Archive for Food Systems, Nutrition Security, and Agriculture
Determining the optimal food hub location in the fresh produce supply chain
Abstract
Purpose: Using recent US regional data associated with food system operations, this study aims at building optimization and econometric models to incorporate varying influential factors on food hub location decisions and generate effective facility location solutions.
Design/methodology/approach: Mathematical optimization and econometric models have been commonly used to identify hub location decisions, and each is associated with specific strengths to handle uncertainty. This paper develops an optimization model and a hurdle model of the US fresh produce sector to compare the hub location solutions between these two modeling approaches.
Findings: Econometric modeling and mathematical optimization are complementary approaches. While there is a divergence between the results of the optimization model and the econometric model, the optimization solution is largely confirmed by the econometric solution. A combination of the results of the two models might lead to improved decision-making.
Practical implications: This study suggests a future direction in which model development can move forward, for example, to explore and expose how to make the existing modeling techniques easier to use and more accessible to decision-makers.
Social implications: The models and results provide information that is currently limited and is useful to help inform sustainable decisions of various stakeholders interested in the development of regional food systems, regional infrastructure investment and operational strategies for food hubs.
Originality/value: This study sheds light on how the application of complementary modeling approaches improves the effectiveness of facility location solutions. This study offers new perspectives on elaborating key features to encompass facility location issues by applying interdisciplinary approaches.
Authors: Houtian Ge, Jing Yi, Stephan J. Goetz, Rebecca Cleary, Miguel I. Gómez
Publication: Journal of Modelling in Management Date Published: August 13, 2024
Tags: EFSNE, food hub, supply chain
Broadband access and agritourism operations in the United States
Abstract: An online presence is crucial for agritourism operators to connect with consumers. In this study, we use count data regression models to examine the correlation between average broadband speed adopted and the number of agritourism operations. We found that adoption of fast broadband in 2012 was associated with a significantly higher number of agritourism operations nationally in 2017, underscoring the role of broadband connectivity in facilitating interactions between farmers and consumers, as well as in promoting agritourism. However, only a weak association exists in rural counties, indicating that the broadband–agritourism relationship does not extend to less populated areas.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Luyi Han, Arian Moghadam, Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Date Published: June 17, 2024
Direct-to-Consumer Sales of Agrifood Products by US Farms: Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture
A new data brief by Jason S. Entsminger (University of Maine) and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD) provides a snapshot of the direct-to-consumer sales of agrifood products, and documents recent changes across the industry. The data brief, which was published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), is available below:
Authors: Jason S. Entsminger and Claudia Schmidt
Publication: NERCRD Data Brief Series Date Published: June 3, 2024
Agritourism and Recreational Services on US Farms: Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture
A new data brief by Jason S. Entsminger (University of Maine) and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD) provides a snapshot of the national agritourism landscape and documents recent changes across the industry. The data brief, which was published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), is available below:
Authors: Jason S. Entsminger and Claudia Schmidt
Publication: NERCRD Data Brief Series Date Published: May 7, 2024
Women farmers and community well-being under modeling uncertainty
This research examines the association between woman farmers and community well-being using U.S. county-level data and finds that a higher share of farms operated or owned by women in a county is associated with higher rates of new business formation, longer life expectancies, and lower poverty rates. Read a related news article here.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Steven C. Deller, Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy Date Published: January 16, 2024