DEMAND FOR CROP INSURANCE BY ORGANIC CORN AND SOYBEAN FARMERS IN THREE MAJOR PRODUCING STATES

A survey of organic grain and oilseed producers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin was conducted to collect information about their demographic characteristics, production and price risk management strategies, yields and losses, and crop insurance decisions. The data are analyzed using a discrete choice model to establish which variables influence organic producers’ decision of whether to purchase crop insurance and also which ones affect the insurance product choice when applicable. The study describes the risk profiles of organic producers, and analyzes whether significant variations exist between organic and conventional methods of production so as to quantitatively determine the differential production risk associated with organic production. This research may contribute to the design of an organic crop insurance policy in which organic producers would be charged according to their idiosyncratic production risks, rather than the arbitrary 5% blanket premium surcharge currently in use.crop insurance, organic farming, organic production, Agricultural and Food Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, Q18,

Demand for Crop Insurance by Organic Corn and Soybean Farmers in Three Major Producing States

  A survey of organic grain and oilseed producers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin was conducted to collect information about their demographic characteristics, production and price risk management strategies, yields and losses, and crop insurance decisions. The data are analyzed using a discrete choice model to establish which variables influence organic producers’ decision of whether to purchase crop insurance and also which ones affect the insurance product choice when applicable. The study describes the risk profiles of organic producers, and analyzes whether significant variations exist between organic and conventional methods of production so as to quantitatively determine the differential production risk associated with organic production. This research may contribute to the design of an organic crop insurance policy in which organic producers would be charged according to their idiosyncratic production risks, rather than the arbitrary 5% blanket premium surcharge currently in use.  

Option Pricing on Renewable Commodity Markets

Options markets on agricultural commodities with maturities that exceed 13 months seldom trade. Our hypothesis is that this market failure is due to the absence of an accurate option pricing model for commodities where mean reversion can be expected. Standard option pricing models assume proportionality between price variance and time to maturity. This proportionality is not a valid assumption for commodities where supply response works to bring prices back to production costs. The model suggests that traditional option pricing models will overprice long-term options on these markets.commodity futures and option, price mean reverting, seasonality, Agricultural Finance, Financial Economics,

Economic Perspectives on GMO Market Segregation

None

Price Mean Reversion, Seasonality, and Options Markets

Options on agricultural commodities with maturities exceeding one year seldom trade. One possible reason to explain this lack of trading is that we do not have an accurate option pricing model for products where mean reversion in spot-price levels can be expected. Standard option pricing models assume proportionality between price variance and time to maturity. This proportionality is not a valid assumption for commodities whose supply response brings prices back to production costs. The model proposed here incorporates mean reversion in spot-price levels and includes a correction for seasonality. Mean reversion and seasonality are both observed in the soybean market. The empirical analysis lends strong support to the model

The Long-Term Structure of Commodity Futures

Futures markets on agricultural commodities typically trade with maximum maturity dates of less than four years. If these markets did trade with maturities eight or ten years distant, futures prices would have value as price forecasts and as a way to structure long-term swaps and insurance contracts. Agricultural commodity markets generally exhibit mean reversion in spot prices and convenience yields. Spot markets also exhibit seasonality. This study develops and implements a procedure to generate long-term futures curves from existing futures prices. Data on lean hogs and soybeans are used to show that the method provides plausible results

Risk factors for cancer of the oral cavity and oro-pharynx in Cuba

In terms of worldwide levels, Cuba has an intermediate incidence of cancer of the oral cavity and oro-pharynx. We studied 200 cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, of whom 57 women (median age = 64) and 200 hospital controls, frequency matched with cases by age and sex, in relation to smoking and drinking history, intake of 25 foods or food groups, indicators of oral hygiene and sexual activity, and history of sexually transmitted diseases. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained from unconditional multiple logistic regressions and adjusted for age, sex, area of residence, education, and smoking and drinking habits. In the multivariate model, high educational level and white-collar occupation, but not white race, were associated with halving of oral cancer risk. Smoking ≥30 cigarettes per day showed an OR of 20.8 (95% CI: 8.9–48.3), similar to smoking ≥4 cigars daily (OR = 20.5). Drinking ≥ 70 alcoholic drinks per week showed an OR of 5.7 (95% CI: 1.8–18.5). Hard liquors were by far the largest source of alcohol. Increased risk was associated with the highest tertile of intake for maize (OR = 1.9), meat (OR = 2.2) and ham and salami (OR = 2.0), whereas high fruit intake was associated with significantly decreased risk (OR = 0.4). Among indicators of dental care, number of missing teeth and poor general oral condition at oral inspection showed ORs of 2.7 and 2.6, respectively. Number of sexual partners, marriages or contacts with prostitutes, practice of oral sex and history of various sexually transmitted diseases, including genital warts, were not associated with oral cancer risk. 82% of oral cancer cases in Cuba were attributable to tobacco smoking, 19% to smoking cigars or pipe only. The fractions attributable to alcohol drinking (7%) and low fruit intake (11%) were more modest. Thus, decreases in cigarette and cigar smoking are at present the key to oral cancer prevention in Cuba. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Checklist of the vascular plants of the Cantabrian Mountains

We present the first standardized list of the vascular flora of the Cantabrian Mountains, a transitional zone between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean biogeographic regions in northwestern Spain. The study area comprises 15000 km2 divided in UTM grid cells of 10 km x 10 km, for which we revised occurrence data reported in the Spanish Plant Information System (Anthos) and the online database of Iberian and Macaronesian Vegetation (SIVIM). We used a semi-automatic procedure to standardize taxonomic concepts into a single list of names, which was further updated by expert-based revision with the support of national and regional literature. In the current version, the checklist of the Cantabrian Mountains contains 2338 native species and subspecies, from which 56 are endemic to the study area. The nomenclature of the checklist follows Euro+Med in 97% of taxa, including annotations when other criteria has been used and for taxa with uncertain status. We also provide a list of 492 non-native taxa that were erroneously reported in the study area, a list of local apomictic taxa, a phylogenetic tree linked to The Plant List, a standardized calculation of Ellenberg Ecological Indicator Values for 80% of the flora, and information about life forms, IUCN threat categories and legal protection status. Our review demonstrates how the Cantabrian mountains represent a key floristic region in southern Europe and a relevant phytogeographical hub in south-western Europe. The checklist and all related information are freely accessible in a digital repository for further uses in basic and applied researchThis research was supported by the Jardín Botánico Atlántico de Gijón (SV-20-GIJON-JBA) and SEEDALP project (Spanish Reearch Agency; PID2019-108636GA/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)Peer reviewe