Stochastic frontier analysis is used to evaluate the technical and allocative efficiencies for banks classified based on industry specialization (agricultural and non-agricultural banks) and solvency condition (non-critical and critical banks). The analytical framework allows for comparisons of...

Microcredit has expanded rapidly since its beginnings in the last 1970s, but whether and how much it reduces poverty is the subject of intense debate. Generally it depends on how the program is implemented and the set of policies that regulate it. In this spirit, microcredit impacts in the...

Every year hundreds of food recalls are made due to contamination. The main focus of this paper is to examine the effects of specific food events on consumers’ confidence in food safety as well as their preparedness regarding the United States food system. The food events studied in this are...

The cow-calf industry has been in a contraction state since 2008 despite improved calf prices in 2010 and 2011 and what appeared to be a market signal toward expansion. Instead, 2012 and 2013 appear to be headed to two more years of contraction. We examine factors impacting a cow-calf...

The dual relationship between parameters of normalized quadratic cost and profit functions is determined when firms can implement market power on the output market. An approach is developed to test the market power by comparing the profits of a firm with and without market power. Simulations...