Achieving greater energy security by reducing dependence on foreign petroleum is a goal of U.S. energy policy. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) calls for a Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2), which mandates that the United States increase the volume of biofuel that is blended...

This report examines the ways that fuel prices are transmitted to wholesale produce prices via transportation costs. Specifically, it focuses on marketing costs for asparagus,cantaloupes, table grapes, oranges, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Results of the study indicate that transportation costs...

Japan’s agriculture has been inward oriented, protected by trade barriers from foreign competition. Even though the share of Japan’s food consumption provided by Japanese production has gradually fallen, Japan’s farm sector remains the second-largest among the countries negotiating the...

The tables in this bulletin provide aggregate economic and agricultural growth, performance, production, and trade indicators for the world, 14 geographic regions, the Economic Community, Central Europe, and for 141 countries. These countries account for over 99 percent of the world population,...

The United States is the world's largest phosphate exporter and the world's largest potash importer. The U.s. nitrogen trade balance, relatively stable before 1983, has shifted as the United States became a net importer of nitrogen beginning in 1983. This bulletin includes statistics for 1970-91...

Record-high U.S. strawberry production in 1993 and another large crop anticipated in 1994 continue the growth trend that began in the 1970's. California produced nearly 80 percent of the U.S. crop on less than half of the strawberry acreage due to higher output per acre than other States. Grower...

This report documents the updated version of the Partial Equilibrium Agricultural Trade Simulation (PEATSim) model developed by USDA’s Economic Research Service. PEATSim is a global model, covering 31 commodities and 27 countries/regions. The model, consistent with economic theory, provides a...

Recent studies show that average diets differ considerably from Food Guide Pyramid recommendations. The gap between current consumption and recommendations is particularly large for caloric sweeteners, fats and oils, fruits, and certain vegetables, notably dark-green leafy and deep-yellow...