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Item Identifying Beneficial Attributes of Water Management Organizations(North Dakota State University, 2007) Kritsky, Craig CharlesWater Management Organizations (WMOs) have evolved from their inception in the early 1900s and continue to evolve today. Recently, WMOs have increased their awareness of water-quality and environmental issues. WMOs evolve at different rates due to local social, economic, and political norms. The Red River creates the border for Minnesota and North Dakota. This makes the Red River Basin ideal for WMO and institutional research. The objective of this research is to identify the characteristics of WMOs that are more successful at adopting activities considered positive to local water management as well as basin management. These activities include collaboration and water-quality improvement efforts. Results demonstrate that board member experience positively impacts several traditional WMO activities, including water movement projects, stream flow clearing efforts, wetland restoration, and tree sales. Board member experience negatively impacts collaboration, conservation contracts, water retention projects, and education and outreach. Board member attendance at annual water conferences has a positive correlation with total grant funding and conservation contracts. Cooperative extension training for board members positively correlates with conservation contracts and joint-powers agreements.Item Productivity Growth in the U.S. Trucking Industry(North Dakota State University, 2008) Condon, StevenThe performance of the trucking industry is very important to the economy given that it moves nearly 70 percent of the nation's freight (Tall et al. 2005). The more efficient and productive trucking fins are, the less the shipping costs are for the trucking firm managers and the end consumers or businesses. Consequently, it has become vital to keep the trucking industry running efficiently and continuing to improve productivity. Productivity change of 115 of the largest firms in the United States was determined for the years 1999 and 2003. The Malmquist Productivity Index was decomposed into technical efficiency change and technical change. Results showed that the trucking industry, on average, was technically inefficient in years 1999 and 2003, even though the trucking industry experienced productivity improvement during that period. There was evidence that, on average, technical change, instead of technical efficiency, contributed more to productivity growth in the U.S. trucking industry. The findings in this study point to technological innovation as the reason for positive productivity change. It has also been found that the industry has been rather technically inefficient. Trucking firms should embrace innovation and technology, and develop new strategies for delivery to improve productivity.Item The Impact of the African Growth and Opportunity Act on Sub-Sahara African Value-Added Agricultural Exports(North Dakota State University, 2019) Mwagura, JosephThis thesis uses new measures of value added trade for agricultural exports which originate from Sub-Sahara African (SSA) countries and go to the United States of America (U.S.A.). First, the impact of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) on SSA’s domestic value-added exports is assessed by using a sectoral structural gravity model. The study then evaluates the AGOA’s effect on the extensive margin and intensive margin of US-SSA value added trade using a Helpman, Melitz, and Rubinstein (2008) (HMR) two-step procedure model. The empirical results show that AGOA has had an insignificant impact on SSA’s agricultural domestic value-added exports to the U.S.A. In addition, being an AGOA recipient does not seem to affect a recipient’s decision to export domestic value-added agricultural products and has had an insignificant impact on the volume of agricultural domestic value-added exports to the U.S.A.Item Case Studies in Farm Management(North Dakota State University, 2006) Jodock, Karl NelsonPrevious research on teaching methods in economics demonstrates the need for active learning. The use of case studies is one way to fill that need. Two case studies are developed; they can be used to give students experience in applying farm management concepts to real farm management decisions. Students are given the opportunity to analyze an expansion decision at a typical North Dakota cash crop farm. Students also evaluate a producer's marketing strategies, develop marketing plans, and make recommendations for the future. Teaching notes are included to provide guidance for the instructor. The case studies are expected to provide an effective addition to traditional teaching methods.Item Investigation of the International Food-Grade Soybean Market(North Dakota State University, 2013) Kim, ChangminThis study provides an overview of the international soybean market and takes a look at a case study of an exporter and their target markets, China, Japan, and South Korea. Then it estimates future soybean import demands for these countries. Results indicate that China’s soybean import demand will remarkably increase compared with those in Japan and South Korea. Although Korean and Japanese buyers are willing to pay a premium for food-grade soybeans, China market may grow faster than those in Japan and South Korea. This is because as income increases, Chinese consumer may concern more about their health which makes them to be willing to pay premium for high quality food-grade soybeans.Item North Dakota College Students' Perceptions of GM and Organic(North Dakota State University, 2004) Anderson, Jon CharlesThis research evaluates perceptions of genetically modified (GM) and organic food among North Dakota college students. Students responded to one of two survey instruments containing identical wording except for reference to genetic modification or organic. Students were first asked to read a primer defining genetic modification or organic production. Participants indicated level of agreement on a Likert scale. Responses to statements in the construct areas of health, environment, ethics, regulation, and risk were considered. Mean responses were compared among surveys and to responses to previous surveys of Americans and of shoppers in North Dakota. Organic food was perceived as a healthier and safer choice. Organic practices were perceived to be more environmentally sound. Respondents expressed a level of concern over the unknown effects GM food could have on the environment and society as a whole. However, participants generally felt that genetic modification could be used effectively and valued some of the associated benefits. Reliability assessment revealed that statements within each construct area are reliable and can be used in future surveys.Item Globalization and Obesity(North Dakota State University, 2010) Liogier, AnaisObesity has been growing around the world during the last few decades leading the World Health Organization to announce the global obesity epidemic. This study focuses on identifying the impacts of different economic and socio-economic variables on the growth of obesity, as well as forecasting and monitoring this growth. A static model is developed using foreign direct investments (FDI) and trade openness as proxies for economic globalization factors and globalization social index as a proxy for social globalization. Data are collected for 76 countries over the period 1986-2008. The fixed effects model and quantile regression were used to analyze the data. A dynamic model is also set up via a differential equation to monitor the spreading of obesity. The Golden Section Search is then used to find the values for the parameters representing the number of overweight people becoming obese and the time response between the increase of overweight and the increase of obesity. Results imply that social globalization and FDI adversely impact obesity in less and medium developed countries while they have no impact on obesity rates in developed countries. Trade openness generally has no impact on changes in obesity rates across quantiles. The implications of globalization are different for different countries and regions. High social cost of obesity is surely to lower the benefits of globalization, especially in less developed countries which are the most responsive to these external influences. The dynamic model developed to monitor the spreading of obesity for three different regions: the United States, the World and the European Union, showed that the United States has the biggest proportion of overweight people becoming obese while the European Union has the least. The model also indicated that this increase occurs over a much longer period of time for the European Union than the United States experiences this increase in really short period of time after the increase in overweight.Item Impact of Federal Crop Insurance on North Dakota Agriculture Production Efficiency(North Dakota State University, 2017) Breker, Matthew JohnThis study examines the impact of three major policy shifts in federal crop insurance on North Dakota agriculture production efficiency. An empirical application of 53 counties in North Dakota from 1980 to 2014 indicates that “with crop insurance”, the technical efficiency of agriculture is higher as compared to “without crop insurance”. This finding implies that producers are utilizing their input resources more effectively and are increasing the use of technology efficiently in their operations with crop insurance. The results are important to policy makers as it proves that with government support, the federal crop insurance program is not only mitigating risk for producers but also allowing producers to use resources efficiently; the program is ensuring producers will continue to lead the world as low-cost producers of food, fiber, and fuel for the American public.Item Economic Feasibility of Producing Ethanol from Dry Pea and Corn as Feedstock in North Dakota: A Risk Perspective(North Dakota State University, 2007) Goel, AbhishekDry pea has the potential to be an economical replacement for com in North Dakota ethanol plants. Dry pea costs of production are less than com because fewer purchased inputs are required and because dry pea offers a number of rotational benefits in small grain crop rotations. Dry pea can also thrive in arid regions of western North Dakota where annual rainfall is low. This study develops stochastic economic models to evaluate the replacement potential of dry pea for com as an ethanol feedstock. Results find that plant efficiency increases and input supply risks are reduced when dry pea replaces corn. However, at present com/dry pea price ratios, dry pea is not competitive economically. Com prices would have to rise more than 20% for dry pea to become competitive.Item Rice Variety Choice and Subsidy Effects on Market Share(North Dakota State University, 2021) Zwinger, JeremyThe United States has been losing market share because the unintended consequences of policy decisions have influenced what rice to grow, rather than taking the signal directly from buyers. U.S. share of Mexican rice imports has fallen from 100% in 2002 to 67% in 2021 as better perceived-quality product is purchased from other international origins. During this same time, hybrid rice acres have gone from 0% to over 70%. This research develops a theoretical model to evaluate subsidy effects on market-share performance when support for quality rice improvements is considered. Empirical analysis using Granger Causality suggests that planting hybrid rice is the primary factor causing the loss of market share, which significantly reduces competitiveness and decreases industry returns for the overall U.S. rice industry. The implications for farm policy are vast, with the potential suboptimal behavior occurring. A discount for poor quality and subsidy targeting improvements for quality are encouraged.