Archive for Food Systems, Nutrition Security, and Agriculture
If You Build Them… Will it Matter? Food Stores’ Presence and Perceived Barriers to Purchasing Healthy Foods in the Northeastern U.S.
Policies incentivizing store entry or store improvements are aimed at increasing access to healthy foods; however, findings about their effectiveness to improve diets are mixed. Similarly, little is known about whether food stores’ presence affects consumers’ perceived barriers to purchasing healthy foods, which reflect the subjective hardships experienced by shoppers to purchase and consume healthier foods. In this study, we assess the relationship between the two most widely studied perceived barriers to purchasing healthy foods (price and availability) and the local retail food environment using individual-level survey data collected across the northeastern US and census data on the numbers of grocery stores and warehouse clubs and supercenters. Our results indicate that unobserved heterogeneity plays an important role in determining the sign and magnitude of the relationship between store presence and perceptions. The likelihood that an individual cites price or availability as a perceived barrier depends upon the barrier considered, whether respondents live in the zip code where they shop, and the method of controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. Thus, policies focusing on improving access to a given store type may only mitigate some of the negative perceptions associated with one’s food environment.
Authors: Lauren Chenarides, Alessandro Bonanno, Anne Palmer
Publication: Applied Economics Perspective and Policy Date Published: October 12, 2020
Google Searches Reveal Changing Consumer Food Sourcing in the COVID-19 Pandemic
In this commentary published in 2021, we examine how consumer interest changed since the advent of the pandemic, by observing Google search trends.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Stephan J. Goetz, Sarah Rocker, Zheng Tian
Publication: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development Date Published: May 21, 2020
Tags: COVID-19
Americans’ Food Spending Patterns Explain Devastating Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service’s Food Expenditures by Outlet data provide insight as to why the lockdowns related to COVID-19 have been so devastating for U.S. farmers.
Authors: Stephan J. Goetz, Claudia Schmidt, Lisa Chase, Jane Kolodinsky
Publication: Journal of Food Systems, Agriculture, and Community Development Date Published: May 21, 2020
In the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Industry, Market Workers and Local Specialized Freight Truckers May be at Greatest Risk
NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief No. 2020-10: This data brief was released during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined data relating to the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Industry during that time.
Authors: Stephan J. Goetz, Devon Meadowcroft, Claudia Schmidt, Prasanjit Mitra and Francesco Di Gioia
Publication: NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief Series Date Published: May 12, 2020
Tags: COVID-19, COVID-19 Data Briefs
Brief: Google Searches Reveal Changing Consumer Food Sourcing in the COVID-19 Pandemic
NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief No. 2020-7. This brief was also published as a commentary in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Stephan J. Goetz, Sarah J. Rocker, Zheng Tian
Publication: NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief Series Date Published: May 4, 2020
Tags: COVID-19, COVID-19 Data Briefs
Brief: Americans’ Food Spending Patterns Explain Devastating Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Agriculture
NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief No. 2020-9. This brief is also published as a commentary in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development.
Authors: Stephan J. Goetz, Claudia Schmidt, Lisa Chase and Jane Kolodinsky
Publication: NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief Series Date Published: May 1, 2020
Tags: COVID-19, COVID-19 Data Briefs
Small and Minority Farmers’ Knowledge and Resource Sharing Networks, and Farm Sales: Findings from Communities in Tennessee, Maryland, and Delaware
A network analysis can quantify the depth and breadth of a farmer’s relationships with other local farmers, buyers and sellers, or other groups and organizations. Such an analysis can potentially also reveal farmers’ incentives, situations, and behaviors, and it may explain their economic success more generally. This study examines small and minority farmers’ networks using a primary survey in three farming communities. We emphasize networks related to production, marketing, and resource-sharing activities of 127 farmers (nodes) in Tennessee, 46 in Maryland, and 23 in Delaware, and compute three different measures of network importance or “centrality” for each farmer. We then use generalized least squares analysis relating farmer’s age, gender, race, educational attainment, labor use on the farm, and farm location to the farmer’s centrality position or importance in the network, defined by number and strength of links or connections. In additional regression analyses, we find significantly positive effects of the centrality position on farm sales of specialty crops: our model predicts that a farmer who adds one additional link or connection can expect a 19% to 25% increase in sales, all else equal. Our results can potentially be used not only to disseminate information more efficiently, but also to identify farmers who would benefit the most from more targeted extension services.
Authors: Aditya R. Khanal, Fisseha Tegegne, Stephan J. Goetz, Lan Li, Yicheol Han, Stephan Tubene, Andy Wetherill
Publication: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development Date Published: April 17, 2020
Farms with Direct to Consumer Sales in the Northeast Region and COVID-19: Some Early Challenges and Responses
NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief No. 2020-1. Agricultural producers who sell directly to consumers faced a particular conundrum during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in that they both tend to be located close to population centers and it is in these densely populated areas where COVID-19 cases were most common. Here we document this issue and discuss resulting challenges for farmers, and their adaptation strategies to date.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Zheng Tian, Stephan Goetz, Benjamin Bartley, Brian Moyer, and Sarah Rocker
Publication: NERCRD COVID-19 Issues Brief Series Date Published: April 1, 2020
Tags: COVID-19, COVID-19 Data Briefs
The Role of Craft Breweries in Expanding (Local) Hop Production
Hop production has expanded dramatically in recent years along with the number of local craft breweries, but to date the relationship between these two phenomena has not been explored systematically. Using a state-level pooled count data model with observations from 2007, 2012, and 2017, we examine the independent lagged effects of breweries on the number of hop farms and acres grown, holding constant fixed effects and key economic and geographic factors. Our results confirm that the number of breweries is associated with more hop production (farms and acres) five years later, while warmer temperatures and higher land prices discourage it. (JEL Classifications: L66, Q11, R30)
Authors: Elizabeth A Dobis, Neil Reid, Claudia Schmidt, Stephan J Goetz
Publication: Journal of Wine Economics Date Published: October 22, 2019
Financial Impact of Penn State Extension’s Know Your Numbers Dairy Program
Dairy-related Extension programming is important in many states, but the economic impact of such programming has received little attention. We examined the impact of Know Your Numbers, an educational program offered by the Penn State Extension Dairy Team. Using follow-up evaluation data and the economic impact tool IMPLAN, we estimated that the program had a total financial impact of $9.5 million and an employment impact of 69 jobs in 2014. The overall financial impacts of the Dairy Team, given its abundance of other programming, likely are significantly higher. Our approach for estimating the economic impact of an Extension program can be used by others to understand and demonstrate the value of their work.
Authors: Aaron Berger, Timothy W. Kelsey, Stephan J. Goetz, Robert C. Goodling Jr., Virginia A. Ishler
Publication: Journal of Extension Date Published: February 1, 2019