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Theme: Agribusiness and Finance
Michael D. Boehlje, Guest Editor
Supply chains (sometimes called value chains or even demand chains) are becoming more commonplace in the agricultural sector, much like they have increasingly dominated the nonagricultural industries in recent years. Supply chain structures are becoming increasingly more vertically aligned (as contrasted to the more traditional open access markets that have characterized particularly the relationship between producers and their buyers and suppliers in the past) to improve efficiency through better flow scheduling and resource utilization, increase the ability to manage and control quality throughout the chain, reduce the risk associated with food safety and contamination, and increase the ability to quickly respond to changes in consumer demand. Improved inventory management is a critical part of the more disciplined logistics and flow scheduling component of supply chain structures.
A supply chain approach to value chain coordination increases the interdependence between the various stages in the production/processing/distribution chain; it encourages strategic alliances, networks, vertical integration and other linkages to improve logistics, product flow, and information flow. In the future, competition likely will increasingly occur in the form of alternative supply chains (rather than individual firms) competing for their share of the consumer's food dollar expenditures.
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Consumers and Markets
William K. Hallman, Guest Editor
Science and industry are dramatically poised to bring consumers a wide variety of products that are only made possible through genetic modification (GM) through the use of agricultural biotechnology. The question is, 'What do we know about how the public currently perceives the existing products of ag-biotech, and how will consumers react to these new products once they reach the marketplace?' The answers to these questions have enormous economic, ethical, and political ramifications, and so, not surprisingly, the issues have generated decades of debate and discussion among pundits, politicians, and the general public about the purported promise (and perils) of GM foods, feeds, and fibers. The papers under this theme all focus on public perceptions and acceptance of the products of agricultural biotechnology, especially those involving genetically modified foods.
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Perspectives on Traceability and BSE Testing in the U.S. Beef Industry
Made in China: Is it Over for the U.S. Textile Industry?
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Choices is an online peer-reviewed magazine published by the AAEA for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment. Online subscriptions are free of charge through the "subscribe" tab above. The views expressed in Choices articles herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of Choices or its publisher. Choices materials are copyrighted by the American Agricultural Economics Association 2001-2006. All rights are reserved. Articles may be reproduced or electronically distributed as long as attribution to Choices and the American Agricultural Economics Association is maintained.
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