We investigate the pricing of traits in the U.S. corn seed market under imperfect competition. In a multiproduct context, we examine how substitution/complementarity relationships among products can affect pricing. This is used to motivate generalizations of the Herfindahl-Hirschman index...

This article is a reflection on the path taken by production economics and farm management over the last century, and the progress made in understanding the economics of the farm. The accumulated knowledge has helped refine our assessment of the efficiency of farm management decisions and the...

The paper investigates the benefits of diversification for a multi-product firm. It examines economies of diversification, reflecting the cost reduction associated with producing outputs in an integrated firm (compared to specialized firms). The analysis applies under complete specialization as...

This paper investigates the nonparametric analysis of technology under non-convexity. The analysis extends two approaches now commonly used in efficiency and productivity analysis: data envelopment analysis where convexity is imposed; and free disposal hull (FDH) models. We argue that, while the...

<DIV>There has been an increase in food price instability in recent years, with varied consequences for farmers, market participants, and consumers. Before policy makers can design schemes to reduce food price uncertainty or ameliorate its effects, they must first understand the factors that have...</div>

We study the impacts of risk and ambiguity aversion on the adoption of new technologies, specifically genetically modified (GM) corn and soy seeds. We conduct experiments measuring risk and ambiguity aversion with Midwestern grain farmers. Risk aversion has only a small impact on the timing of...

The paper investigates the linkages between technological change and production risk, with an application to corn. The effects of technology on risk exposure are analyzed. We define technological progress to be risk-increasing (risk-decreasing) if it increases (decreases) the relative risk...

This paper uses conditional quantile regression to analyze the effects of genetically modified (GM) seed technology and management on production risk in agriculture, with an application to the distribution of corn yield in Wisconsin. Using the certainty equivalent (CE) as a welfare measure, our...