SOCIAL CAPITAL, TAX MODIFICATIONS, AND RURAL ECONOMIC PROGRESS: DISCUSSION

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

ANALYZING ESTABLISHMENT GROWTH WITHIN NEW YORK FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES FROM 1987 THROUGH 1995

Agribusiness,

AGRICULTURAL, FOOD AND HUMAN RESOURCE POLICIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR RURAL AFRICAN-AMERICANS

Agricultural and Food Policy,

ECONOMIC FORCES INFLUENCING VALUE-ADDED FOOD INDUSTRIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOUTHERN AGRICULTURE

Agribusiness,

STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN U.S. AGRICULTURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALL FARMS

A descriptive analysis and a survey of literature were used in this assessment of the transformation of the structure of production agriculture. The changes in production agriculture have important implications for resource use, population distribution in rural communities, and the survival of small farms. The shifting structural change in production agriculture as a response to economic and technological adjustments is not a temporary phenomenon. The economic and natural base of agriculture will change toward greater capital intensity and concentration of ownership, and will raise public policy questions in relation to the survival of a large farm population.Small farms, Structural changes, Production agriculture, Farm Management,

THE ORGANIC LABEL: HOW TO RECONCILE ITS MEANING WITH CONSUMER PREFERENCES

The USDA's National Organic Program (NOP), with its unified definition and labeling requirements, holds great promise for increasing commerce in and decreasing transaction costs associated with purchasing organic food. However, the label and its meaning must both be well understood and reflect the traits consumers want if this promise is to be realized. This paper reports the results of a survey and experimental auction on consumers' preferences for organic standards. On one hand, the USDA NOP's Final Rule broadly conforms to consumer preferences regarding what practices should or should not be permitted in organic production and processing. Consumers support a strict definition of organic in general, opposing the use of a variety of practices historically banned by organic certifiers. For example, both the survey and auction methods found that consumers support the banning of Genetically Modified Organisms in organic food and are willing to pay a premium to avoid them. Consumers are also in accord with the Final Rule's exclusion of irradiation, biosolids, growth regulators, etc. On the other hand, the survey and auction results reveal a lack of understanding of the label's meaning as well as a disconnect between the label's function (detailing acceptable production practices) and consumers' stated motivations for buying organic (e.g., support for a local sustainable food system). Implications of these findings for decision makers in policy and industry are discussed. Of particular focus will be the role of these agents in promoting products that allow consumers to purchase items that reflect and support these values.Consumer/Household Economics,

CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR ORGANIC STANDARDS: GUIDING DEMAND-EXPANSION STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIC FOOD

Consumer/Household Economics,

Smallholders' Cost Efficiency in Mozambique: Implications for Improved Maize Seed Adoption

Maize is an important staple in Mozambique. It is also a dominant crop produced by smallholder farmers. However, the actual maize yields, currently estimated at 1.4 tons/ha, fall short of potential yields of 5-6.5 tons/ha. With population growth rate increasingly exceeding agricultural (and maize) productivity growth rate, the government of Mozambique faces a serious problem of food insecurity and poverty alleviation. This study examines cost inefficiency among smallholder maize farmers in Mozambique, and the impact of improved maize seed adoption on cost efficiency. A Translog functional form is used to estimate the frontier cost function. A cost-inefficiency function is used to examine the factors that determine cost inefficiency among farmers. Econometric techniques to control for self-selection bias resulting from endogeneity of the adoption variable are used.stochastic frontier, technology adoption, selection bias, Mozambique, Crop Production/Industries, Q12, Q16, D13, O33,

Smallholders’ Cost Efficiency in Mozambique: Implications for Improved Maize Seed Adoption

The objectives of this paper are to estimate cost efficiency and investigate factors influencing the cost efficiency of maize-growing smallholders in Mozambique. The data used in this study came from a national random sample of 4,908 smallholder farmers conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2002. Stochastic cost frontier and self-selection bias methods are used. The results indicate that twelve out of twenty factors are significantly found to be the determining factors influencing the cost efficiency. To enhance the cost efficiency of producing maize, policy makers should put more emphasis on improving rural infrastructures, providing better education, and providing access to credit.Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management,

The Current State of Agribusiness Education and Training in Africa

To spur rural development and food security, agricultural education and training in Africa has traditionally focused on increasing agricultural productivity on the farm. More recently, development practitioners and policy makers have broadened their attention to include agribusiness or agro-industries. However, the role of Agricultural Education and Training in fostering agribusiness growth in developing countries is relatively underexplored. This paper analyses the current state of agribusiness education and training in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper is organised around five objectives. First, the paper characterises the macroeconomic environment—political, economic, social and technological—in which agribusiness development is taking place in Africa. Against this background, the implications for Agricultural Education and Training of a growing and evolving agribusiness sector are explored. With a focus on agricultural economics departments, the paper assesses the current status of agribusiness education and training offered in African academic institutions. While significant progress has been made in integrating agribusiness management into university curricula, the current offerings are far from comprehensive. Using a case study approach, new models of executive training for agribusiness being offered by non-governmental organisations, academic institutions and the private sector are benchmarked. The paper concludes by recommending strategies for developing agribusiness education and training initiatives so as to bridge the gap between current offering and industry needs.Capacity Building, Agribusiness, Agro-industries, Executive Training, Education, Agribusiness, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,