The recently completed round of negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade focused on domestic and international agricultural policies. If this agreement is approved by Congress, U.S. agricultural programs must comply with GATT provisions. The policy choices made during the...

Commodity programs will again be at the center of the debate as consideration of the 1995 farm bill begins. A wide range of alternatives will be proposed as 1995 approaches. Each of these proposals would affect Michigan farmers, regardless of whether they participate in existing farm programs....

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act contains major revisions in farm commodity programs. This paper summarizes the major provision of legislation. Because many program implementation rules must be developed, program participants are advised to consult their local office of the...

The emergence of biotechnology in crop and livestock applications has been an issue of great controversy. Proponents argue that the potential benefits are dramatic while opponents have raised many concerns about the technology's risks. The Starlink debacle is a prime example of the undesirable...

The paper presents an analysis of cooperative investment decision based on the coalition theoretical framework (Staatz 1983, 1987, 1989). According to this framework, cooperatives can be considered as coalitions of groups with different interests. The behavior of any cooperative is determined by...

The concept of social capital is defined as a third process (along with individual incentives and authority relationships) for assuring transaction cost efficiency. Social capital is especially relevant to international transactions because cultural differences, large distances, and limited...

The current research explores the potential to develop a cherry-apple hard cider market as a potential means to increase demand for and the value of Michigan fruit grower's product. Factors affecting both the development of hard cider markets in Michigan and cherry-apple hard cider were...