Lewbel's composite model for comparing the AIDS and Translog demand systems is estimated using Italian meat-consumption data. Preliminary non-parametric diagnoses suggest that exogenous shifters of price and expenditure need not be introduced into a parametric model. By contrast, the parametric...

Economists studying markets for organic produce and proponents of organic agriculture have often assumed that organic produce has more defects than conventional produce and that consumers buying organics are exchanging visual quality for perceived food safety and environmental benefits. Analysis...

In the wake of highly volatile world prices of staple commodities, we examine the impacts of increases in maize prices on various categories of households in Malawi. Using household-level data, changes in household income are calculated taking into account the net maize production status of the...

A partial equilibrium, duality-based empirical model is used to measure the tariff and nontariff barrier effects on fresh tomato prices, quantities, and labour demand in Florida, USA, and Sinaloa, Mexico. Reduced-form estimates indicate that the US unit tariff has increased agricultural labour...

In the past year, trade practices between fresh produce shippers and food retailers gained national attention. Shippers are concerned that recent retail consolidation has led to market power and the growing incidence of fees and services. Retailers argue that these new trade practices reflect...

Sales of organic milk in mainstream supermarkets have grown over the last 8 years, reaching $75.7 million in 1999, as more organic milk processors enter the market and more mainstream supermarkets sell organic products. National-level scanner data for mainstream supermarkets are employed to...

Sales of newly introduced bagged, refrigerated salads grew at over 50% annually, during 1994-95. Consumption of bagged salads displayed marked seasonality despite year-round availability and uniform quality at more stable prices than head lettuce. Using scanner data from 44 areas, a...

Strategic investments in agriculture often are lumpy and irreversible, with significant impacts on operating and fixed costs. Leveling cotton fields to zero slope in central Arizona is a strategic decision made by relatively younger farmers who are farming fine-textured soils in irrigation...

This compilation of papers for principal papers session PP-03 at the AAEA 1998 Annual Meeting assesses the current status of the organic agriculture industry in the United States. Paper topics address production, market and certification issues faced by the industry, research challenges and...