Food is a vital component of modern warfare and during the Second World War Canada used its agricultural capacity to help feed the Allied cause. State direction and the application of new regulatory protocols led to increased production and modified food habits. Canada's food exports increased and farm incomes climbed. Nutritional health was maintained, while economic controls enacted by the Wartime Prices and Trade Board (WPTB) kept Canadian food prices from soaring. The nation's military contributions overshadowed this portion of the Canadian war effort, but food production proved to be a major theme throughout the war and into the peace. Still, feeding the hungry allies was not a painless process. This dissertation examines how the main actors within Canada's food system responded to the exigencies of war in relation to the state policies that sought to maximize the amount of food available. Farmers, hampered by a significantly depleted labour force and lower commodity prices, had to adjust to meet war needs. The war fostered the development of the modern farm lobby in Canada, as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture emerged as a strong campaigner for the nation's farm interests. Consumers enjoyed stable prices but reduced supplies, and experienced a variety of consumption restrictions, including rationing. Called upon to uphold the rules set out by the WPTB, they were enjoined to re-conceptualize food as a communal 'weapon of war' and thus to tailor their eating habits to fit 'patriotic' standards. The majority accepted these codes of behaviour, but obedience co-existed alongside activities such as panic buying, hoarding, and patronizing the black market. This study argues that while Canadians largely accepted and supported wartime food policies, they were also willing to demonstrate their unhappiness with moves that seemed to favour one set of interests over theirs. For the state, navigating this minefield of contending factions was necessary to ensure that Canada's bigger wartime objectives could be realized.

This dissertation studies the problem of managing local commons or common-pool resources from the micro foundations of a collective action dilemma. The approach is mostly empirical, and combines field work, experimental economics and conjoint analysis techniques in three rural villages in Colombia where communities face the local commons dilemma being modeled. The conceptual framework is inspired by several approaches on the economics of institutional analysis. The specific questions focus on the problems of regulating the use of local commons, the rationality of humans in the decision to extract a local commons, and the effects that wealth, inequality and poverty may have on the behavior of the local commons users and the social outcomes. Through a set of field experiments, it is shown that when individuals were confronted with an imperfect external regulation, they began to exhibit less other-regarding behavior and, instead, made choices that were more consistent with pure self interest; that is, the regulation itself appeared to crowd out other-regarding behavior. Meanwhile the experiments confirm the wide evidence that simple and non-binding face-to-face communication among group members increases social efficiency by reducing free-riding. Further, the conjoint survey suggests that these communities would prefer a community-based form of governance of the local commons. Also using the field experiments, we found that wealth and inequality affect negatively cooperation rates in ways that contradict some of the conventional propositions that the poor should be less likely to cooperate in these dilemmas, or that unequal groups would be more likely to achieve cooperation through the contributions of the wealthier. The experimental results and the conjoint analysis show that these villagers are willing to cooperate in the management of the local commons by sacrificing short-term material income to provide conservation (public good) benefits to neighbors and others outside the community. In general the results suggest that there is potential for conservation of local commons by the rural poor, but that institutional factors such as externally-imposed regulations and group inequality may diminish the capacity of communities to solve the tragedy of the commons in a self-governed way.

Amidst widespread feelings that capitalism is a deeply problematic yet necessary approach to economy, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as both an alternative model for farming and as an increasingly visible and viable model for alternative economy. Using qualitative methods, this doctoral research explores and documents how CSA has become a productive space for economic innovation and practice that emphasizes interdependence, camaraderie and community well-being rather than hierarchical control and private gain. This study also examines how the many participants of CSA have built an identity for CSA--branding it via autonomous and collective efforts. This has resulted in CSA being branded as an ethical and ecological farm/food system and has also resulted in CSA being celebrated as a grassroots anti-brand owned and controlled by no-one. As CSA has built its identity, it has engaged a number of narratives and myths. Many of these myths such as the ability for CSA to educate about and build enthusiasm for small scale organic farming have been solidly validated over CSA's history. Other myths, such as the idea that CSA inherently provides financial security for CSA farmers are more troubling and yet to be fully realized. Finally, this study also makes an overview of CSA offshoots, a variety of Community Supported Enterprises (CSE) that have grown out of and been inspired by CSA. These enterprises represent a new wave of opportunities and challenges to building economic alternatives based on the ethical principles expressed by CSA.

This research examines groundwater protection programs as a case study of investments to address long-term environmental health risks. The value individuals place on reducing their risk of exposure to chemical contaminants is estimated using stated preference methodology, accounting for the discounting of benefits that occur in future years. A combined contingent valuation/conjoint analysis survey was mailed to Western Massachusetts residents who use a private well for their drinking water. A modified form of the contingent valuation format was included to obtain a conservative, lower-bound estimate of willingness-to-pay. The individual's rate of time preference is elicited in two contexts: preferences for programs that save lives from an unspecified threat now and in the future, and groundwater protection programs that offer risk reductions this year and in ten years. The results have favorable implications for the benefit-cost analysis of programs that address long-term environmental health risks. The individual's rate of discount for general life-saving programs falls as the time horizon increases. The estimated mean implicit discount rates for the ten, twenty-five and fifty year time horizons are 10.35%, 2.9%, and 3.82%, respectively. The estimated mean rates for the ten and twenty-five year time horizons are significantly different from each other, allowing rejection of constant exponential discounting. However, the individual's rate of discount may be context-specific. In the context of groundwater protection benefits, individuals appear to place equal weight on risk reductions this year and risk reduction ten years from now. These findings suggest that the individual's rate of discount for certain types of health risks may be very low or zero; individuals may not be as myopic as previously thought when faced with intertemporal choice decisions involving health benefits. Estimates of willingness-to-pay for groundwater protection are highly sensitive to the stated preference technique used; median willingness-to-pay estimates range from a one-time cost per household of −$1951.48 to $2063.62. The results of this study suggest that traditional conjoint models may overestimate willingness-to-pay. Finally, this study also finds evidence of significant non-use value for groundwater protection; individuals are willing to pay a premium to reduce the risk of all Massachusetts residents.

<p> Conventional cereal crop residues, namely, rice (<i> Oryza sativa</i> L.), corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.), and wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) is very abundant and readily available widely. It has been a nuisance to agronomic producers to manage these immense &ldquo;so-called wastes&rdquo;. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) promulgated by the United States and The EU&rsquo;s renewable energy directive mandated the substantial incorporation of renewable energy in their final energy consumption. These led to the increase in R&amp;D&rsquo;s on biomass and bioenergy products in the United States as well. </p><p> Hammer mill grinds of different cereal crop residues, rice, wheat, and corn, sieved through 5"/64 , 1"/8 , and 5"/32 hammer mill screen sizes (details in chapter 3) are mixed with different binders namely gelatin, wheat gluten, and dry milk at 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20 proportions (Chapter 4). Applying Taguchi-Grey relational analysis for four factors with three levels each, optimal operating level for the control factors based on multi-response characteristics was determined. The multi-responses used for the study are bulk density, durability, compressive strength, and gross heating values. Binder ratio was most influential in determining pellet quality. Binder type was next influential factor. The combination of factor levels A₁B₁C₃D₁ was found to be optimal conditions for pelletization as final results were confirmed with tests. </p><p> The pelletization parameters for making better quality composite pellets were also investigated (in Chapter V). The same Taguchi &ndash;Grey relational analysis method was used for optimization. The process (material variables) parameters those are material type, particle size or grind size, binder type, and proportion of binder were closely studied using L9 Taguchi orthogonal array. Binder ratio (blending ratio) has most significant impact, and particle size (Hammer mill grind) has second greatest impact on pelleting composite wastes. Tests conducted employing optimal conditions (A3B3C2D1) has confirmed that better pellets were produced compared with the hypothesized conditions. </p><p> The cost analysis using Invest for excel was carried out in order to study the feasibility of solid biofuel project. The biomass assessment using Biopower Atlas and associated GIS tools from NREL demonstrated that the State of Arkansas has agricultural residues sufficient to support 50 kilotons and 66 kilotons biomass pellet plant. Economy of scale effect can be observed when comparing 50 kilotons and 66 kilotons pellet mill. Gelatin-wheat pellet mill at 50 kiloton and even 66 kilotons were predicted to be unprofitable at the current stage. However, analysis results showed pellet produced from pine shavings &ndash; wheat residue blends is profitable. Crop residues are promising resources due to its wide distribution and availability. It can be termed as a &ldquo;Backstop resource&rdquo; because it is renewable and will be economically viable option as the price of oil and gas become expensive. </p><p>

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / Michael R. Langemeier / Retained ownership can generally be described as when a producer does not sell his or her calf crop immediately after weaning but keeps the calves for an extended period of time. This is a decision that is made by the cow-calf producer every year and may or may not change from year to year. For some, the decision is based on past practices while others will evaluate the market before making a decision. There are various levels of retained ownership that can be modified to fit a producer’s operation and can range from a preconditioning program to finishing the cattle in the feedlot. This study specified various retained ownership scenarios in order to be able to analyze the situations. Budgets were used to analyze the optimum phase of production at which to sell calves that is most profitable while taking risk into consideration. Specifically, budgets were developed for scenarios of four cow-calf herds, four backgrounding phases, two grazing phases, and six custom feedlot phases. These budgets were used to produce sixteen potential retained ownership scenarios. The scenarios range from selling the calves immediately after weaning to owning the cattle through finishing at the feedlot. Each scenario was then analyzed based on the net returns over a 10-year period. Additionally, the scenarios were analyzed based on net returns over feed costs. Target MOTAD was used to analyze the risk component of the scenarios. Although most of the net returns were negative for all scenarios, retained ownership showed a trend of improving net returns. However, along with the improved returns came a greater variability in returns which is unattractive to a risk adverse producer. Target MOTAD results on a net return basis selected the cow-calf only phase of production in all scenarios.

Farm machinery management data were collected in Burkina Faso, for the prediction of repair and maintenance costs. Equations were developed to predict repair and maintenance costs of tractors, cane loaders, generators and motorpumps. The analysis of data revealed that tractor repair and maintenance appears a greater burden than predicted by the American and Australian data. Tractor trade-in was not prescribed by the rule of minimum total cost per unit tractor use. Farm machinery and power units were operated more than twice as long as in the United States. New machine purchase was discouraged by the current sugar prices on the local market.

The Arizona Groundwater Management Act (GMA) restricts the quantity of groundwater which farmers may use annually. The act also requires that a withdrawal fee be paid for each acre-foot of groundwater used. The impact of these policies on agricultural income and groundwater use in the Phoenix Active Management Area is estimated. A linear programming model is used to simulate the typical farm's response to GMA policy over the period from 1990 to 2025. The impacts of two possible revisions of GMA policy are also considered. One simulation estimates the impacts resulting from the elimination of urban conservation programs. A second scenario considers elimination of agricultural conservation measures. Results indicate that the GMA agricultural conservation program will generate only small changes in income and groundwater use.

Given Tucson Water's physical supply and institutional constraints and the utilities expressed interest in becoming a more efficient operation, rate schedules may be a most important management tool. A rate schedule based on consumer's true marginal willingness to pay expressed in accurate demand estimation would provide such a tool. This work examines the practical applicability of a model developed by James Opaluch for the Tucson area using data from a random sample of 46 single family households. The model allows for the relaxation of classical assumption that consumers have perfect information about the goods and services they purchase. It provides empirical evidence relating to the price and difference model as it relates to theoretic subsidization inherent in block rate structures and examines the effectiveness of the current increasing block rate in regards to consumer's perception of price elasticities.

The absolutist nature of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 encourages uneven enforcement, lengthy litigation, and rent seeking in the public policy process. There are net social benefits to be captured from a cooperative approach to facility siting. The narrow utility functions involved in unilateral facility siting attempts often ignore costs shifted on to others from development. Inclusion of all affected parties in facility planning can achieve siting of the right projects in the right places at least social cost. The institutional structure of an economy is deterministic with respect to efficient policy outcomes. Political power plays a central role in natural resource conflicts, frequently affecting the role of science in policy debates. An analysis of the Mt. Graham International Observatory facility siting conflict illustrates these findings.