Given the structure and functioning of agricultural markets and the policies and institutional space, smallholder farmers in India often face the risks of strategic failures, which force them to either opt for distress selling, operate as fringe retailers or participate in the existing supply or value chains on given conditions. In this perspective, this paper examines if smallholder farmers' collectives

This article investigates how measurement ability, trust, and the pursuit of differentiation strategies influence the adoption of plural forms in an agri-food system. We analyze a unique dataset of 314 winegrape sourcing choices from 74 wineries located in five U.S. states, investigating how the pursuit of differentiation influences the likelihood of adoption of a plural form—that is, the simultaneous

Food waste, or loss, at the wholesale and retail levels accounts for some 40% of the total amount of supply-chain waste. While zero waste is never optimal, there are managerial variables that contribute to the level of loss. In this paper, we use data from a large beverage distributor to estimate the most important causes of loss, and investigate which can be controlled in an economically-viable way

Increasing the production of organic food is becoming an important environmental target for many governments, and consumer demand for organic food is pivotal in reaching these targets. This paper studies consumer demand for organic and conventional milk, using weekly scanner data from the Swedish retail market for the years 2011–2017. Own- and cross-price elasticities of demand are estimated using

Immigration enforcement policies, such as E-Verify, have a negative effect on the US supply of farm labor. A growing literature finds that agricultural producers in the United States are facing a shrinking labor supply, while only a few studies examine how agricultural producers are adjusting to having less labor. This study examines how a shrinking labor force affects agricultural production decisions

There are few empirical explanations for consumer preferences for payoff distributions across the agri-food value chain in terms of psychographic characteristics. In the context of product origin, we contribute to the literature with an incentivized experiment to estimate preferences for payoff distributions among Missouri beef consumers, Missouri beef producers, and non-Missouri beef producers on

Though choice overload has been extensively studied in packaged products, fewer studies have explored these phenomena in minimally packaged agribusiness products such as potted plants. This matters as these products are heterogeneous not only across product categories but also within the same plant genus, changing the baseline cognitive load for consumer decision-making. This study uses eye-tracking

Price transmission between futures and spot prices is a relevant issue, dealing with derivatives exchange for price management practices and efficient price discovery. Indeed, due to the increased market orientation of the Common Agricultural Policy, the development of new market strategies is of utmost importance for European farmers. In this context, this study examines the degree of transmission

Longer time-to-completion (TTC) increases transaction costs, delays deal benefits, and reduces the probability of meeting transaction objectives in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions. This paper conceptualizes the determinants of TTC and estimates their effects in the food and agribusiness industry (FABI) due to the critical importance of TTC to M&A success and the dearth of existing studies

In the past decade, corporate firms have globally increasingly adopted corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices; however, so far less is known about how productivity change in the presence of socially responsible and undesirable output can be evaluated. This paper develops a framework that integrates CSR in a dynamic by-production technology which captures the transformation of multiple inputs

Branding agricultural products are popular in the online market, but little is known about consumers' preferences for agricultural product brands in an E-commerce environment. This study analyzed consumer preferences for three types of agricultural product brands and the interaction effect among them in an E-commerce environment with a choice experiment. Our results show that regional brand shows remarkable

This study investigates whether and how the demand for animal-friendly pork can benefit from the individual and joint use of the label “Animal Friendly,” “Organic,” “Local,” and “Low Fat.” A choice experiment was conducted to collect the data. The data were analyzed using the random parameter logit and the latent class models. Three consumer segments were identified. Consumers in Segment 1 (pro-welfare

Efforts to improve cacao value chains often assume that production of fine and flavor varieties will raise smallholder incomes. Undertaking postharvest practices of fermentation and drying is another exercise assumed to increase value-added capture by smallholder producers. This study employs household data from 340 cacao farms in 15 villages in coastal Ecuador during 2018 to empirically assess these

Animal-source foods (ASF) are an important source of nutrients in many developing countries. However, there is limited information on the demand for ASF and the factors influencing their consumption. This study assessed spatial and temporal patterns of ASF consumption in Tanzania using data from a nationally representative household survey. Price and expenditure elasticities of ASF demand were estimated

US farmers market managers must be strategic in deciding which vendors sell at their markets. They would benefit from understanding how market characteristics impact vendor sales, although the few studies that have explored this topic have found inconclusive results. We use a unique panel database of sales at 13 farmers markets to estimate how vendors' sales are influenced by the characteristics of

Access to credit is a key prerequisite for the development of smallholder agriculture. However, rural credit markets are typically characterized by market failures and smallholder credit access is limited. Resource-providing contracts are an institutional tool to overcome credit market failures through the provision of production inputs in the form of in-kind credit. Previous research has shown that

Reducing sodium intake has been identified as a priority and cost-effective intervention in lowering the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. To accomplish the population-wide sodium reduction, two main strategies regarding food supply have been widely discussed: one is to set mandatory standards for the sodium content of foods and the other is to call for efforts from the food industry

Market power exercised by large dairy brands is an important policy concern in China, while imported milk players have not received enough attention. In this paper, we construct a New Empirical Industrial Organization (NEIO) model to estimate the market powers of fluid milk products. Our results indicate the Chinese fluid milk market is imperfectly competitive where the top three domestic brands own

The package downsizing strategy allows a manufacturer to raise unit prices while maintaining package prices in a range acceptable to consumers. The success of the strategy depends on the retailers' ability to transmit the cost of downsized products into consumer prices at higher rates compared to transmitting equivalent increases in the cost of nondownsized products. In this article, we test this hypothesis

Producing organic milk has been an alternative for conventional farmers who are struggling with low prices. However, organic dairy prices recently collapsed along with conventional prices when several large producers entered the organic market. The current study explores the patterns and determinants of organic dairy premiums. We estimate monthly price premiums for organic whole milk, other fluid milk

Brazil is a key player in the global beef markets having generated 15% of global production, and approximately 20% of world exports in 2018. Productivity improvements will be indispensable if the Brazilian beef sector wants to maintain its position as a key player in both the domestic and international markets. In light of the aforementioned, this study makes two key contributions to the agricultural

Generic advertising is commonly used to market agricultural products by groups of producers to increase the overall demand. With the popularity of social media, a cheaper and convenient alternative platform has been created for generic advertising. Despite social media advertising gaining success in some areas, little is known about whether this success can be duplicated to agricultural products. Questions

Many studies document the importance of food outlet accessibility on household food expenditures. However, the role of market competition between commercial food outlets garners little attention in these studies. This paper provides the first evidence distinguishing between the association between food outlet accessibility and market competition among commercial food outlets on household food expenditures

Financial exclusion continues to be a major challenge to smallholder farmers' participation in agricultural value chains in developing countries. Digitizing procurements and other forms of transactions using mobile money technology among value chain actors is essential for ensuring financial inclusion and enhancing agricultural value chain transformation. This study examines the factors influencing

New breeding techniques (NBTs) for genetically modified (GM) crops, such as CRISPR/Cas9, could represent a valuable solution for achieving a sustainable agricultural system. This study examines Italian farmers' attitudes toward CRISPR/Cas9-modified blast-resistant rice in a hypothetical context. It is one of the first studies to investigate farmers' attitudes toward NBTs. Additionally, it explores

Agricultural marketing cooperatives are of panoramic socioeconomic importance. As owners, decision-makers, and suppliers, their members' opportunism is of great concern to their competitiveness. In this study, we analyze sthe impact of governance mechanisms on opportunism. We explore the nonlinear effects and differences between the memberships of first-tier cooperatives and federated cooperatives

The prediction that the effect of geographic distance as a barrier for trade will decrease over time and eventually be eliminated as a result of technological developments has been proposed for decades. However, empirical evidence suggests the negative effect of geographic distance persists in both international and domestic trade. This study uses data from a national survey of nursery and greenhouse

Reliable access to labor is an ongoing key concern for many employers, in particular for those in regions. As an attempt to help mitigate the effects of labor shortages, immigration has been deployed as a key strategy, but most immigrants are concentrated in large cities. A sector that represents an interesting case in point is the food production sector, which includes primary agriculture and food

Ecolabeling is a tool used to promote and support more sustainable products by providing information that enables consumers to select products with better environmental performance. Ecolabels, therefore, can help create social awareness around sustainable consumption and promote respectful attitudes toward the environment, thus generating responsible consumption habits among the consumers. This study

We use choice experiments to investigate heterogeneity in preferences for a refrigerated ready-to-heat meal with an extended shelf life and the processing technology (i.e., microwave-assisted pasteurization) that provides that longevity. On average, an extra day of shelf life decreases the utility associated with purchasing and eating the meal. A segmentation analysis reveals the presence of convenience

This article aims to empirically investigate the role of claims of credence attributes in the launch of food and drink products using a large dataset of new product development by food companies in China. A multinomial regression model is employed to analyze the association between the type of product launch and the positioning claims adopted by firms. The results provide evidence that claims of credence

The Moroccan agricultural sector employs around 40% of the country's total working population. Since the early 1990s, there has been a striking increase in the proportion of female wage laborers. This article investigates the effect of the gendered composition of the agricultural wage labor force on horticultural farms. We draw on an original data set collected in 2010, comprising 240 agricultural

We compare the economic and econometric assumptions of two contemporary procedures for the estimation of markups, the stochastic frontier approach (SFA) and the production function approach (PFA), and apply them to EU food retailing over the period 2010–2018. Although, the estimates of the underlying technology of the two methods are similar, our results suggest that the PFA leads to significantly

US per capita milk consumption has been falling since the 1940s and falling at an accelerated rate in recent years. One possible reason is competition between it and other types of beverages. In this study, we determine whether changes in beverage prices are in a direction and of a sufficient magnitude for consumption trends to be explained by price competition between milk and other beverages. They

Foods with “clean labels,” that is, foods with few ingredients, may mitigate the stigma from the lack of healthfulness in processed food products. However, with conventional technologies, clean labels are difficult to achieve. We conducted a survey, including choice experiment scenarios, in which half of the respondents were presented scenarios to purchase a shelf-stable ready meal with a clean label/fewer

In recent years trade with highly perishable agricultural products like fresh fish, berries, and cut flowers has increased substantially. The perishability of these products appears to challenge conventional wisdom when it comes to food trade, which emphasizes the importance of large shipments to reduce transportation costs. In this paper, gravity models and several margins of trade are estimated for

Recent empirical literature pays increasing attention to farmer-retail power relations in agricultural supply chains, yet seems to neglect potential differences between prices that primary producers receive for their products. Via both a Markov chain analysis and a hybrid panel data model, we empirically test whether primary producers receive prices in a consistent way and what explains any price differences

This study is the first attempt to elicit individual willingness to pay (WTP) for varying attributes of a specific food product, the organic egg, using three elicitation methods, namely, a real choice experiment (RCE), the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) mechanism, and a RCE by using the BDM mechanism (RCE-BDM). The experimental setting allows for a comparison of these three methods. The mixed logit

This paper explores the relationships between five aspects of community-level social capital and the formation and performance of agricultural cooperatives, based on an investigation of 50 rural villages in Hebei, China. Results show that trust and informal sociability relate positively to either cooperative formation or performance, whereas local network is negatively related to both formation and

The beer industry in the United States is in a period of dramatic transformation. Major breweries are acquiring much smaller craft breweries in an attempt to purchase growth, but it is not clear whether these acquisitions are economically viable. In this paper, we study the impact of craft brewery acquisitions on retail beer prices, and firm profitability in a dynamic, Markov-perfect equilibrium pricing

Extreme weather events can significantly affect beef cow production. For example, unfavorable weather conditions deteriorate pasture quality and reduce pasture growth, forcing livestock producers to use high-cost alternative feedstuffs, which consequently increases production costs. Extreme weather may also reduce overall animal performance, including decreased feed gain efficiency, and breeding performance

Organized milk producers may use marketing mechanisms in response to price and policy variability. While adopted by numerous milk producer co-operatives across the world, the farmer-owned label is not yet used in the Dutch consumer marketplace. We estimate the viability of the farmer-owned label in the Netherlands with a branded choice experiment. We observe a significant and positive willingness-to-pay

Expanding livestock production is widely promoted as a way of improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers. However the rudimentary, insular and relatively small size of markets in which many smallholders operate means that rapid livestock industry expansion can have an adverse impact on prices and livelihoods. The link between market integration, livestock industry development and smallholder livelihoods

The study examines financial and transaction characteristics that influence mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in U.S. agribusinesses. During the M&A private phase, we model the likelihood of firms becoming bidders or targets as a function of firms' past financial performance. During the M&A public phase, the likelihood of bidders becoming acquirers is modeled as a function of firms' past financial performance

Understanding producers' risk perceptions of foreign animal diseases and their willingness to participate in prevention efforts is crucial for effective policymaking and communication strategies, yet there is limited empirical evidence to support initiatives. Using results from a 2017 survey of U.S. swine producers, we test whether producers' subjective risk perceptions affect their willingness to

This study analyzes how corporate social responsibility (CSR) influences consumer behavior in the case of the Spanish agrifood sector. The originality of the study resides in the proposed model that explains that CSR influences perceptions of food safety and health, and quality, and that this perceived quality influences consumer behavior, that is, satisfaction and loyalty. Structural equation modeling

Farmers markets, an important direct-to-consumer market, have shown signs of declining sales since 2007. This trend has raised concern about their future viability, inciting stakeholders to consider new marketing and development approaches. Unfortunately, the literature on these approaches is largely qualitative, with little empirical or experimental evidence assessing impact or effectiveness. We present

In this study, we use the Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (BLP) method to study consumer demand and firm supply to the 2005 US market for packaged salads. Our results show that, although consumers in general are price sensitive, their sensitivity decreases as income increases. Moreover, consumers exhibit strong brand loyalty if they prefer specific features, such as the organic claim of a brand. Using

Entrepreneurship in agriculture is a phenomenon that is growing in importance with the changing framework conditions for agricultural production and has led to heterogeneity in farm business development paths. To understand this phenomenon better, a classification scheme for strategic entrepreneurial choices in agriculture is developed for family farmers. The choices that are scrutinized are reduction

Pandemics often lead to food stigma, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic provides some evidence to this belief. Mitigating food stigma during the pandemic is vital for consumption replenishment and economic recovery and helping the stigmatized people. We conduct an empirical study to examine consumer behaviors using Wuhan hot instant noodles (WHINs), a packaged version of the famous

This article focuses on the immediate impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) on retail prices of dairy products in the United States. Using weekly data from the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, we analyze a change in dairy prices coinciding with COVID‐19 restrictions. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that prices of all dairy products decreased by

Beef quality assurance initiatives have been developed to assure consumers of the quality and safety of supplied beef, as well as the environmental-orientation of farm production practices. However, the potential economic benefits of quality schemes to European beef cattle farmers have been overlooked. This paper uses farm-level data to identify the drivers of Irish farmers’ participation in Bord

Previous research mainly focuses on the impact of locality information/labels on consumer preference as a credence attribute that is not observable even after purchasing the products. We hypothesize that locality information on food may also influence consumer perception of the three types of attributes of food products: search (i.e., color, size, freshness, and shape), experience (i.e., flavor and

This study applies spatial econometric techniques to evaluate the effect of external economic agents located in agri-food business environments on the probability of those businesses failing. A logistic regression model that incorporates spatial interactions has been applied to the data. In addition, the article proposes an intermediate step in the modeling process based on generalized additive models

Abstract The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in firms and consumers quickly adjusting their shopping strategies to facilitate sales while maintaining safety recommendations Two strategies frequently employed by plant retailers include curbside pickup and online sales/delivery Using an online survey of Southeastern U S consumers, this study assessed the relationship between consumers' concerns related

Abstract The novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV2 (COVID‐19) severely disrupted the U.S. food supply chain. In its initial aftermath, and as we contemplate a potential reignition, the food supply chain industries, researchers, and policy makers search for evidence, causes, and consequences. This article uses publicly available data on the pork and egg industries and a survey of the turkey industry as a first

Abstract As the leading import market for cotton, and leading export market for manufactured products like clothing and apparel, China provides the ideal case for examining how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting international cotton trade The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in decreased global demand for products like clothing, directly affecting China's demand for cotton from exporting countries In

Price and income elasticities are estimated for six food categories and different types of dairy across low-, medium-, and high-income groups using 7426 urban households in Guangdong province from 2007 to 2009. Results from the estimation of a multistage budgeting approach to deal with zero expenditure show that demand for milk and dairy items among low-income groups is more sensitive to income and

This paper analyses the influence of food safety standards related to aflatoxin contamination on the pistachio trade of the world's two leading pistachio producers (the United States and Iran) during the period 1996–2014. Using diverse econometric procedures, the estimation of extended gravity models shows that both countries benefit from stricter food safety standards imposed by importing countries

Abstract We conducted an online consumer survey in May 2020 in two major metropolitan areas in the United States to investigate food shopping behaviors and consumption during the pandemic lockdown caused by COVID‐19. The results of this study parallel many of the headlines in the popular press at the time. We found that about three‐quarters of respondents were simply buying the food they could get