AgBioForum, vol. 11, no. 1 (2008)
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Item Biotechnology Adoption Over Time In the Presence of Non-Pecuniary Characteristics that Directly Affect Utility : A Derived Demand Approach(AgBioForum, 2008) Piggott, Nicholas E.; Marra, Michele C.Generally, new production technologies are adopted because they will increase profits, mostly due to lower production costs ceteris paribus. In the case of the first-generation crop biotechnologies, however, additional factors play a role. These factors affect the utility functions of individual producers directly, as well as possibly affecting their utility functions indirectly through profits. This article considers the effect that embodied non-pecuniary factors have on the derived demand for a new, firstgeneration crop biotechnology over time. We show that the derived demand for the biotechnology will increase (shift out) at first and then begin to become more inelastic to price increases as adopters get accustomed to, and value more highly, the nonpecuniary benefits. We consider the convenience embodied in the Roundup Ready[trademark] soybean system as an example. Then, as empirical support for the transformation of the elasticity of derived demand, we examine Roundup Ready[trademark] soybean system costs and adoption over the period 1996-2007. The data suggest that, despite recent increases in the system costs of the technology, adoption continued to increase, signaling a relatively inelastic demand response.Item Performance of Tissue-Cultured Sweet Potatoes Among Smallholder Farmers in Zimbabwe(AgBioForum, 2008) Mutandwa, EdwardTissue culture has the potential of improving the livelihoods of subsistence farmers that largely rely on vegetatively propagated crops. This study assesses the impact of growing tissue-cultured sweet potatoes on yields and economic profitability among smallholder farmers in the Hwedza District of Zimbabwe. A sample of 133 smallholder farmers was chosen using a multi-stage sampling process. Primary data was collected using structured and semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and direct-yield measurements.Item Biofuels in the US : today and in the future(AgBioForum, 2008) Schlicher, Martha A.Corn-grain-based ethanol has the real and viable potential of producing 15 billion gallons of ethanol by 2015, leaving a net of 12.3 billion bushels of corn available for feed, food, and export markets. This is up 3.0 billion bushels from 2006 and 0.9 billion bushels from 2007. With the incorporation of near-term technologies and increased corn production, corn-grain-based ethanol is also well poised to remain the lowest-cost ethanol production per gallon of any significant volume. Continued support and investment in corn-based ethanol technologies will assure that this is possible. These technologies, despite decades of research and investment, remain at early stages of economic viability and, near term, will likely carry significantly higher production costs.Item The Economic Realities, Sustainable Opportunities, and Technical Promises of Biofuels(AgBioForum, 2008) McLaren, James S.The supply of petroleum transportation fuels appears to be increasingly finite, while demand only continues to grow. This disparate situation leaves sole dependence on petroleum as a transportation fuel unattractive for many countries, including the United States. As the United States looks to diversify its portfolio of available fuels, it has a number of emerging options. Ethanol and biodiesel have been the dominant fuels to-date, but new production methods and alternative feedstocks may bolster their suitability for wide-scale adoption. Other fuel types such as biogas and Fischer-Tropsch liquids may offer further options for countries to use to displace petroleum. This article inventories some of the emerging alternative fuel technologies and discusses the issues affecting their potential adoption.