This study examines the impact of macroeconomic shocks on the efficiency of small farmers. We estimate single- and multiple-factor efficiency measures for Indonesian rice farmers in years before, during, and after the country's macroeconomic crisis. We find that productive efficiency declined by...

The structure of the pork production, slaughter, and processing sectors in Mexico has changed significantly since implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and with rising income and increased urbanization. Today, Mexico's pork industry has become more integrated and...

Income, region, education, and household demographics are among the significant determinants of alcohol expenditures according to this study. The authors examine the determinants of household alcohol expenditures by using a nonnormal and heteroskedastic double-hurdle model to accommodate zero...

Food assistance programs play an important role in meeting the basic needs of low-income households. We consider the complex interactions among food stamps, labor force participation, and food insecurity status of low-income households under different program designs and economic conditions. The...

The rapid changes in China's economy and data availability have led to the need for a quantitative assessment of its food and nutrient situation. This paper first reports estimates of China's average per capita daily energy, protein, and fat availability through yearly food balance sheets for...

China's bilateral trade in food and agricultural products has grown dramatically since the country's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, the country faces significant problems related to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) compliance because of increasing concerns about food...

A 1996 welfare act that allows states more leeway in designing their own welfare programs is expected to dramatically change the role of local governments with respect to human service delivery programs. It is important that policymakers and local officials understand how changes are likely to...

Production data on more than 11,000 state and collective farms in Ukraine were obtained through the VASKhNIL Research Agreement between the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University and the Ukrainian Institute of Agrarian Economics. Of particular interest to...

Beef is a heterogeneous commodity, which makes it difficult to compare beef prices in an international level. This paper evaluates several methods of comparing beef prices to be used in measuring both comparative advantage and protection. The most suitable method is one that compares the prices...

Major changes in the use of US sweeteners have occurred since 1970, in both the amount and composition. Increased consumption of caloric sweeteners, especially in beverages, has been linked to excess energy intake and lower-quality diets. We examine how US farm policies (specifically...