Cornell Program on Agribusiness and Economic Development

Current Projects

Agricultural Marketing and Management Program Work Team (PWT).	I chair the PWT with its mission to give New York food and agriculturally related businesses a competitive advantage over the rest of the world by significantly improving the knowledge of marketing and improving general management capacities and skills. Each year we sponsor a Strategic Marketing Conference where PWT members and industry stakeholders share their insights on selling techniques, product development, and expanding market opportunities. More information can be found at marketingpwt.aem.cornell.edu.
Agribusiness Economic Development and Inter-industry Linkages in New York State	The competitiveness of agribusiness firms in New York State relative to other regional or national firms is of growing concern. We provide an expanded view of economic contributions to our state economy by considering the entire farm and food system along the food value chain. We also develop regional ag and food system industry clusters to better understand the linkages and interdependencies between them. Underlying factors of regional firm and industry competitiveness are identified to guide future strategies at the firm, industry, and policy levels.
Improving Food and Beverage Manufacturing Competitiveness in NYS.	Changing consumer demands and food security issues require food manufacturers to be aware, responsive, and adaptive, and require operating in a state economy with opportunities that allow firms to effectively and economically adjust. While the food and beverage manufacturing industry still provides substantial economic contributions to the state economy, food manufacturing in the state is restructuring or declining relative to the rest of the nation. Jobs and value added production are going elsewhere. This project involves considerable involvement with food manufacturing stakeholders to identify firm strategies to improve competitiveness and development policies that support its growth. Click here for more information about Food Manufacturing in New York State
Biofuels and Implications for Agricultural and Rural Development.	Growing Biofuel Demands and Implications for Dairy Farm Adjustments. Higher grain prices may provide some opportunities to expand cash crop production in NY, but for dairy producers, management adjustments will be required to respond to higher and more variable feed costs and to take advantage of supplies of alternative energy by-product feeds. We assess management adjustments in terms of risk-adjusted farm profitability, and identify how these management adjustments will differ depending upon the size of the operation and the quantity and quality of land available. We work with faculty in Animal Science to incorporate optimal dairy ration adjustments and implications for environmental nutrient management. Two Working Papers are currently available in this area, go to the publications page to download copies. A Spatial, Logistical, and Economic Analysis of Ethanol Production and Development in the Northeast. We are developing a better understanding of the spatial, logistical, and economic issues associated with the system for producing bio-fuels, such as ethanol production from biomass in the northeast. The project examines how economic aspects of growing, harvesting, transporting, and storing biomass and the cost of transporting bio-refinery outputs to end users affect the development and structure of the industry, particularly in terms of plant size and location. The optimal refinery sizes and locations will be based upon the critical tradeoffs between economies of size in bio-refinery production, biomass feedstock yields, and diseconomies of distance associated with feedstock and output transportation and storage. Modeling Entry/Exit Decisions of Biofuel Refineries—A Real Options Analysis. An evaluation of ethanol processing investment and operating costs, input and output prices, and profitability, incorporating uncertainty, to model firm entry and exit decisions given current and expected market conditions. A working paper is currently available, as well as a trade piece available in Biofuels Business.
Local Foods Market Developments	A regional evaluation of North Country Farmers Markets was initiated in Summer 2008. Information was collected from market managers, vendors, and customers to ascertain the important factors leading to success for farmer vendors. An additional project is looking at marketing channel options for small-scale diverse vegetable and fruit producers.
Agricultural Cooperative Development and Leadership Training	I currently serve as a Program Collaborator for the Cooperative Enterprise Program (CEP) with Program Leader Brian M. Henehan. The mission of the program is to enhance the performance of existing cooperative businesses and facilitate the development of emerging cooperative enterprise through teaching, research, and outreach. Primary thematic areas include, finance, management, strategic planning, and marketing. The CEP has established a good working relation with the Northeast Cooperative Council (NECC), and for whom I currently serve as the Cornell Liaison. The NECC is a regional, non-profit membership organization serving cooperatives in New York State and New England. Council members represent a variety of cooperative businesses, including rural utility, insurance, credit, service, supply, and marketing. Their mission is to enhance the overall effectiveness of member cooperatives through improving the understanding of directors, managers, employees, and members of cooperative principles and business practices. More information on both the CEP and NECC can be found at: http://cooperatives.aem.cornell.edu
Economic Implications of Alternative Management Practices Affecting Wine and Grape Quality and Yields	A cross-disciplinary team of agricultural economists, horticulturists, and viticulturists are investigating alternative management techniques applied to vineyard operations and the resulting impacts on wine and grape quality, nutrient management, and economic impacts. Funding was received from USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative to develop a team to address optimizing white wine quality through plant nutrient management, including multi-state activities with faculty at Washington State University. More information of this project is available at: http://winegrapes.wsu.edu/Nmanagement.html. Other funding has been received from the New York State Wine and Grape Foundation to evaluate the effects of cropload and fermentation conditions on the quality and economic sustainability of NYS Riesling, and a pending proposal on working with local growers in reducing disease pressure and improving fruit composition in white wine grapes.