United States – European Union Agricultural Trade Flows

Population growth and general economic performance drives global demand for food and agricultural products, which lays the foundation for trade and U.S. exports (ERS a). Through the effects on employment, purchasing power and income, agricultural exports play a significant role in both the farm and nonfarm economy (Edmonson). In 2006, each export farm dollar earned generated an additional $1.65 in business activity in 2006 (Edmondson). As a result, the$71.0 billion earned in agricultural exports stimulated an additional $117.2 billion in general economic activity in 2006 (Edmondson). Over the past five years, values of agricultural exports from the U.S. have been on the rise hitting record levels (Brooks). Increased demand in Canada and Mexico are primarily responsible for the renewed growth within agricultural exports (Brooks). Figure 1-1 shows all major agricultural products being exported from the U.S. over the past five years. The largest area of agricultural exports from the U.S. has consistently been cereal products. These types of products include major cereals such as barley, millet, and oat, as well as pseudo cereals that include buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa (Seibel). These products currently compose 23% of total U.S. agricultural exports and have traditionally been the largest export product(ERS a).Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Industrial Organization,

Response to Out of Stock Produce and its Underlying Economic Considerations

The goal of this research is to investigate consumer response to out-of-stock product in the produce category. We do this by comparing results from a survey conducted in Greece and the United States to previous research on consumer response to out-of-stock situations for other perishable and non-perishable products. We further examined the underlying economic reasoning as well as the cultural and physical differences between the United States and Greece as explanations of different reactions. Out of Stock produce response proved different in produce than in other perishables and non-perishables. There is some evidence that produce does follow previous the suggested economic reasoning from the previous research, especially within transaction costs. Finally, the respondent’s country proved very significant in dictating response.Out-of-stock, grocery, perishables, opportunity cost, transaction costs, Agribusiness,

Victor Melgar's Coffee Farm

This case study focuses on a coffee farmer in Guatemala who, given current low coffee prices, is worried about his ability to maintain the family tradition of coffee production. He wonders whether the current low prices are just another of the periodic downturns in the volatile coffee market or whether the market is experiencing structural changes that will have long-term implications. In this case, the farmer is presented with three alternatives, including continuing to produce and market commodity coffee. The other alternatives involve changes in production and/or marketing practices intended to increase profit margins.Crop Production/Industries,

Analysis of the U.S.-Mexico Sugar Trade - 10 Years of NAFTA Regime and 10 Years from Now

The U.S.- Mexico sugar trade was examined, paying a close attention to the provisions of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the circumstances surrounding the industries of the two countries. Quantitative analyses provided the outlook of the future sugar market and shed light on the political implications.International Relations/Trade,

EVALUATING FACTORS INFLUENCING GROCERY STORE CHOICE

This paper analyzes consumer preferences toward grocery store choices given a set of attributes of stores. This information will then be used to make inferences on how the opening of a Wal-Mart supercenter would affect the other grocery stores in a small city.Consumer/Household Economics, Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Creating a Vision for XYZ Research Corporation: A Case Study

A strategic analysis was developed for XYZ Research Corporation (the true company's name is disguised). The strategic analysis involved a series of visits to the company to conduct focus groups with its employees and management. Five focus groups were carried out at XYZ Research Corporation. This method proved to be effective and valuable when aiming to gather detailed information on the specifics of a firm's operation. Information and insights on the company and its business that would not become evident through any kind of meticulous financial or economic analysis of the company's and industry's numbers - which in fact were unavailable or scarce - was efficiently obtained by personal communication from the employees in the interviews. The focus group and interview method is recommended as a valid alternative to gathering detailed data and information when facing limited availability of reliable quantitative economic data on sales, size, and other information on the industry. The amount and quality of person-to-person information gathered in the interviews made the questionnaire a more powerful tool versus the alternative of simply mailing it. In the process of developing a strategic plan for XYZ, data and information used to write an undergraduate level teaching case study was gathered. The focus group method allowed for digging out intricate functional relationships within the company and between the company and the industry, which allowed for writing a more complete and educationally interesting case study.Focus Groups, Strategic Analysis, Food Safety, Outsourcing, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, A22, C99, L21, M10,

Are Beverage Categories Separable?

Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Industry-Academic Partnerships The View from the Corner Office

Industry-academic partnerships are described and discussed from the perspective of industry. Eight types of partnerships are discussed, including internships, mentoring, site visits, faculty-directed research, student research, consulting, in-class visits, and industry advisory boards. The benefits, problems, costs, motivation to participate, and advice for managing industry-academic partnerships are presented.industry partnerships, industry collaboration, internship, mentor, field trip, consulting, advisory board, Industrial Organization, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Q10, Q16,

Assessment in a University Counseling Center: A Case Example

University Counseling Center staff are currently facing pressure to measure the value of their centers, in part due to shrinking institutional budgets and a push towards assessment and accountability. Scrutiny from university stakeholders provides an opportunity to document the efficacy of counseling center services and make improvements. Thus, University Counseling Center staff performed a two-pronged assessment investigating students’ perception of, and experience with, University Counseling Center services. This article reviews assessment methods and results, as well as how data gathered was used to improve services and to quantify the University Counseling Center

CAROLINA GOLDEN PRODUCTS

This case study focuses on an investment decision made in a poultry processing firm which is faced with increased sales targets but is constrained by dependence on other companies for storage and distribution. The decision to construct a distribution center is analyzed in this study. Instructors can use this case to teach agribusiness finance. As with other case studies, many issues can be explored, such as market channels, the importance of assumptions, and structure of the poultry industry.Agribusiness,