Annual/Termination Reports:

[09/19/2012] [09/22/2013] [07/14/2014] [02/22/2016] [05/30/2016]

Report Information

Participants

Matt Andersen (University of Wyoming)
Eldon Ball (USDA-ERS)
David Bullock (University of Illinois)
Kelly Day-Rubenstein (USDA-ERS)
George Frisvold (University of Arizona)
Keith Fuglie (USDA-ERS)
Richard Gray (University of Saskatchewan)
Lars Hasselblad Torres (USAID)
Paul Heisey (USDA-ERS)
Jenna Jadin (USDA-OSEC)
Yu Jin (Iowa State University)
John King (USDA-ERS)
Marshall Martin (Purdue University)
William A. Masters (Tufts University)
Brent Miller (Science and Technology Policy Institute)
Steven Miller (Michigan State University)
Nicholas Rada (USDA-ERS)
David Schimmelpfennig (USDA-ERS)
Stephanie Shipp (Science and Technology Policy Institute)
Robbin Shoemaker (USDA-NIFA)
Andrew Toole (USDA-ERS)
Lars Hasselblad Torres (Development Alternatives, Inc.)
Sun Ling Wang (USDA-ERS)
Christopher Webber (Science and Technology Policy Institute)
Brian D. Wright (University of California, Berkeley)

Brief Summary of Minutes

The NC-1034 Annual Business Meeting was held in conjunction with the research conference, "The Future of Agricultural Research: Funding, Funding Mechanisms, and Public Private Collaborations" March a the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Headquarters in Washington DC, March 15-16, 2012. The conference program is attached. Conference presentations were made on March 15-16, with the business meeting held on the 16th.

During conference presentations, there was some spirited debates over different approaches to measuring productivity growth in agriculture, especially with respect to measurement of capital as an input. Productivity measurement has important implications for agricultural research systems as does the question of whether US and global agricultural productivity growth is experiencing a slow-down. During the business meeting, members briefly discussed the possibility of inviting an outside expert (or experts) on productivity measurement to evaluate different practices for measuring agricultural productivity growth. A potential outside speaker/ reviewer might be (for example) a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research Productivity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Program.

The group then discussed themes for the 2013 research conference along with the possibility of having a collaborative publication serve as the focal point and main product of the conference. The group discussed the relative merits of an edited book volume versus a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. There was general agreement that a peer-reviewed, special issue would be preferable. First, for faculty evaluation and promotion, peer-reviewed journal publications are looked upon more favorably than book chapters. Second, other researchers often have better access to journal article article on-line than they would to book chapters. With easier on-line access in a journal, NC-1034 would like be cited more. Relevant journals that publish special issues include AgBioForum, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Agricultural Economics, and Environmental Science and Policy. It was noted that some publishers now do more to make individual book chapters available on-line. For example the book Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare co-edited by one NC-1034 (G. Moschini, Iowa State) and featuring contributions from four other NC-1034 members has individual chapters available on-line to faculty at most universities.

The group then discussed at length different possibilities for research themes. These included the following topics:
Intellectual Property Issues
Barriers to Agricultural Biotechnology Trade and Technology Transfer
Bio-energy R&D
Agricultural Research Funding Mechanisms
Natural Resource and Environmental R&D
Technology Diffusion and Impact Assessment
Agricultural Productivity Measurement

Steven Miller (Michigan State) offered to develop an on-line survey through Survey Monkey, so that we could poll the entire NC-1034 membership about their preferences. The survey would also ask about location and times of the next meeting. Two possible locations for the 2013 meetings were Washington, DC again and the University of Arizona in Tucson (George Frisvold offered to host the conference in the latter event).

Election of Officers:
George Frisvold (Arizona) was nominated and elected President
Steven Miller (Michigan State) was nominated and elected Secretary.

The business meeting was adjourned at 2pm March 16, 2012.

Accomplishments

Outputs:<br /> * 50 peer-reviewed publications in the previous year <br /> * Contribution of book chapters by 5 members to the edited volume Genetically <br /> Modified Food and Global Welfare.<br /> * Contributions by 5 members of articles to a special issue of AgBioForum vol. <br /> 14, no. 3 on Sustainability and the Bioeconomy<br /> <br /> Activities<br /> * Invited presentations for the National Academy of Sciences and an organized <br /> symposium for the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association on the <br /> economics of biotechnology and management of herbicide resistance in weeds.<br /> * Contributions to the National Academy of Science report Renewable Fuel <br /> Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effectsof U.S. Biofuel Policy<br /> * Member organization of and participation in the 15th and 16th <br /> conferences of the International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research<br /> * Member organization and participation in the 2012 Berkeley Bioeconomy <br /> Conference

Publications

Alston, J.M., M.A. Andersen, J.S. James, and P.G. Pardey. 2011. The economic returns to U.S. public agricultural research. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93, 1257-1277.<br /> <br /> Andersen, M.A. J.M. Alston and P.G. Pardey. 2011. Capital services in U.S. agriculture: concepts, comparisons, and the treatment of interest rates. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93, 718-738.<br /> <br /> Blomendahl, B., R. Perrin, and B. Johnson. 2011. The impact of ethanol plants on surrounding farmland values: A case study. Land Economics 87, 223-232.<br /> <br /> Carter, C.A., G. Moschini, I. Sheldon (eds.). 2011. Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.<br /> <br /> Chen, C., B. McCarl, C. Chang, and C. Tso. 2011. Evaluation the potential economic impacts of Taiwanese biomass energy production. Biomass and Bioenergy 35, 1693-1701.<br /> <br /> Chen, Z., W.E. Huffman, and S. Rozelle. 2011. Inverse relationship between productivity and farm size: The case of China. Contemporary Economic Policy 29, 580-592.<br /> <br /> Colson, G. and W.E. Huffman. 2011. Consumers willingness to pay for genetically modified foods with product-enhancing nutritional attributes. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93, 358-363.<br /> <br /> Colson, G., W.E. Huffman and M. Rousu. 2011. Will consumers pay more for product enhanced attributes: Evidence from food experiments. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 36, 343-364.<br /> <br /> Cui, J., H. Lapan, G. Moschini and J. Cooper. 2011. Welfare impacts of alternative biofuel and energy policies. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93, 1235-1256.<br /> <br /> Dalton, T.J.,N.K. Lilja, N. Johnson, R. Howeler. 2011. Farmer participatory research and soil conservation in Southeast Asian cassava systems. World Development 39, 2176-2186.<br /> <br /> Ebel, R. and D. Schimmelpfennig. 2011. The Information Age and Adoption of Precision Agriculture, Amber Waves, December, Washington, DC: USDA Economic Research Service.<br /> <br /> Ervin, D., L. Glenna, R. Jussaume. 2011. The theory and practice of genetically engineered crops and agricultural sustainability. Sustainability 3, 847-874.<br /> <br /> <br /> Frisvold, G. and S. Deva. 2011. Irrigation technology choice: The role of farm size, energy costs, climate, and soils. In B. Colby and G. Frisvold (eds). Adaptation and Resilience: The Economics of Climate-Water-Energy Challenges in the Arid Southwest. Washington, DC: Resources for the Future Press.<br /> <br /> Fuglie, K.O., P.W. Heisey, J.L. King, K.Day-Rubenstein, D.E. Schimmelpfennig, and S.L. Wang., C. Pray, and R. Karmarkar-Deshmukh. 2011. Research investments and market structure in the food processing, agricultural input, and biofuel industries worldwide. Economic Research Report 130, Washington, DC: USDA Economic Research Service.<br /> <br /> Glenna, L., R. Welsh, D. Ervin, W. Lacy, and D. Biscotti. 2011. Commercial science, scientists' values, and university biotechnology research agendas. Research Policy 40, 957-968.<br /> <br /> Glenna, L. R. Jussaume, and J. Dawson. 2011. How farmers matter in shaping agricultural technologies: Social and structural characteristics of wheat growers and wheat varieties. Agriculture and Human Values 28, 213-224.<br /> <br /> Heiman, A., and D. Zilberman. 2011. The effects of framing on consumers' choice of GM foods. AgBioForum 14, 171-179.<br /> <br /> Heiman, A., O. Agmon, R. Fleisher and D. Zilberman. 2011. Attitude and purchasing decisions regarding genetically modified foods based on gender and education. International Journal of Biotechnology 12, 50-65.<br /> <br /> Hellegers, P., D. Zeng, and D. Zilberman. 2011. Technology adoption and the impact on average productivity. Economics of Innovation and New Technology 20, 659-680.<br /> <br /> Hu, R., Q. Liang, C. Pray, J. Huang, and Y. Jin. 2011. Privatization, public R&D policy, and private R&D investment in Chinas agriculture. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 36, 416-432. <br /> <br /> Huffman, W. E. 2011. Contributions of public and private R&D in biotechnology innovations. In C. Carter, G. Moschini, and I. Sheldon (eds.). Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.<br /> <br /> Huffman, W.E, G. Norton and L.G. Tweeten. 2011. Investing in a better future through public agricultural research. CAST Commentary, QTA2011-1. Ames, IA: Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). <br /> <br /> Kostandini, G., B. Mills and E.Mykerezi. 2011. Ex ante evaluation of drought-tolerant varieties in Eastern and Central Africa. Journal of Agricultural Economics 62, 172-206.<br /> <br /> Kostandini, G. E. Mykerezi, and E. Tanellari. 2011. Viability of organic production in rural counties: County and state-level evidence from the United States. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 43, 443-451.<br /> <br /> Liebenberg, F. and P. G. Pardey. 2011. South African agricultural R&D: Policies and public institutions, 1880-2007, Agrekon 50, 1-15.<br /> <br /> Liu, Y., C. Richard Shumway, R. Rosenman, and V.E. Ball. 2011.Productivity growth and convergence in US agriculture: new cointegration panel data results. Applied Economics 43, 91-102.<br /> <br /> Melhim, A. and C.R. Shumway. 2011. Enterprise diversification in US dairy: impact of risk preferences on scale and scope economies. Applied Economics 43, 3849-3862.<br /> <br /> Miranowski, J., A. Rosburg and J. Aukayanagul. 2011. US maize yield growth implications for ethanol and greenhouse gas emissions. AgBioForum 14, 120-132.<br /> <br /> Novy, A., S. Ledermann, C. Pray, and L. Nagarajan L. 2011. Balancing agricultural development resources: Are GM and organic agriculture in opposition in Africa? AgBioForum 14, 142-157.<br /> <br /> Piesse, J., D. Schimmelpfennig and C. Thirtle. 2011. An error correction model of induced innovation in UK agriculture. Applied Economics 43, 4081-4094.<br /> <br /> Poudel, B.N., K.P. Paudel, and D. Zilberman. 2011. Agricultural productivity convergence: Myth or reality? Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 43, 143-156.<br /> <br /> Pray, C., L. Nagarajan, L. Li, J. Huang, R. Hu, K.N. Selvaraj, O. Napasintuwong, and R. Chandra Babu. 2011. Potential impact of biotechnology on adaption of agriculture to climate change: The case of drought tolerant rice breeding in Asia. Sustainability 3, 1723-1741. <br /> <br /> Pray, C., L. Nagarajan, J. Huang, R. Hu, B. Ramaswami. 2011. The Impact of Bt Cotton and the potential impact of biotechnology on other crops in China and India. In C.A. Carter, G. Moschini, and I. Sheldon (eds.) Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.<br /> <br /> Rakshit, A., A. N. M. Rezaul Karim, T. Hristovska, and G.W. Norton. 2011. Impact assessment of pheromone traps to manage fruit fly on sweet gourd cultivation. Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research 36, 197-203. <br /> <br /> Ramaswami, B., C. Pray, and Lalitha. 2011. The Spread of Illegal Transgenic Cotton Varieties in India: Biosafety Regulation, Monopoly, and Enforcement World Development 40, 177-188.<br /> <br /> Rosburg, A., and J. Miranowski. 2011. An economic evaluation of US biofuel expansion using the biofuel breakeven program with GHG accounting. AgBioForum 14, 111-119.<br /> Schimmelpfennig, D. and R. Ebel. 2011. On the doorstep of the information age: Recent adoption of precision agriculture. Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-80). Washington, DC: USDA Economic Research Service.<br /> <br /> Schmitz, A., N.L. Wilson, C.B. Moss, and D. Zilberman. The Economics of Alternative<br /> Energy Sources and Globalization. Sharjah: Bentham Science Publishers, 2011.<br /> <br /> Sexton, S., Zilberman, D. (2011), Biotechnology and biofuel. In C. Carter, G. Moschini, and I. Sheldon, I. (eds.), Genetically Modi
ed Food and Global Welfare. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing. <br /> <br /> Sexton, S. and D. Zilberman. 2011. The economic and marketing challenges of horticultural biotechnology. In B. Mou and R. Scorza (eds.) Transgenic Horticultural Crops: Challenges and Opportunities. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.<br /> <br /> Sexton, S. and D. Zilberman. 2011. Land for food and fuel production: The role of agricultural biotechnology. In J. Zivin and J. Perloff (eds.). The Intended and Unintended Effects of U.S. Agricultural and Biotechnology Policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.<br /> <br /> Shaik, S. 2011. Does accounting for inefficiency affect the time-varying short and long-run returns to scale? IAMO Forum 2011: Will the "BRICs Decade" Continue?  Prospects for Trade and Growth 11, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO).<br /> <br /> Shi, G., K.W. Stiegert, J.-P. Chavas. 2011. An analysis of bundle pricing in horizontal and vertical markets: The case of the U.S. cottonseed market. Agricultural Economics 42, 77-88. <br /> <br /> Shi, G. and J.-P. Chavas, 2011. The effects of vertical organization on the pricing of differentiated products. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 36, 448-464.<br /> <br /> Smyth, S.J., P. Aerni, D. Castle, M. Demont, J. Falck-Zepeda, R. Paarlberg, P. Phillips, C. Pray, S. Savastano, J. Wesseler, and D. Zilberman. 2011. Sustainability and the bioeconomy: Policy recommendations from the 15th ICABR conference. AgBioForum 14, 180-186.<br /> <br /> Sparger, J.A., J. Alwang, G.W Norton, M. Rivera, and D. Breazeale. 2011. Journal of Integrated Pest Management 2, A1-A9.<br /> <br /> Stiegert, K.W., G. Shi, J.-P. Chavas. 2011. Spatial pricing of genetically modified hybrid corn seeds. In C.A. Carter, G. Moschini, and I. Sheldon (eds.). Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing.<br /> <br /> Weber, W.L. and Y. Xia. 2011. The productivity of nanobiotechnology research and education in U.S. universities. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93, 1151-1167.<br /> <br /> Wright, B.D. Biofuels and food security: Time to consider safety valves? IPC Policy Focus February 2011. Washington, DC: International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council (IPC).<br /> <br /> Zilberman, D. and E. Kim. 2011. The lessons of fermentation for the new bio-economy. AgBioForum 14, 97-103.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Impact Statements

1. Based on improved data and estimation methods and accounting for state-to-state spillover effects, own-state benefit-cost ratios for agricultural research were found to be 32:1, corresponding to a 10% internal rate of return.
2. Estimated that large increases in crop yields in 25 countries since 1996 can be attributed to adoption of GM-crop varieties.

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Report Information

Participants

David Bullock, University of Illinois
Steven Miller, Michigan State University
Wallace E. Huffman, Iowa State University
Tom Redick, Global Environmental Ethics Counsel
Gregory Graff, Colorado State University
David J. Spielman, International Food Policy Research Institute
Xingliang Ma, International Food Policy Research Institute
Charles Moss, University of Florida
Andrew Schmitz, University of Florida
Genti Kostandini, University of Georgia
Bradley J. Rickard, Cornell University
Yu Jin, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
George W. Norton, Virginia Tech
Russell Tronstad, University of Arizona
Tatiana Marquez, University of Arizona (USDA, National Needs Fellow)
Gan Jin, University of Arizona

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes of NC1034 Annual Meeting 3/16/2013

The annual Business Meeting of NC1034 Impact Analyses and Decision Strategies for Agricultural Research was held in conjunction with the groups annual research conference held in Tucson, Arizona March 15-16, 2013. The research conference theme was Biotechnology Trade and Transfer: Barriers and Opportunities (see attached conference program).

Conference attendees:

David Bullock, University of Illinois
Steven Miller, Michigan State University
Wallace E. Huffman, Iowa State University
Tom Redick, Global Environmental Ethics Counsel
Gregory Graff, Colorado State University
David J. Spielman, International Food Policy Research Institute
Xingliang Ma, International Food Policy Research Institute
Charles Moss, University of Florida
Andrew Schmitz, University of Florida
Genti Kostandini, University of Georgia
Bradley J. Rickard, Cornell University
Yu Jin, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics
George W. Norton, Virginia Tech
Russell Tronstad, University of Arizona
Tatiana Marquez, University of Arizona (USDA, National Needs Fellow)
Gan Jin, University of Arizona

The NC-1034 Business Meeting was held on March 16 1:00  2:00 pm
Business Meeting Participants:
· Chuck Moss (Florida)
· Bradley Richard (Cornell)
· George Norton (Virginia Tech)
· George Frisvold (Arizona)
· Marshall Martin (Purdue, AA)
· Steven Miller (Michigan State)
· Gregory Graff (Colorado State)
· David Bullock (Illinois)

Report from Marshall Martin (Purdue) (project AA) Were about halfwary way through our current 5-year authorized period of operations.

§ The past two years have experienced declines in participation. Moving
forward, we should consider if we want to continue operating as an NC unit or
if we would like to consider changing to a CC. Most NC units are developing
protocols for research or developing data for research. The NC1034 is
currently more in line with a CC group where the focus is on sponsoring and
hosting conferences to discuss topics.

§ We should have a roll call to identify those still associating themselves with
the NC1034. Several appear on the reports, but we have not heard from them in
some time.

§ Annual NC reports due in December are third-party reviewed by department
heads.

Some participants noted that their institutions would support travel to participate in an NC project, but not a CC project.

It was also noted that a way to facilitate the NC unit status would be to produce a group publication as we have done with several book projects in the past. A book effort was discussed, but conversation quickly switched and centered on special issues in journals. One such special issue worth pursuing is the topic area Economics of Research on Emerging and Invasive Biological Threats that would focus on implications of emerging pathogens and pests for research and research management. The committee agreed this would be the topic to be explored in our next meeting and research conference. The emphasis could be on merging biological research to economics. Chuck Moss (Florida) brought up the issue of emerging and invasive biological threats and provided orange greening disease as a key issue affecting more than just Florida oranges. Wheat rust was also brought to light. Chuck also offered the possibility of having the University of Florida host the 2014 conference and business meeting.

It was decided that an internet poll of participants be sent out to settle on a date for the conference, so that people could get it on their calendars sooner and to facilitate general announcements and participation of other scholars and government agency officials outside NC1034.

Election of officers:
George Frisvold (Arizona) was nominated and elected to continue as project President and
Steven Miller (Michigan State) was nominated and elected to continue as project Secretary

Meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: <br /> § Research findings on agricultural research funding and productivity used by <br /> Congressional Research Service in reports to Congress on Research Title of <br /> Farm Bill and is cited or posted at websites of the Farm Foundation, Institute <br /> for Agricultural and Trade Policy, the American Enterprise Institute, the <br /> Union of Concerned Scientists, National Science Foundation, the Organization <br /> for Economic Development and Cooperation, Healthy Farms Healthy People <br /> Coalition, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies among other <br /> organizations. <br /> § Research findings on biotechnology and weed resistance management used by and <br /> posted on websites of the National Academy of Sciences, the Farm Foundation, <br /> Cotton Incorporated, the Institute for Policy Innovation, and the Weed Science <br /> Society of America<br /> <br /> Outputs: <br /> § >70 publications (journal articles, scholarly, edited books, or scholarly book <br /> chapters) in past year. 10 of these publications were co-authored by 2 or more <br /> NC-1034 members.<br /> § Database reporting estimates of productivity growth in the U.S. farm sector <br /> for the 1948-2011 period, and estimates of the growth and relative levels of <br /> productivity across the States for the period 1960-2004. Database accessible <br /> to researchers online with full documentation of variable descriptions and <br /> calculation methods. <br /> § Database reporting estimates of public and private agricultural R&D funding by <br /> activity. Database is accessible to researchers and downloadable. <br /> <br /> Activities:<br /> § Developed improved methods for measuring capital services in US agriculture, <br /> thereby improving measurement of agricultural productivity growth.<br /> § Developed improved measures of private agricultural R&D investment to better <br /> estimate the role of private R&D and its contribution to agricultural <br /> productivity growth<br /> § Developed improved estimates of international agricultural productivity growth<br /> § Conducted multiple assessments of the impacts of new agricultural technologies <br /> in developing countries <br /> § Research findings improved understanding of linkages between US and world <br /> agricultural and energy markets. <br /> <br /> Milestones: <br /> Multiple project participants involved in:<br /> § planning, organizing and presenting project research findings at the Annual <br /> Conference of the International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research. <br /> The conference theme was “The Political Economy of the Bioeconomy: <br /> Biotechnology and Biofuel.” <br /> § co-editing and contributing chapters to the volume Fugile, K. O. (Ed.). <br /> (2012). Productivity growth in agriculture: an international perspective. <br /> CABI.<br /> § participating in and had chapters published in the Proceedings of the <br /> International Workshop on Socioeconomic Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops <br /> co-organized by European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for <br /> Prospective Technological Studies and the Food an Agriculture Organization of <br /> the United Nations.<br /> § Planning, organizing, and contributing research papers at the 5th Berkeley <br /> Bioeconomy Conference on “Renewable Resource” in Berkeley, CA, March 2012. <br /> § planning, organizing, and contributing research papers at the annual NC-1034 <br /> research symposium on Biotechnology Trade and Transfer: Barriers and <br /> Opportunities, Tucson, AZ, March 2012<br />

Publications

2012 Publications <br /> <br /> Aldana, U., Barham, B., Foltz, J., & Useche, P. (2012). Early adoption, experience, and farm performance of GM corn seeds. Agricultural Economics, 43(s1), 11-18.<br /> <br /> Andersen, M. A., Alston, J. M., & Pardey, P. G. (2012). Capital Services in US Agriculture: Concepts, Comparisons, and the Treatment of Interest Rates: An Error and a Correction. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 94(5), 1247-1248.<br /> <br /> Andersen, M. A., Alston, J. M., & Pardey, P. G. (2012). Capital use intensity and productivity biases. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 37(1), 59-71.<br /> <br /> Asfaw, S., Lipper, L., Dalton, T. J., & Audi, P. (2012). Market participation, on-farm crop diversity and household welfare: micro-evidence from Kenya. Environment and Development Economics, 1(1), 1-23.<br /> <br /> Ball, V. E., & Wang, S. L. (2012). Productivity growth in US agriculture. Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2012 Edition, 10. Washington, DC: USDA, Economic Research Service. <br /> <br /> Beach, R. H., Zhang, Y. W., & McCarl, B. A. (2012). Modeling Bioenergy, Land Use, And Ghg Emissions With Fasomghg: Model Overview And Analysis Of Storage Cost Implications. Climate Change Economics, 3(03), DOI: 10.1142/S2010007812500121. <br /> <br /> Bekkerman, A., Smith, V. H., & Watts, M. J. (2012). The SURE program and incentives for crop insurance participation: A theoretical and empirical analysis. Agricultural Finance Review, 72(3), 381-401.<br /> <br /> Bervejillo, J. E., Alston, J. M., & Tumber, K. P. (2012). The benefits from public agricultural research in Uruguay. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 56(4), 475-497.<br /> <br /> Biscotti, D., Lacy, W. B., Glenna, L. L., & Welsh, R. (2012). Constructing Disinterested Academic Science Relational Work in UniversityIndustry Research Collaborations. Politics & Society, 40(2), 273-308.<br /> <br /> Bobenrieth, E. S., Bobenrieth, J. R., & Wright, B. D. (2012). Strict concavity of the value function for a family of dynamic accumulation models. The BE Journal of Theoretical Economics, 12(1).<br /> <br /> Bond, J., & Graff, G. (2012). GA Alsos, S. Carter, E. Ljunggren, and F. Welter (eds.), The Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship in Agriculture and Rural Development. Northhampton: Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. <br /> <br /> <br /> Cahill, S. A., Rich, T., Fuglie, K. O., Wang, S. L., & Ball, V. E. (2012). Measurement of Canadian Agricultural Productivity Growth. In Fuglie, K. O., Wang, S. L., & Ball, V. E. (eds.) Productivity growth in agriculture: an international perspective. Productivity growth in agriculture: an international perspective. Cambridge, MA: CABI. <br /> <br /> Chavas, J. P., & Shi, G. (2012). Market Concentration and the Analysis of Vertical Organization. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(1), 1-6.<br /> <br /> Chavas, J. P., Barham, B., Foltz, J., & Kim, K. (2012). Analysis and decomposition of scope economies: R&D at US research universities. Applied Economics, 44(11), 1387-1404.<br /> <br /> Daku, L., Peshin, R., Norton, G. W., & Taylor, D. B. (2012). Economic Impact Assessment of Oilseed IPM Programs. In S.K. Gupta (ed.) Technological Innovations in Major World Oil Crops, Volume 2. Springer New York.<br /> <br /> Foltz, J. D., Barham, B. L., Chavas, J. P., & Kim, K. (2012). Efficiency and technological change at US research universities. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 37(2), 171-186.<br /> <br /> Foltz, J. D., Aldana, U. T., & Laris, P. (2012). The Sahel's Silent Maize Revolution: Analyzing Maize Productivity in Mali at the Farm-level (NBER Working Paper No. 17801. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.<br /> <br /> Foltz, J. D., & Gajigo, O. (2012). Assessing the Returns to Education in the Gambia. Journal of African Economies, 21(4), 580-608.<br /> <br /> Francisco, S. R., Aragon, C. A., & Norton, G. W. (2012). Potential poverty reducing impacts of Bt eggplant adoption in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Crop Science, 37(3), 30-39.<br /> <br /> Frisvold, G. B., & Deva, S. (2012). Farm Size, Irrigation Practices, and Conservation Program Participation in the US Southwest. Irrigation and Drainage, 61(5), 569-582.<br /> <br /> Frisvold, G.B. (2012) A social science perspective on weed management practices. In National Summit on Strategies to Manage Herbicide-Resistant Weeds: Proceedings of a Symposium. National Research Council (ed.) Washington, DC: National Academies Press. <br /> <br /> Fuglie, K., Heisey, P., King, J., Pray, C. E., & Schimmelpfennig, D. (2012). The contribution of private industry to agricultural innovation. Science, 338(6110), 1031-1032.<br /> <br /> Fuglie, K. O., Wang, S. L., & Ball, V. E. (2012). Productivity growth in agriculture: an international perspective. Productivity growth in agriculture: an international perspective. Cambridge, MA: CABI. <br /> Fuglie, K., Heisey, P., King, J., & Schimmelpfennig, D. (2012). Private Industry Investing Heavily, and Globally, in Research To Improve Agricultural Productivity. Amber Waves, (2).<br /> <br /> Glenna, L., Ader, D., Bauchspies, W., Traoré, A., & Agboh-Noameshi, R. A. (2012). The Efficacy of a Program Promoting Rice Self-Sufficiency in Ghana during a Period of Neoliberalism. Rural Sociology, 77(4), 520-546.<br /> <br /> Ghimire, R., Norton, J. B., Norton, U., Ritten, J. P., Stahl, P. D., & Krall, J. M. (2012). Long-term farming systems research in the central High Plains. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 1-11.<br /> <br /> Graff, G. D., & Zilberman, D. (2012). Agricultural Biotechnology: Equity and Prosperity. In Popp, J. S., Matlock, M. D., Jahn, M. M., & Kemper, N. P. (Eds.). The role of biotechnology in a sustainable food supply. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. <br /> <br /> Hagerman, A. D., McCarl, B. A., Carpenter, T. E., Ward, M. P., & O'Brien, J. (2012). Emergency vaccination to control foot-and-mouth disease: Implications of its inclusion as a US policy option. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 34(1), 119-146.<br /> <br /> Hagerman, A. D., Jr, K. H. M., & McCarl, B. A. (2012). Economic dimensions and directions of animal disease policy. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 16(4), 248-264.<br /> <br /> Hochman, G., Kaplan, S., Rajagopal, D., & Zilberman, D. (2012). Biofuel and food-commodity prices. Agriculture, 2(3), 272-281.<br /> <br /> Huffman, W. E. (2012). Adoption and impacts at farm level in the USA. JRC Scientific and Policy Reports. In M. Lusser, T. Raney, P. Tillie, K. Dillen, and E. Rodriguez Cerezo (Eds.) International workshop on socioeconomic impacts of genetically modified crops co-organised by JRC-IPTS and FAO Workshop proceedings. 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Impact Statements

1. Developed data to estimate rates of productivity growth in US agriculture
2. Developed and applied novel statistical techniques to estimate factors contributing to US national and state level productivity growth in agriculture
3. Provided data and analysis to inform debates over and structure of the Research Title of the 2014 Farm Bill
4. Developed improved measures of the flow of capital services in agriculture important for accurately measuring trends in agricultural productivity growth

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Report Information

Participants

Corinne E. Alexander, Purdue University
Julian Alston, University of California, Davis
Matt Andersen, University of Wyoming
Jonathan Barker, University of California, Davis
Barbara Brandl, Pennsylvania State University
Leslie “Bees” Butler, University of California, Davis
Christine Carroll, University of California, Davis
Helene Dillard, CAES Dean, University of California, Davis
Derek Farnsworth, University of California, Davis
Wojciech J. Florkowski, University of Georgia
Jeremy D. Foltz, University of Wisconsin
George Frisvold, University of Arizona
Kate Fuller, University of California, Davis
Gregory Graff, Colorado State University
Richard Gray, University of Saskatchewan
Gal Hochman, Rutgers University
Wallace E. Huffman, Iowa State University
Genti Kostandini, University of Georgia
David Lambert, Kansas State University
Pam Marrone, Marrone Bio Innovations
Marshall Martin, Purdue University
John Miranowski, Iowa State University
GianCarlo Moschini, Iowa State University
Charles Moss, University of Florida
Anwar Naseem, McGill University
George W. Norton, Virginia Tech
Alan Olmstead, University of California, Davis
Micheal Owen, Iowa State University
Zo? T. Plakias, University of California, Davis
Carl Pray, Rutgers University
Olena S. Sambucci, University of California, Davis
Andrew Schmitz, University of Florida
Rohit Singla, McGill University
Daniel Sumner, University of California, Davis
Rebecca Taylor, University of California, Berkeley
Andrew Toole, ERS/USDA
Justus Wesseler, Wageningen University
David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes

The annual Business Meeting of NC1034 “Impact Analyses and Decision Strategies for Agricultural Research” was held in conjunction with the group’s annual research conference held on the campus of the University of California, Davis, March 28-29, 2014. The research conference theme was Pests, Germs and Seeds: The Economics of Policies, Programs, and Technologies for Managing Agricultural Pests and Diseases (see attached conference program). In addition to technical presentations from members of NC-1034, the conference also had featured presentations by
§ Economic historian Alan Olmstead on the history of animal health regulation in
the United States
§ Dr. Pam Marrone of Marrone Bio Innovations on market trends and potential for
bio-pesticides
§ Dr. Helene Dillard, Dean of the UC-Davis College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences on new agricultural research developments
§ Dr. Allison Van Eennennaam in the UC-Davis Department of Animal Science on
scientific communication

Doctoral candidates from the University of California, Davis and the University of California, Berkeley also made presentations.

The conference receipt additional support from the following sponsors:
§ Giannini Foundation
§ Robert Mondavi Institute
§ UC Davis, Agricultural Issues Center
§ Farm Foundation

The conference program is on the next pages, followed by the minutes of the annual NC-1034 business meeting.
Pests, Germs and Seeds:
The Economics of Policies, Programs, & Technologies for Managing Agricultural Pests & Diseases

Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29 2014
University of California, Davis, California

Program:
Day 1: Friday March 28
8:00 am – 8:30 am Opening and Overview
George Frisvold and Julian Alston
8:30 am – 10:30 am Session A: Resistance Management
Session Chair: GianCarlo Moschini
Economic Implications of Unstructured Refuges: The Case of Bt Cotton in India
Rohit Singla, McGill University, Anwar Naseem, McGill University, Michael Livingston, ERS/USDA
Irreversibility, Uncertainty, and Dynamic Pest Resistance
Justus Wesseler, Wageningen University
Managing Herbicide Resistant Crops and Weeds: Technological and Policy Options
George Frisvold, University of Arizona
Pesticides, Transgene Licensing, and Resistance Management
John Miranowski, Katie Lacy, Iowa State University
10:00 am – 10:30 am Coffee Break



10:30 am – 12:00 pm Session B: Featured Speakers
Session Chair: Dan Sumner
Trends and New Market Opportunities in Bio-pesticides.
Pam Marrone, Marrone Bio Innovations
Science, Policy, and Animal Health in the United States: The Case of Texas Fever
Alan Olmstead, UC Davis
12:00 pm – 12:10 pm Welcome
CAES Dean Helene Dillard
12:10 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Session C: Pests and Diseases of Perennial Crops
Session Chair: Carl Pray
A Model of the Epidemiology of Greening in Florida Citrus Groves and Its Economic ImplicationsCharles B. Moss and Andrew Schmitz, University of Florida
Estimating the Greening Effect on Florida Citrus
Charles B. Moss, Maria Bampasidou
The Costs and Benefits of Pierce’s Disease Research in the California Winegrape Industry
Julian M. Alston, Kate B. Fuller, Jonathan D. Kaplan, and Kabir P. Tumber, UC Davis
The Value of Powdery Mildew Resistance in Grapes: Evidence from California
Kate B. Fuller, Julian M. Alston, and Olena S. Sambucci, UC Davis
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Coffee Break
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm Session D: Biotechnology, Adoption and Impacts
Session Chair: Matt Andersen
Innovation in the Global Bioeconomy
Gregory Graff, Colorado State University, Philip G. Pardey, University of Minnesota, Devon Phillips, University of Minnesota
Impact of Hybrids and Insect Control on Cotton Productivity in India
Latha Nagarajan, Carl Pray, Rutgers University and Anwar Naseem, McGill University
Trends in the Time Taken for Authorizing GM Crops in the USA and EU
Richard D. Smart, Technische Universität, Matthias Blum, and Justus Wesseler, Wageningen University
An Equilibrium Model of Coexistence
GianCarlo Moschini and Harvey Lapan, Iowa State University
The Economic Impacts of GMOs – The Past and the Present
David Zilberman, UC Berkeley
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Tour of RMI Research Winery and Brewery
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Conference Dinner – RMI
Dinner Speaker Alison L. Van Eenennaam, UC Davis
Who is Behind the Curtain? Communicating Facts in an Illusory World

Day 2: Saturday March 29
8:30 am – 10:00 am Session E: Pest and Disease Control I
Session Chair: Chuck Moss
A Simple Model of Crop Variety Selection and Disease Control under Increasing Disease Spread
David Lambert, Tim Dalton, and Karen Garrett, Kansas State University
Explaining Agricultural Labor Shortages with Unpredictable Product Losses: A Case Study of Spotted Wing Drosophila in California Raspberries.
Derek Farnsworth, University of California, Davis
The Impact of Online Continuing Education Courses on Pesticide Use Strategies and their Environmental Risks: The Case of Powdery Mildew and the California Grape Industry
Olena Sambucci and Travis J. Lybbert, University of California, Davis
Economic Impact of Classical Biological Control of Papaya Mealybug in India
Stephanie Myrick, Virginia Tech, George W. Norton, Virginia Tech, K.N. Selvaraj, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Kiruthika Natarajan, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, R. Muniappan, Virginia Tech
10:00 am – 10:30 am Coffee Break
10:30 am – 12:00 pm Session F: Pest and Disease Control II
Session Chair: John Miranowski
Bioeconomic Modeling of an Imported Disease in California Lettuce
Christine Carroll, Colin Carter, Rachael Goodhue, Cynthia C.Y. Lin, and Krishna Subbara, University of California, Davis
Managing Insects in Stored Products: The Challenge of Introducing New Technologies in Developing Countries
Corinne E. Alexander, Purdue University, Michael Jones, University of Florida, James Lowenberg-Deboer, Purdue University
Adoption of GM Maize Technology in India, and its Effect on Consumer Prices
Gal Hochman, JingKun Zhuang, and Carl Pray, Rutgers University
The Political Economy of Adoption of GM Rice Technology in India
Gal Hochman and Carl Pray, Rutgers University
12:00 pm – 1:50 pm Lunch and NC-1034 Business Meeting

1:50 pm – 3:00 pm Session G: Miscellaneous Topics
Session Chair: George Frisvold
Assessing the Economic Impacts of Extension in California—Application of Irrigation and Application For Pest Control
David Zilberman and Rebecca Taylor, UC Berkeley with Douglas Taylor and Ariel Dinar, UC Riverside
Drought Tolerant Maize and Its Effects on Farmers’ Returns and Risk: Evidence from on-Farm Trials in East, South and West Africa
Genti Kostandini, University of Georgia, Olaf Erenstein, CIMMYT, Tahirou Abdoulaye, IITA, Peter Setimela, CIMMYT, Abebe Menkir, IITA and Girma Tesfahun, CIMMYT
A Production Function for State Average Corn Yields: Estimation of a Stochastic Frontier Incorporating Weather and Technology Effects
Wallace Huffman, Iowa State University, Yu Jin, Shanghai University of Business and Economics
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Coffee Break
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Session H: Managing Agricultural Research
Session Chair: George Norton
Optimal Licensing for Plant Variety Patents: Preliminary Results
Julian M. Alston and Zo? T. Plakias, University of California, Davis
Making Time for Agricultural and Life Science Research: Technical Change and Productivity Gains
Daniel L. Prager, Jeremy D. Foltz, Bradford L. Barham, University of Wisconsin
Connectedness and Complementarity: Is Public Agricultural Research Stimulating Private R&DInvestment?
Andrew Toole, ERS/USDA
The Political Economy of Agricultural Knowledge: How Different Institutional Frameworks Shape Agricultural Research and Innovations
Barbara Brandl and Leland Glenna, Pennsylvania State University
5:00 pm Adjourn

Administrative adviser Marshall Martin (Purdue) provided an overview of project timelines and the renewal application and evaluation process. NC-1034 is approved through 2016. By September 2015, documents for project renewal need to written, however. The North Central committee would review the project. NC projects can be used as an investigator’s Hatch Project. Some experiment stations provide funds to travel to meetings, but this varies by experiment station. Another option when considering renewable is whether to be a coordinating committee. These do not require the same level of review and renewal requirements. But, coordinating committee membership cannot be used as your Hatch Project. In addition to multistate research committees and coordinating committees, there are also administrative committees and proposal development committees. Reporting in the NIMSS system is important because the information contained there is what panelist use to review and evaluate project renewal proposals. If you are not a member of NC-1034 but would like to be, you need your experiment director’s approval and need to fill out the Appendix E form in the NIMSS system, and report the amount of your time devoted to the project.

Wally Huffman (Iowa State) raised some issues and concerns about changes in how agricultural R&D and extension data is being collected. In particular, there are questions about
§ whether information is being collected and reported consistently across state agricultural experiment stations
§ whether information on extension activities is being recorded sufficiently and consistently across states
§ whether there are major changes in how things are measured and reported.

This latter point is important because the effects of agricultural R&D and extension take years to fully manifest themselves, so having a consistent time series of data is important for measuring returns to R&D and extension.

Following Wally’s points, Marshal Martin discussed what was in the NIMSS database and how that differed from CRIS data. Andy Toole (USDA-ERS) discussed how the STAR Metrics system of data differed from USDA sources and discussed some changes in the CRIS reporting system. John King (USDA-ERS) has been working on getting USDA-ARS to put some of their information on the Star Metrics system. Marshall posed the question of whether and how NC-1034 could make use of the Star Metrics data for their programs. Andy discussed some of the processes involved with accessing and sharing the data.

The next topic of discussion was about developing an edited volume built on this year’s conference theme of the role of agricultural R&D in combating agricultural pests and diseases. Chuck Moss (Florida), David Zilberman (Berkeley), Julian Alston (Davis), and George Frisvold (Arizona) expressed willingness to develop options and proposals for a book project. Julian Alston noted that the OECD supports workshops on selected topics and that this topic might be of interest to them. OECD would want to see significant European collaboration, however. George Frisvold noted that Justus Wesseler (Wageningen University, The Netherlands) was attending and has been a frequent attendee at Berkeley Bioeconomy Conferences and International Consortium for Bioeconomy Research (ICABR), that NC-1034 member are actively involved with. Further ICABR participants would be natural European experts that could contribute to and participate in a OECD workshop. There are also a number of agricultural economists at INRA (the French National Institute for Agricultural Research) that have research programs relevant to NC-1034 projects in general and animal and plant disease and pest management specifically.

David Zilberman emphasized that NC-1034’s main contribution could be not just to consider pest and disease control narrowly, but to really focus on the implications for and returns to agricultural research in these areas. For example, what is the value of agricultural research in these areas? What is the role of maintenance research, which is usually aimed at keeping just ahead of evolving pest and disease problems? Other considerations are the value of livestock research. Perhaps, NC-1034 for could discuss issues of livestock disease prevention and control with one of this year’s invited speakers, Alan Olmstead.
George Frisvold noted that NC-1034 participant George Norton (Virginia Tech) had just finished a large survey evaluating trends in maintenance research. Wally Huffman noted that a book with contributions from NC-1034 participants would present group research in a more coherent package and that this would improve our project review and renewal evaluations. Julian Alston asked if project renewal would be easier with another NC-1034 group book. Marshall Martin said, yes. He also said a book taking a global perspective would be good. Chuck Moss noted that ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute, with main offices in East Africa, and research projects throughout developing countries) might be a good collaborator. Julian Alston noted that economist Simeon Ehui who had been at ILRI does interesting work (Ehui is now at the World Bank). David Zilberman suggested a theme might be the need for sustainable R&D infrastructure. Sustainable R&D is needed for sustainable agriculture because innovations are needed to keep one step ahead of evolving pests, weeds, and diseases. The book could report rate of return estimates as well as provide examples of successful research programs and technologies.

George Frisvold noted that for the book project, consideration could be given to the following.
§ Look for funding sources for a follow-up to this current conference as a “writers’ workshop” to help get chapters near final draft. Possibilities may include the Farm Foundation or USDA-ERS.
§ As Julian Alston noted, the current conference had many papers on weeds, insect pests, and plant diseases, but was light on papers on animal disease (aside from Alan Olmstead’s presentation). To make an edited volume more complete we may need to solicit specific chapters from people inside and outside of NC-1034. Perhaps Olmstead would be willing to write a chapter that would be a synopsis of his own, larger book.
§ A publisher will need to be targeted and we will need to draft a book proposal (David Zilberman, also a series editor for Springer, said the cost of publishing through them would be about $5,000 – $7,000. Wojciech Florkowski (Georgia) also volunteered to contact Elsevier about a book proposal. Frisvold noted that an important feature of a book would be that scholars could access and download chapters from their university libraries. Edited volumes that are not internet accessible are less read and less cited).
§ The Economic Research Service had plans of publishing an edited volume about herbicide resistant weeds. George Frisvold volunteered to contact them to see if they might want to combine that effort with an NC-1034 book effort.
§ Someone is going to need to write an introductory integrating chapter and a concluding chapter noting the lessons learned from the body of volume chapters.

The next issue discussed was the location and themes for the next NC-1034 Conference. There was consensus that a place that is easy to fly in and out of is most desirable. Also, because many NC-1034 participants also would like to attend the Berkeley Bioeconomy Conference, it is desirable not to have dates conflict. The Berkeley Conference is usually during UC Berkeley’s Spring Break. In 2015, that will be Saturday, March 23 to Sunday, March 29. Julian Alston usually participates in the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society conference, held February 10 – 13, 2015. So, planning dates with this in mind is also a consideration.

Julian Alston noted that agricultural R&D and technology development is affected by regulation, public and private certification requirements, product standards, and labeling rules. Wally Huffman emphasized that in addition to federal legislation, there were many state and local labeling requirement proposals, for genetically modified crops for example. In addition, private initiatives and standards can alter agricultural research programs. David Zilberman noted that the food production system has to satisfy multiple interest groups.

Chuck Moss suggested that a possible conference theme or title could be, “Environmental Regulation and Private Industry Standards: Implications for Productivity and R&D.” There was general agreement that this was a good idea, worth pursuing. He also suggested that the conference might be held in the Tampa / St. Petersburg, FL area. This is (relatively) close to the University of Florida in Gainesville. In addition, the location might be an attractive draw for potential private industry speakers and participants.

There was general agreement that Chuck Moss would take the lead in exploring the Tampa / St. Petersburg area as a location for next year’s conference and that Chuck Moss, George Frisvold, David Zilberman and Julian Alston would pursue developing a book project proposal.

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: <br /> § Research findings on agricultural research funding and productivity growth <br /> cited in <br /> o The Economic Importance of Passing a Comprehensive Food, Farm, and Jobs Bill <br /> published by the Executive Office of the President, November 2013. <br /> o Reports of the Congressional Research Service informing members of Congress <br /> on Farm Bill issues. <br /> § Research findings on the costs of labeling requirements from genetically <br /> modified food products were widely cited during public debates over <br /> California’s Proposition 37 to require GMO labeling. <br /> <br /> Outputs: <br /> § >75 publications (journal articles, scholarly, edited books, or scholarly book <br /> chapters) in past year. <br /> Activities: <br /> § Conducted multiple assessments of technology adoption and its impacts in <br /> developing countries. <br /> § Produced several evaluations of economic impacts of biofuels and agricultural <br /> biotechnologies<br /> § Continued to track trends and impacts of agricultural research investments in <br /> the US and abroad. <br /> <br /> Milestones: <br /> Multiple project participants participated in: <br /> § planning, organizing and presenting project research findings at the Annual <br /> Conference of the International Consortium on Applied Bioeconomy Research. <br /> The conference theme was “Innovation and Policy for the Bioeconomy.” <br /> § planning, organizing, and contributing research papers at the 6th Berkeley <br /> Bioeconomy Conference on “The Bioeconomy After the Election” in Berkeley, CA, <br /> March 2013. <br /> § planning, organizing, and contributing research papers at the annual NC-1034 <br /> research symposium on “Pests, Germs and Seeds: The Economics of Policies, <br /> Programs, and Technologies for Managing Agricultural Pests and Diseases,” <br /> Davis, CA March 2013.<br />

Publications

Alston, J. M., Fuller, K. B., Kaplan, J. D., & Tumber, K. P. (2013). The economic consequences of Pierce’s disease and related policy in the California winegrape industry. J Agr Resour Econ, 38(2), 269-97.<br /> <br /> Alston, J. M., & Gray, R. S. (2013). Wheat research funding in Australia: The rise of public–private–producer partnerships. EuroChoices, 12(1), 30-35.<br /> <br /> Alston, J. M., Okrent, A. M., & Rickard, B. J. (2013). Impact of agricultural policies on caloric consumption. Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, 24(6), 269-271.<br /> <br /> Alston, J. M., & Pardey, P. G. (2013). Agricultural R&D and food security of the poor. Economic Papers, 32(3), 289-297.<br /> <br /> Alwang, J., Norton, G. W., Barrera, V., & Botello, R. (2013). Conservation agriculture in the Andean Highlands: Promise and precautions. In S. Mann (ed). The Future of Mountain Agriculture (pp. 21-38). Springer, Berlin Heidelberg.<br /> <br /> Andersen, M. A., & Song, W. (2013). The Economic impact of public agricultural research and development in the United States. Agricultural Economics, 44(3), 287-295.<br /> <br /> Ball, V. E., San-Juan-Mesonada, C., & Ulloa, C. A. State productivity growth in agriculture: catching-up and the business cycle. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 39, 1-12.<br /> <br /> Ball, V. E., Schimmelpfennig, D., & Wang, S. L. (2013). Is US agricultural productivity growth slowing? Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 35(3), 435-450.<br /> <br /> Bennett, A. B., Chi-Ham, C., Barrows, G., Sexton, S., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Agricultural biotechnology: economics, environment, ethics, and the future. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 38, 249-279.<br /> <br /> Bowman, M. S., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Economic factors affecting diversified farming systems. Ecology and Society, 18(1), 33.<br /> <br /> Brasier, K. J., Patel-Campillo, A., & Findeis, J. (2013). Aging populations and rural places: Impacts on and innovations in land use planning. In N. Glasgow & E.H. Berry (eds). Rural Aging in 21st Century America (pp. 211-230). Springer Netherlands.<br /> <br /> Bubela, T., Gold, E. R., Graff, G. D., Cahoy, D. R., Nicol, D., & Castle, D. (2013). Patent landscaping for life sciences innovation: towards consistent and transparent practices. Nature biotechnology, 31(3), 202-206.<br /> <br /> Clancy, M. S., & Moschini, G. (2013). Incentives for innovation: Patents, prizes, and research contracts. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 35(2), 206-241.<br /> <br /> Czarnitzki, D., & Toole, A. A. (2013). The R&D investment–uncertainty relationship: Do strategic rivalry and firm size matter? Managerial and Decision Economics, 34(1), 15-28.<br /> <br /> Egbendewe-Mondzozo, A., Elbakidze, L., McCarl, B. A., Ward, M. P., & Carey, J. B. (2013). Partial equilibrium analysis of vaccination as an avian influenza control tool in the US poultry sector. Agricultural Economics, 44(1), 111-123.<br /> <br /> <br /> Foltz, J. D., Useche, P., & Barham, B. L. (2013). Bundling technology and insurance: Packages versus technology traits. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 95(2), 346-352.<br /> <br /> Frisvold, G. B., & Deva, S. (2013). Climate and choice of irrigation technology: implications for climate adaptation. Journal of Natural Resources Policy Research, 5(2-3), 107-127.<br /> <br /> Frisvold, G. B., & Marquez, T. (2013). Water requirements for large-scale solar energy projects in the West. Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education, 151(1), 106-116.<br /> <br /> Ghimire, R., Norton, J. B., Norton, U., Ritten, J. P., Stahl, P. D., & Krall, J. M. (2013). Long-term farming systems research in the central High Plains. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 28(02), 183-193.<br /> <br /> Graff, G., Hochman, G., & Zilberman, D. (2013). The Research, Development, Commercialization, and Adoption of Drought and Stress-Tolerant Crops. In N. Tuteja & S. Gill (eds). Crop Improvement Under Adverse Conditions (pp. 1-33). Springer New York.<br /> <br /> Graff, G. D., Phillips, D., Lei, Z., Oh, S., Nottenburg, C., & Pardey, P. G. (2013). Not quite a myriad of gene patents. Nature biotechnology, 31(5), 404-410.<br /> <br /> Hamilton, S. F., Sproul, T. W., Sunding, D., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Environmental policy with collective waste disposal. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 66(2), 337-346.<br /> <br /> Harris, L. M., Norton, G. W., Karim, A. R., Alwang, J., & Taylor, D. B. (2013). Bridging the Information Gap with Cost-Effective Dissemination Strategies: The Case of Integrated Pest Management in Bangladesh. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 45, 639-654.<br /> <br /> Jones, V. P., Hilton, R., Brunner, J. F., Bentley, W. J., Alston, D. G., Barrett, B., ... & Smith, T. J. (2013). Predicting the emergence of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), on a degree-day scale in North America. Pest management science, 69(12), 1393-1398.<br /> <br /> Kachergis, E. J., Knapp, C. N., Fernandez-Gimenez, M. E., Ritten, J. P., Pritchett, J. G., Parsons, J., ... & Roath, R. (2013). Tools for resilience management: multidisciplinary development of state-and-transition models for northwest Colorado. Ecology and Society, 18(4), 39.<br /> <br /> Kahrl, F., Roland-Holst, D., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Past as Prologue? Understanding energy use in post-2002 China. Energy Economics, 36, 759-771.<br /> <br /> Kostandini, G., La Rovere, R., & Abdoulaye, T. (2013). Potential impacts of increasing average yields and reducing maize yield variability in Africa. Food Policy, 43, 213-226.<br /> <br /> Kristoufek, L., Janda, K., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Regime-dependent topological properties of biofuels networks. European Physical Journal B, 86(2), 40.<br /> <br /> Kung, C. C., McCarl, B. A., & Cao, X. (2013). Economics of pyrolysis-based energy production and biochar utilization: A case study in Taiwan. Energy Policy, 60, 317-323.<br /> <br /> Kung, C. C., McCarl, B., Cao, X., & Xie, H. (2013). Bioenergy prospects in Taiwan using set-aside land–an economic evaluation. China Agricultural Economic Review, 5(4), 489-511.<br /> <br /> Latta, G. S., Baker, J. S., Beach, R. H., Rose, S. K., & McCarl, B. A. (2013). A multi-sector intertemporal optimization approach to assess the GHG implications of US forest and agricultural biomass electricity expansion. Journal of Forest Economics, 19(4), 361-383.<br /> <br /> Liaukonyte, J., Streletskaya, N. A., Kaiser, H. M., & Rickard, B. J. (2013). Consumer Response to “Contains” and “Free of” Labeling: Evidence from Lab Experiments. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 35(3), 476-507.<br /> <br /> Lieske, S. N., Coupal, R. H., Hamerlinck, J. D., McLeod, D. M., & Scofield, A. M. (2013). Planning Support Systems for Fiscally Sustainable Planning. In S. Geertman, F. Toppen, & J. Stillwell (eds). Planning Support Systems for Sustainable Urban Development (pp. 127-147). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.<br /> <br /> Ma, X., & Shi, G. (2013). GM vs. Non-GM: A Survival Analysis of US Hybrid Seed Corn. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 42(3), 542–560. <br /> <br /> Mani, S., Chaudhuri, S., Unni, V. K., Pray, C., & Nagarajan, L. (2013). 3. TRIPS compliance of national patent regimes and domestic innovative activity: the Indian experience. In S. Mani & R. Nelson (eds). TRIPS Compliance, National Patent Regimes and Innovation: Evidence and Experience from Developing Countries (pp. 57-112). Edward Elgar Cheltenham. <br /> <br /> Masters, W. A., Djurfeldt, A. A., De Haan, C., Hazell, P., Jayne, T., Jirström, M., & Reardon, T. (2013). Urbanization and farm size in Asia and Africa: Implications for food security and agricultural research. Global Food Security, 2(3), 156-165.<br /> <br /> Maung, T. A., & McCarl, B. A. (2013). Economic factors influencing potential use of cellulosic crop residues for electricity generation. Energy, 56, 81-91.<br /> <br /> Melhim, A., & Shumway, C. R. (2013). Cost economies in the presence of marketing contracts. Applied Economics, 45(7), 921-932.<br /> <br /> Miljkovic, D., Miranda, S. H., & Shaik, S. (2013). Trade openness and technical efficiency in Brazilian agriculture. Applied Economics Letters, 20(2), 103-106.<br /> <br /> Miranowski, J., & Rosburg, A. (2012). Long-term biofuel projections under different oil price scenarios. AgBioForum, 16(1), 79-87.<br /> <br /> Mishra, A. K., & Moss, C. B. (2013). Modeling the effect of off-farm income on farmland values: A quantile regression approach. Economic Modelling, 32, 361-368.<br /> <br /> Moss, C., Schmitz, A., Bosch, D., Marchant, M., & Wetzstein, M. (2013). Positive and Negative Externalities in Agricultural Production: The Case of Adena Springs Ranch. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 45(3), 401-409.<br /> <br /> Moss, C. B. (2013). Stay interested, my friends. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 45(3), 369–371.<br /> <br /> Mosnier, A., Havlík, P., Valin, H., Baker, J., Murray, B., Feng, S., ... & Schneider, U. A. (2013). Alternative US biofuel mandates and global GHG emissions: the role of land use change, crop management and yield growth.Energy Policy, 57, 602-614.<br /> <br /> Mu, J. E., McCarl, B. A., & Wein, A. M. (2013). Adaptation to climate change: changes in farmland use and stocking rate in the US. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 18(6), 713-730.<br /> <br /> Nguema, A., Norton, G. W., Alwang, J., Taylor, D. B., Barrera, V., & Bertelsen, M. (2013). Farm-level economic impacts of conservation agriculture in Ecuador. Experimental Agriculture, 49(01), 134-147.<br /> <br /> Pardey, P. G., Alston, J. M., & Chan-Kang, C. (2013). Public agricultural R&D over the past half century: an emerging new world order. Agricultural Economics, 44(s1), 103-113.<br /> <br /> Patel-Campillo, A. (2013). Material Competition vs. Competitiveness as a National Project. The Neoliberal Regime in the Agri-Food Sector: Crisis, Resilience, and Restructuring, 207.<br /> <br /> Pfeiffer, D. U., Otte, M. J., Roland-Holst, D., & Zilberman, D. (2013). A one health perspective on HPAI H5N1 in the Greater Mekong sub-region.Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases, 36(3), 309-319.<br /> <br /> Pray, C.E., & Nagarajan, L. (2013). Role of biotechnology in stimulating agribusiness R&D investment in India. AgBioForum, 16(2), 104-111. <br /> <br /> Pray, C. E., Rheeder, J. P., Gouse, M., Volkwyn, Y., van der Westhuizen, L., & Shephard, G. S. (2013). Bt maize and fumonisin reduction in South Africa: Potential health impacts. In J. Falck-Zepeda, G. Gruère & I. Sithole-Niang (eds). Genetically modified crops in Africa: Economic and policy lessons from countries south of the Sahara. International Food Policy Research Institute Washington. <br /> <br /> Rajagopal, D., & Zilberman, D. (2013). On market-mediated emissions and regulations on life cycle emissions. Ecological Economics, 90, 77-84.<br /> Regier, G.K., Dalton, T.J., & Williams, J.R. (2013). Impact of genetically modified maize on smallholder risk in South Africa. AgBioForum, 15(3), 328-336. <br /> <br /> Rickard, B. J., Okrent, A. M., & Alston, J. M. (2013). How have agricultural policies influenced caloric consumption in the United States? Health economics, 22(3), 316-339.<br /> <br /> Rickard, B. J., Schmit, T. M., Gómez, M. I., & Lu, H. (2013). Developing Brands for Patented Fruit Varieties: Does the Name Matter?.Agribusiness, 29(3), 259-272.<br /> <br /> Schafft, K. A., Borlu, Y., & Glenna, L. (2013). The relationship between Marcellus Shale gas development in Pennsylvania and local perceptions of risk and opportunity. Rural Sociology, 78(2), 143-166.<br /> <br /> Schimmelpfennig, D., & Heisey, P. (2013). USDA Economic Research Service-The Evolving Public Agricultural Research Portfolio.<br /> <br /> Schmit, T. M., Rickard, B. J., & Taber, J. (2013). Consumer valuation of environmentally friendly production practices in wines, considering asymmetric information and sensory effects. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 64(2), 483-504.<br /> <br /> Serra, T., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Biofuel-related price transmission literature: A review. Energy Economics, 37, 141-151.<br /> <br /> Shaik, S. (2013). Did Crop Insurance Programs change the Systematic Yield Risk? Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 68, 89-103.<br /> <br /> Shaik, S. (2013). Crop Insurance Adjusted Panel Data Envelopment Analysis Efficiency Measures. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 95(5), 1155-117.<br /> <br /> Shakhramanyan, N. G., Schneider, U. A., & McCarl, B. A. (2013). US agricultural sector analysis on pesticide externalities–the impact of climate change and a Pigovian tax. Climatic change, 117(4), 711-723.<br /> <br /> Shakhramanyan, N., Schneider, U. A., & McCarl, B. A. (2013). Pesticide And Greenhouse Gas Externalities From US Agriculture – The Impact Of Their Internalization And Climate Change. Climate Change Economics, 4(03), doi: 10.1142/S2010007813500085. <br /> <br /> Shi, G., Chavas, J. P., & Lauer, J. (2013). Commercialized transgenic traits, maize productivity and yield risk. Nature biotechnology, 31(2), 111-114.<br /> <br /> Shi, G., Chavas, J. P., Lauer, J., & Nolan, E. (2013). An Analysis of Selectivity in the Productivity Evaluation of Biotechnology: An Application to Corn. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 95(3), 739-754.<br /> <br /> Skolrud, T. D., & Shumway, C. R. (2013). A Fourier analysis of the US dairy industry. Applied Economics, 45(14), 1887-1895.<br /> <br /> Smith, V. H., & Goodwin, B. K. (2013). The environmental consequences of subsidized risk management and disaster assistance programs. Annu. Rev. Resour. Econ., 5(1), 35-60.<br /> <br /> Sparger, J. A., Norton, G. W., Heisey, P. W., & Alwang, J. (2013). Is the share of agricultural maintenance research rising in the United States? Food Policy, 38, 126-135.<br /> <br /> Strogen, B., Horvath, A., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Energy intensity, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and economic assessment of liquid biofuel pipelines. Bioresource technology, 150, 476-485.<br /> <br /> Vacha, L., Janda, K., Kristoufek, L., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Time–frequency dynamics of biofuel–fuel–food system. Energy Economics, 40, 233-241.<br /> <br /> Villavicencio, X., McCarl, B. A., Wu, X., & Huffman, W. E. (2013). Climate change influences on agricultural research productivity. Climatic change, 119(3-4), 815-824.<br /> <br /> Xu, Z., Hennessy, D. A., Sardana, K., & Moschini, G. (2013). The realized yield effect of genetically engineered crops: US maize and soybean. Crop Science, 53(3), 735-745.<br /> <br /> Wang, S. L., Heisey, P. W., Huffman, W. E., & Fuglie, K. O. (2013). Public R&D, Private R&D, and US Agricultural Productivity Growth: Dynamic and Long-Run Relationships. American journal of agricultural economics, 95(5), 1287-1293.<br /> <br /> Wang, W., & McCarl, B. A. (2013). Temporal investment in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Climate Change Economics, 4(02), DOI: 10.1142/S2010007813500097. <br /> <br /> Zhang, Y. W., & McCarl, B. A. (2013). US Agriculture under Climate Change: An Examination of Climate Change Effects on Ease of Achieving RFS2. Economics Research International, 2013. Article ID 763818, DOI: 10.1155/2013/763818. <br /> <br /> Zilberman, D., Barrows, G., Hochman, G., & Rajagopal, D. (2013). On the indirect effect of biofuel. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 95(5), 1332-1337.<br /> <br /> Zilberman, D., Kaplan, S., Kim, E., Hochman, G., & Graff, G. (2013). Continents divided: Understanding differences between Europe and North America in acceptance of GM crops. GM Crops and Food: Biotechnology in Agriculture and the Food Chain, 4(3), 202-208.<br /> <br /> Zilberman, D., Kim, E., Kirschner, S., Kaplan, S., & Reeves, J. (2013). Technology and the future bioeconomy. Agricultural Economics, 44(s1), 95-102.<br />

Impact Statements

1. Provided data and analysis to inform debates over and structure of the Research Title of the 2014 Farm Bill
2. Productivity estimates found that U.S. agricultural output has nearly tripled since 1948 at an average annual growth rate of 1.63%. With little growth in inputs, the U.S. farm production has been driven mainly by total factor productivity growth. If U.S. public agricultural R&D spending fails to keep up with inflation, annual productivity growth would be halved by 2050.
3. Provided estimates of the effects of labeling requirements for GM products on consumer food costs, informing debates over ballot initiatives to enact such requirements.

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Report Information

Participants

George Frisvold - University of Arizona (NC-1034 president)
Robbin Shoemaker
– USDA (USDA, NIFA representative)
David Zilberman - University of California, Berkeley
Julian Alston - University of California, Davis
Charles Moss - University of Florida
Wallace Huffman - Iowa State University
John Miranowski - Iowa State University
David Lambert - Kansas State University
Carl Pray - Rutgers University
Bradley Rickard - Cornell University
George Norton - Virginia Tech
Marjorie Norton – Virginia Tech
Guanming Shi - University of Wisconsin

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

<p>NC-1034 participants have been highly productive, with more than 140 publication this year alone. These included more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles in addition to book chapters, extension reports, or government documents this year (see publication list).</p><br /> <p>Two academic NC-1034 participants were lead coordinating authors of the report to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) on an external review of how ERS develops and communicates agricultural productivity measures and to recommend improved methods. In addition, four other NC-1034 participants prepared written stakeholder recommendations published in the report, while two other NC-1034 members served as reviewers of earlier manuscript drafts. ERS economists responsible for ERS's productivity measurement program have been long-standing members of NC-1034.</p><br /> <p>Multiple NC-1034 participants contributed to special issues of the journal AgBioForum: The Journal of Agribiotechnology Management and Economics. These include: (a) Volume 14, Number 3, Special Issue on Sustainability and the Bioeconomy; (b) Volume 17, Number 2, Special Issue in Honor of Jimmye Hillman (on non- tariff barriers and other constraints to biotechnology adoption). Many of the articles published here were first presented at the 2013 NC-1034 research symposium in Tucson, AZ; (c) Volume 18 (forthcoming), Special Issue on Impacts of the Bioeconomy on Agricultural Sustainability the Environment and Human Health. NC-1034 members also contributed to: (a) four chapters to the edited volume Genetically Modified Food and Global Welfare (Carter, Moschini, and Sheldon), while one NC-1034 member was a co-editor; (b) four chapters to The Handbook on Agriculture, Biotechnology and Development (Smyth, Phillips, and Castle); (c) three chapters to the International workshop on socioeconomic impacts of genetically modified crops co-organized by JRC-IPTS and FAO Workshop proceedings (Lusser, et al.); (d) five chapters to Productivity Growth in Agriculture: An International Perspective (Fuglie, Wang, and Ball), while one NC-1034 member was a co- editor. Five NC-1034 members are research fellows of the International Science &amp; Technology Practice &amp; Policy (InSTePP) program that brings together scholars at the University of Minnesota and elsewhere to engage in economic research on science and technology practice and policy, emphasizing the international implications.</p><br /> <p>The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) is responsible for constructing the agricultural productivity accounts for US agriculture. These accounts generate the official estimates of productivity in the U.S. farm sector. They include estimates of outputs, inputs, and total factor productivity (TFP), the preferred measure of innovation according to the Advisory Committee on Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century (Schramm et al. 2008). The Advisory Committee was established by the Secretary of Commerce to recommend ways to improve the measurement of innovation in the economy. In 2014, ERS commissioned an external review committee to evaluate how ERS develops and communicates productivity measures and to recommend improved methods. Two academic NC-1034 participants were lead coordinating authors of the final review report, published in May 2015. In addition, four other NC-1034 participants prepared written stakeholder recommendations published in the report, while two other NC-1034 members served as reviewers of earlier manuscript drafts. The report acknowledged "The USDA Economic Research Service has emerged as an acknowledged intellectual leader in construction and integration of national and state-level productivity accounts in agriculture. The national and state-level ERS productivity measures are widely referred to and used, and international sectoral comparisons rely on the ERS production accounts for foundation methodology in constructing agricultural productivity accounts in other countries." The report (http://ses.wsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/WP2015-12.pdf) also made recommendations for advances and improvements in productivity measurement. These include improved measurement of inputs (land, labor, non-land capital, and intermediate inputs), outputs, quality adjustments, R&amp;D measurement, state-level productivity measurements, and international productivity comparisons. Complementary and parallel research by NC-1034 members have continued to improve U.S. state-level and international estimates of agricultural productivity.</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

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Report Information

Participants

Jorge Avila, University of Florida
Diwash Neupane, University of Florida
Maria Medina, Uniiversity of Florida
Kelly Davidson, University of Florida
Anwar Nasseem, Rutgers University
Gal Hochman, Rutgers University
Alejandro Plastina, Iowa State University
Kate Fuller, Montana State University
Zhen Lei, Pennsylvania State University
Marshall Martin, Purdue University
Juan Sesmero, Purdue University
David Bullock, University of Illinois
James Oehmke, USAID
Robbin Shoemaker USDA/NIFA
Sun Ling Wang USDA/ERS
Brian Wright UC-Berkeley
George Frisvold, University of Arizona
Wallace Huffman, Iowa State University
Richard Shumway, Washington State University
Manhong Zhu, University of Florida
Vincent Smith, Montana State University
Andrew Schmitz, University of Florida
Charles Moss, University of Florida
Zhen Sun, Universiity of California, Davis
George Norton, Virginia Tech
Olufemi Bolerinwa, University of Florida

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

<p>Project participants published more than 70 peer reviewed journal articles in 2015 alone. &nbsp;In addition, there were several book chapters and extension publications (see publication list).</p><br /> <p>Project particpants were also highly active at the Joint Meeting of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) and the Western Agricultural Economics Association (WAEA) in San Francisco, California held July 26-28, 2015. The following were AAEA/WAEA paper or poster presentations where NC-1034 members were authors or co-authors:</p><br /> <p><strong>Regulation and technological change</strong></p><br /> <p>Mandated Labels for GMOs, Julian Alston, University of California, Davis</p><br /> <p>Food Waste: The Role of Date Labels, Package Size, and Product Category, Bradley Rickard, Cornell University</p><br /> <p>Do Improvements in Environmental Performance Lead to Job Loss? Madhu Khanna, University of Illinois</p><br /> <p><strong>Technology adoption </strong></p><br /> <p>Changes in Technology Use in the Beef Industry: Welfare Analysis and Trade Implications, David Bullock, University of Illinois</p><br /> <p>Testing for Complementarity: Glyphosate Tolerant Soybeans and Conservation Tillage, Moschini, Iowa State University</p><br /> <p>ICTs for Agriculture: Exploring the Impact of a Text-message Based Intervention on Adoption of Blackberry ICM in Ecuador, Jeffrey Alwang and George Norton, Virginia Tech</p><br /> <p><strong>Measuring Productivity and its Impacts </strong></p><br /> <p>Non-Neutral Marginal Research Costs and Induced Innovation Hypothesis, C. Richard Shumway, Washington State University</p><br /> <p>University Research Productivity and its Impact on the Regional Agricultural Economy: The Case of Colorado State, Gregory Graff, Colorado State University</p><br /> <p>An Empirical Investigation of the Stanford&rsquo;s &ldquo;1.2 Rule&rdquo; for Fertilizer Recommendation, David Bullock, University of Illinois</p><br /> <p>Technical Efficiency and Adoption of Conservation Practices in Iowa Soybean Production Alejandro Plastina, Iowa State University</p><br /> <p>Asset Fixity under State-Contingent Production Uncertainty, C. Richard Shumway, Washington State University</p><br /> <p>Effects of Joint Primal-dual Estimation and Concavity Restrictions on Parameter Estimates of US Agricultural Production, Alejandro Plastina, Iowa State University</p><br /> <p>Education, Labor Quality, and US Agricultural Growth, Sun Ling Wang, V. Eldon Ball, USDA-Economic Research Service</p><br /> <p>Irrigation technology and climate change adaptation Water Storage Capacities versus Conservation Efficiency: Substitutes or Complements? David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley</p><br /> <p>Land Use Change as an Adaptation Strategy of US Farms to Climate and Risk, John Miranowski, Iowa State University</p><br /> <p>The Information Value of Decadal Climate Variability and Adaptation: A Case in the Missouri River Basin, Bruce McCarl, Texas A&amp;M University</p><br /> <p>The Diffusion of Process Innovation: The Case of Drip Irrigation in California, David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley</p><br /> <p><strong>Bio-energy technologies </strong></p><br /> <p>Estimating Producers&rsquo; Willingness to Supply Switchgrass as a Bioenergy Crop, Richard Perrin and Lilyan Fulginiti, University of Nebraska</p><br /> <p>Potential Welfare Effects of Soy-Based Mariculture Feed, Richard Perrin and Lilyan Fulginiti, University of Nebraska-Lincoln</p><br /> <p>The Biomass Crop Assistance Program: Critical, Notional, or Distortional Support for Cellulosic Biofuels? Madhu Khanna, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</p><br /> <p><strong>Research policy </strong></p><br /> <p>The Economic Role of Plants in Global Health George Frisvold, University of Arizona</p><br /> <p>Mechanisms of Patent Licensing for Varietal Innovation, Bradley Rickard, Cornell University</p><br /> <p>The Political Economy of the Global Bio-Economy, David Zilberman, University of California, Berkeley &emsp;</p><br /> <p><strong>The following were AAEA / WAEA organized symposia where NC-1034 members served as organizers, panelists or discussants: </strong></p><br /> <p>Guiding Investments in Sustainable Agricultural Intensification in Africa: New Research Evidence and Implications for Policy, Discussant: William Masters, Tufts University</p><br /> <p>Ebola: Predicting it, Addressing it, and Food Security Impacts Organizer: George Norton, Virginia Tech</p><br /> <p>Mapping the Economics of the Beef Genome, Organizer: Nicole Ballenger, University of Wyoming, Discussant: Julian Alston, University of California, Davis, Panelist: Matthew Andersen, University of Wyoming;</p><br /> <p>Policy for Managing Infectious Livestock Diseases, Organizers: Julian Alston, University of California, Davis;</p><br /> <p>Measurement of US Agricultural Productivity: What Follows the External Review? Organizer: C. Richard Shumway, Washington State University, V. Eldon Ball, USDA-Economic Research Service</p><br /> <p>Enhancing African Agricultural Transformation, Panelists: Charles Moss, University of Florida; Discussant: Andrew Schmitz, University of Florida &nbsp;</p><br /> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

1. Improved measurement and communication of agricultural productivity measures. Project participants were active organizers and contributors to the external review of USDA state and national agricultural productivity account methods. The review committee made several recommendations for improved measurement, communication of results, and data access. ERS, as a result has begun to implement several of the recommended improvements. Project participants served on and contributed to the external review committee to evaluate USDA agricultural productivity accounts. ERS is now implementing several of the recommendations the committee to improve methods, communication, and data access.

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