Three demand systems were estimated to examine demand sensitivity and welfare changes for each commodity under study. In the first essay, a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) was used to examine the effect of the Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster on the demand for imported pelagic fish in the domestic Japanese market. The effect of the Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster was measured using changes in demand after the disaster as well as measures of changes in social welfare changes caused by the disaster. A significant effect of the disaster on demand sensitivity measures was found, but no significant changes in welfare. In the second essay, a differential demand system examined the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the demand for fresh tomatoes in the U.S. Market. It was found that the U.S. Dollar-Mexican Peso exchange rate had a significant positive effect on the demand for Mexican fresh tomatoes. In the third essay, a Hurdle Negative Binomial demand system was estimated for recreational trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This model was estimated using Bayesian methods to obtain parameter estimates that could not be obtained by maximum likelihood. The parameters were used to calculate recreational welfare measures for trips to seventy-two entry points.

Written from the Haavelmo-Cowles Commission econometric perspective, this book provides an account of the advances in the field of econometrics since the 1970s.

This dissertation is an essay on evaluating performance of econometric estimators, agricultural input choices under risk preference and welfare analysis with respect to different equilibrium models. In the first chapter, I use simulation methods with independent, relevant, and excluded instrumental variables, wherein they form a complete set of instruments, to quantify finite sample performance of selected estimators. In finite samples, I find that the bias and variance of estimators increase with the exclusion of instrumental variables. I also find that the mean squared error of the parameter estimates increase with the increase of number of omitted instruments in the model. The sensitivity due to the number of omitted instruments is not necessarily eliminated by increases in sample size. The equations containing more endogenous variables appear more sensitive to the omitted instruments. Simulation results also imply that the finite sample performance of 3SLS estimators also suffers under omitted instruments. In the second chapter, I develop a theoretical model to explore the choices of using plastics and pesticides to grow food as well as the potential negative spillover caused by plastic use in production agriculture that is transformed into microplastic pollution in the soil. I show that a growers' risk preference has an impact on the substitution between plastic and pesticides in that restrictions on these inputs do not necessarily trigger substitution for risk averse growers. In the third chapter, I focus on measuring and quantifying impacts of shocks along the supply chain for an agricultural sector in the context of a small economy. I show theoretically that the differences between the change in welfare estimated from GE and PE models are economically significant for a small economy. I show that the changes in consumer surplus predicted by the two models due to a domestic demand shock are statistically significantly different. I show that, the PE model produces larger welfare implication than hybrid model in response to demand shock, markup shock and capital demand shock compared to supply shock, labor demand shock and export shock. Results also show that the PE approach is more sensitive to the parameters of the behavioral equation.

This Handbook offers an up-to-date collection of research on agricultural economics. Drawing together scholarship from experts at the top of their profession and from around the world, this collection provides new insights into the area of agricultural economics. The Routledge Handbook of Agricultural Economics explores a broad variety of topics including welfare economics, econometrics, agribusiness, and consumer economics. This wide range reflects the way in which agricultural economics encompasses a large sector of any economy, and the chapters present both an introduction to the subjects as well as the methodology, statistical background, and operations research techniques needed to solve practical economic problems. In addition, food economics is given a special focus in the Handbook due to the recent emphasis on health and feeding the world population a quality diet. Furthermore, through examining these diverse topics, the authors seek to provide some indication of the direction of research in these areas and where future research endeavors may be productive. Acting as a comprehensive, up-to-date, and definitive work of reference, this Handbook will be of use to researchers, faculty, and graduate students looking to deepen their understanding of agricultural economics, agribusiness, and applied economics, and the interrelationship of those areas.

An innovative new application of geographical information systems (GIS) to environmental economics.