Dairy farming has a strong position in Finnish food system. However, the sector phases managerial challenges due to structural change. We conducted a survey among dairy farmers resulting 135 responses, of which 25 had experience of using Lean, to explore which factors supports Lean adopting and potentially overcoming managerial challenges. Our results show that the adoption of Lean was related to farm size, growth orientation, and the need to improve labor efficiency. More support for Lean adoption is needed if Lean is seen as a potential solution to improve milk production practices, cost reduction, and continuous improvement of farm management practices.

Plastic pollution from takeout and delivery food packaging is a growing concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries with weak waste management infrastructure and single-use plastics policy. Using a novel metric developed for this research project, this study evaluated the impact of an information intervention on the sustainability of takeout and delivery packaging in Honduran restaurants. In an exploratory randomized controlled trial, managers were offered a 12-hour online course, with packaging sustainability measured before and after. Sustainability decreased in both the control and treatment groups, with no significant treatment effects.

We apply machine learning methods to predict Thoroughbred yearling auction prices at the Keeneland September Sale (2020–2024). Our sample includes 5,788 yearling prices with pedigree data. We use both linear and tree-based models to predict log prices. We use cross-validation to tune model hyperparameters and select Ridge regression (α = 1.451) as the primary model for interpretation given its stability and interpretability. The Ridge regression explains approximately 54% of out-of-sample variation (R2≈ 0.5403). Sire and Dam Reputation emerge as the dominant predictors. Results provide pricing benchmarks and show how reputation and session structure shape Thoroughbred yearling auction prices.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications are changing consumers’ appetites. Little is known about how GLP-1 use is associated with U.S. meal location choices and protein preferences. Using meal reporting from a consumer survey and a random parameters logit model, we examine associations between GLP-1 use, duration of use, meal location choices, and protein preferences. Results indicate that GLP-1 users differ substantially from non-users in their outlet choices, meal skipping rates, and certain protein preferences. These differences are most prominent among shorter-term users. Our findings highlight notable patronage patterns associated with GLP-1 use, with implications for food retailers and opportunities for foodservice.

US cattle producers face volatile prices due to cattle cycles, drought, and unexpected market shocks. USDA-RMA offers subsidized insurance programs like Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) to mitigate output risks, yet participation remains limited. Using a 21-year state-level panel and a two-part econometric model, this paper evaluates how risk management education workshops influence LRP utilization among feeder cattle producers. Results indicate that education workshops increase the likelihood of insurance participation, especially in non-pilot states, while subsidies dominate in pilot states. The marginal effect of education is smaller in higher subsidy environments, suggesting substitution between education and subsidy.

The US role in global agricultural markets shifts with competition, trade issues, and conflict. This study examines the impact of US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ending stocks projections on corn and soybean futures prices. Using an event study framework and futures price data, we find that unexpected changes in US ending stocks drive price responses while world ending stocks do not. Our results suggest markets treat USDA as the more credible source for domestic supply information but not for global aggregates. For hedgers and policymakers, knowing which information moves prices is essential to managing risk and allocating data collection resources.

Policymakers and industry participants are increasingly incorporating sustainability factors into decision-making and business models, affecting the U.S. beef sector. However, designing effective beef sustainability strategies requires research evidence on consumer preferences and trade-offs across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Using a nationally representative survey of 3,001 U.S. consumers and generalized ordered logit models, this study presents findings on consumer rankings and preferences for sustainability attributes. Consumers prefer cattle/beef producer-led sustainability efforts without policy interventions, placing strong support for animal welfare and reduced hormone/antibiotic use. Most respondents favor funding support for productivity-enhancing research that will reduce beef prices to sustain the industry’s profitability. Consumers show limited support for producer taxation or subsidization-based policies to attaining beef sustainability goals.

Oklahoma State University’s wheat breeding program develops wheat varieties in response to disease and pest pressures and industry demands for quality. The economic impact on Oklahoma wheat producers has not been studied. We estimate the impact of OSU wheat varieties on Oklahoma wheat yields, yield variability, and returns to producers, 2007–2023. The breeding program increased the state’s wheat output by 0.75 bu ac−1 per year on OSU variety acres, and increased producer revenue by an annual average of $5.81 million (in 2023$). It generated a total benefit of $99M. Every dollar invested in the program returned $10.02 to wheat producers.

Using 2014–2022 NielsenIQ Homescan data, we estimate an Almost Ideal Demand System for powder, ready-to-use, and concentrate infant formula, correcting for censoring and unit-value price endogeneity. Powder and ready-to-use demand are approximately unit elastic, with asymmetric substitution between the two. Comparing elasticities across income groups and between participants and non-participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), we find price responsiveness broadly stable across groups, an informative result given prior expectations of heterogeneity, providing descriptive, category-level evidence that household demand for infant formula is homogeneous, consistent with the essential nature of infant nutrition.

No-till farming can improve soil health and reduce production costs, yet national adoption remains low, in part because producers face uncertainty about its long-term economic returns. Using more than 30 years of plot-level data from field experiments in Ohio and Michigan, we estimate site-specific effects of no-till on yields and input costs and calculate net profitability using partial budgeting. Results show that no-till consistently reduces operational costs across all sites. In Michigan, no-till also increases yields by 15.6 bu/ac for corn and 5.9 bu/ac for soybean. Estimated net return gains range from approximately $34 to $93 per acre for corn and $30 to $86 per acre for soybean. These results indicate that continuous no-till can generate positive long-run economic returns under the experimental conditions studied, although the magnitude varies across sites and crops.

This study analyzes grazing management transitions among cattle producers in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas using producer survey data collected in 2018 and 2022. Results show a clear shift toward more intensive systems: 32.7% of producers moved from continuous grazing to rotational grazing (RG), RG exhibited a 77.8% retention rate, and a subset (9.2%) progressed to management-intensive grazing (MIG). Upward transitions were motivated by accessible information and reduced uncertainty, while producers in wetter regions were more likely to disadopt RG or MIG. These patterns highlight meaningful transition dynamics and inform policies supporting sustainable grazing-system adoption.