Previous research has reached inconsistent, if not paradoxical, conclusions regarding the impact of conservation easements on farmland prices. Expectations of price reductions, strongly grounded in economic theory, are not always observed.We develop a hedonic model to examine the sale prices of...

Both prices and the volatility of storable agricultural commodity futures contracts have been rising since 2005 and particularly since 2007. This paper aims to answer two principal questions: (i) How has the behavior of these futures prices over time and across maturities changed with the rise...

This paper presents preliminary results on the possible demand for weather insurance in China. Results from 1,564 farm households from Western and Central China between October 2007 and October 2008 suggest that the greater risk for farmers is drought followed by excessive rain. Heat is less...

This paper examines the relationship between uncertainty and investment decisions by food and non-food firms. Using hysteresis and the real options paradigm, we review why uncertainty might cause firms to delay investment. In particular, our model looks for a negative relationship between...

This paper provides a comparison between grain farms in Ontario and Illinois. The intent is to focus on how the two regions compare, economically, and how government programs in each region differ and affect asset valuations. In general the results indicate that the two economies move in tandem...

Land is the most important agricultural asset. Income risk due to farmland price volatility creates economic hardship for rural communities. Although inflation explains much of the farmland valuation problem, it remains to some extent a puzzle. We use wavelet-based statistical methods supported...