Substitution of petroleum fuels with biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel has been shown to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These GHG reductions can be traded in the emerging carbon markets, and methodologies for quantifying and trading are still being developed. The main challenges in...

The Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) is a voluntary environmental program (VEP) initiated in 1999 by a coalition of state government agencies and agricultural, environmental and conservation groups in Michigan. We survey Michigan livestock producers and conduct...

Although significant research has been done on managing farmers’ financial risk through federal programs such as federal crop insurance, to date, little attention has been paid to the ability of on-farm management’s potential to mitigate agricultural risk. Federal crop insurance could...

The energy savings from tree shade coincide with peak electricity demand during summer months, creating an opportunity for utilities to use tree protection policies as demand side management tools. We apply a quasi-experimental research design to identify the change in residential energy caused...

Methyl bromide is a commonly used fumigant for controlling insects in food processing facilities. However, it has been designated as an ozone depleter and is becoming less available and more costly. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an alternative, and may additionally reduce insecticide...

This study employs a choice experiment approach to investigate consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for organic food products. We use mixed logit and latent class models to examine preference heterogeneity. The results revealed significant heterogeneity in preferences for...

Agricultural production can degrade water sources through leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural land to surface and ground water sources. To minimize the pollution from agricultural production, the U.S. Department of Agriculture promotes adoption of conservation practices....