and some supplementary information useful for the analysis of the consumption of and the demand for food is presented. In Consumption of Food in the United States, 1909-52, there is presented for the first time an "index of supply-utilization" of farm products having food use. This new index breaks down the combined utilization of such products, on a farm-value basis, both according to sources of supply and according to use and disposition

Multivariate Small Area Estimation of Multidimensional Latent Economic Well-being Indicators

© 2019 The Authors. International Statistical Review © 2019 International Statistical Institute Factor analysis models are used in data dimensionality reduction problems where the variability among observed variables can be described through a smaller number of unobserved latent variables. This approach is often used to estimate the multidimensionality of well-being. We employ factor analysis models and use multivariate empirical best linear unbiased predictor (EBLUP) under a unit-level small area estimation approach to predict a vector of means of factor scores representing well-being for small areas. We compare this approach with the standard approach whereby we use small area estimation (univariate and multivariate) to estimate a dashboard of EBLUPs of the means of the original variables and then averaged. Our simulation study shows that the use of factor scores provides estimates with lower variability than weighted and simple averages of standardised multivariate EBLUPs and univariate EBLUPs. Moreover, we find that when the correlation in the observed data is taken into account before small area estimates are computed, multivariate modelling does not provide large improvements in the precision of the estimates over the univariate modelling. We close with an application using the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions data

Institution Building and Variation in the Formation of the Australian Wool Market

The relocation of the wool market from London to the major Australian port cities from the late nineteenth century required the formation of an institution to govern the auction business, namely the wool brokers\u27 association. Regional variations, among Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, occurred in the structure and effectiveness of the institution despite each regional association having been formed around the same time, for the same purpose, and with an overlap of participating firms. We draw on institution theory to guide our account and find that the impact of legacy factors and differences in market conditions explain the regional variations

Spectral matching techniques (SMTs) and automated cropland classification algorithms (ACCAs) for mapping croplands of Australia using MODIS 250-m time-series (2000–2015) data

Mapping croplands, including fallow areas, are an important measure to determine the quantity of food that is produced, where they are produced, and when they are produced (e.g. seasonality). Furthermore, croplands are known as water guzzlers by consuming anywhere between 70% and 90% of all human water use globally. Given these facts and the increase in global population to nearly 10 billion by the year 2050, the need for routine, rapid, and automated cropland mapping year-after-year and/or season-after-season is of great importance. The overarching goal of this study was to generate standard and routine cropland products, year-after-year, over very large areas through the use of two novel methods: (a) quantitative spectral matching techniques (QSMTs) applied at continental level and (b) rule-based Automated Cropland Classification Algorithm (ACCA) with the ability to hind-cast, now-cast, and future-cast. Australia was chosen for the study given its extensive croplands, rich history of agriculture, and yet nonexistent routine yearly generated cropland products using multi-temporal remote sensing. This research produced three distinct cropland products using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250-m normalized difference vegetation index 16-day composite time-series data for 16 years: 2000 through 2015. The products consisted of: (1) cropland extent/areas versus cropland fallow areas, (2) irrigated versus rainfed croplands, and (3) cropping intensities: single, double, and continuous cropping. An accurate reference cropland product (RCP) for the year 2014 (RCP2014) produced using QSMT was used as a knowledge base to train and develop the ACCA algorithm that was then applied to the MODIS time-series data for the years 2000–2015. A comparison between the ACCA-derived cropland products (ACPs) for the year 2014 (ACP2014) versus RCP2014 provided an overall agreement of 89.4% (kappa = 0.814) with six classes: (a) producer’s accuracies varying between 72% and 90% and (b) user’s accuracies varying between 79% and 90%. ACPs for the individual years 2000–2013 and 2015 (ACP2000–ACP2013, ACP2015) showed very strong similarities with several other studies. The extent and vigor of the Australian croplands versus cropland fallows were accurately captured by the ACCA algorithm for the years 2000–2015, thus highlighting the value of the study in food security analysis. The ACCA algorithm and the cropland products are released through http://croplands.org/app/map and http://geography.wr.usgs.gov/science/croplands/algorithms/australia_250m.htm

Outlook for Farm Family Living in 1939

Excerpts from the report: In contrast with 1938 when the farm family income felt the effects of the general decline in business activity, 1939 gives promise of being a better year. Business and industrial pick-up, more men and women at work, and more money in circulation all indicate a larger consumption of the products of the farm with more money coming the farmer's way. Income both from the farm and from sources other than the farm, for families that have such income, should be somewhat higher in 1939 than the year before. Government payments in 1939, including price-adjustment payments to those who cooperate in the 1939 program, are expected to exceed those of 1938. Receipts from farm marketings are expected to increase while production expenses are expected to remain at approximately 1938 levels. The farm dollar should purchase about as much as in 1938, and on the whole indications are that there will be more farm dollars to spend. The economies and careful planning forced upon the farm family during 1938, together with favorable garden crops, have tended toward increased conservation of home products so that there should be a good reserve of food on hand during the early months of 1939 in many farm homes

Outlook for Farm Family Living in 1940

Excerpts from the report: The outlook for farm family living is inextricably bound to the outlook for living of families in cities. Prosperous days and better living for industrial workers mean greater demand for products from farms and thus help increase national income from agriculture. If the marked rise in industrial activity which occurred after the outbreak of war is maintained in 1940, incomes of farm as well as city families will be higher than in 1939. Business conditions that would help to bring about a rise in receipts from the marketing of farm products in 1940 would also tend to increase farm-production expenses; but expenses would rise less, relative to the 1939 level, than would gross receipts. Net returns from farming, therefore, bid fair to be higher in 1940 than in 1939. Income from Government payments probably will be about the same in 1940 as in the year before. The value of nonmoney income from the farm, such as the family's food, fuel, and housing, may be somewhat higher in money terms than in 1939 if prices of farm products advance. Nonfarm earnings of family members will increase if industry provides greater opportunities for employment off the farm. Many factors, therefore, point toward somewhat higher total net family incomes, money and nonmoney, farm and nonfarm, in 1940 than during the current year. A material improvement in returns from agriculture will lessen the number of low-income families but will not eliminate all the disadvantaged groups. There still will be need for help from relief organizations, for distribution of surplus-food supplies to the needy, and for programs of rural rehabilitation

Agricultural Outlook Charts: Farm Family Living, 1938

Charts on: Income Available to Farm Families – Prices Paid for Goods Purchased for Farm Family Living – Consumption of Farm Families

Farm Family Living Outlook for 1938

Excerpts from the report: In farm-family records for the country as a whole, 1937 goes down as a "good year." Net farm money income available for living expenses and for getting ahead financially has been greater than in any year since 1929. By the end of December total receipts from marketings of farm products and from Government payments for 1937 are expected to be 14 percent higher than in 1936. All parts of the country have shared in this income increase. The South Central States were perhaps the most fortunate; the West North Central the least. The outlook for 1938 is for a rather less prosperous year for the farmer than was 1937. Total income from farm marketings may decrease somewhat since lower prices for farm products are expected. Production expenses for 1938 may rise slightly. Consequently, the net amount remaining after production expenses have been deducted from receipts from marketings probably will be smaller than in 1937. Income from Government payments in 1938 is expected to be somewhat above that of 1937; but this increase is not likely to offset the decline in net receipts from marketings. Hence, in 1938 farm money income may tend to be lower than in 1937