Agricultural productivity in 41 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries from 1960 to 1999 is examined by estimating a semi-nonparametric Fourier production frontier. Over the four decades the estimated rate of productivity change was 0.83% per year, although the average rate from 1985-99 was a strong...

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/29/04.

This study employed a clustering algorithm and a logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between cropland and demographic attributes obtained at the census block group level. The result indicated that population density, African Americans, and poverty are significantly related...

This study uses a structural latent variable approach to examine whether the increased supply of health information has been successful in improving consumer tastes and preferences towards fruits and vegetables and if it has been successful in doing so, how this change in tastes is affecting the...

A multinomial logit analysis is employed to analyze consumers' perceptions about purchasing biotech foods and their preferences for mandatory and voluntary labeling. Results showed that consumers who are sensitive to the possible side effects of biotech crops on wildlife and the environment are...

We explore the economic linkage between farms and neighboring communities using primary data collected from a state-wide cross section of 461 dairy farms. Empirical results implicate not only farm characteristics such as size, operator tenure and ethnicity but also the characteristics of the...

Drawing upon telephone survey data, a logit probability analysis was conducted to identify household characteristics as well as social and institutional factors associated with backyard composting of yard and food wastes. Highly significant predictors included household gardening, perception of...

APEC's "open regionalism" calls for free-trade in APEC but with benefits also accruing to non-APEC members. This study shows that "open regionalism" provides strong incentives for non-APEC economies to also liberalize their policies to maintain competitiveness. Inclusion of agriculture is...

It is widely believed that block-rate pricing separates income redistribution from efficiency consideration. We show that social optimum can not be implementable by block-rate pricing. Particularly, block-rate pricing with marginal cost as the highest block induces over production and...