Overview
Food and agricultural systems operate in a highly competitive
global context, and the United States is a major player
in these international markets—the U.S. share of
the global market for agricultural goods averages just
under 20 percent. Since U.S. farms produce far beyond
domestic demand for many crops, maintaining a competitive
agricultural system is critical to ensuring the economic
viability of U.S. agriculture. At the same time, U.S.
agriculture is a diverse economic sector. Differences
in commodity type, farm size, operator and household characteristics,
and even goals for farming affect the competitiveness
of individual operations and ultimately of the sector
as a whole.
In recent years, changes in the rules of trade, shifts
in domestic policy, and new developments in technology
have altered the competitive landscape of global agriculture
and the challenges facing American farmers. ERS research
focuses on these and other economic issues affecting the
U.S. food and agriculture sector's competitiveness, including
factors related to performance, structure, risk and uncertainty,
marketing, and market and nonmarket trade barriers. More
overview...
Related Briefing Rooms
Features
USDA Agricultural Projections
to 2017 (February 2008) contains longrun projections
covering supply, demand, prices, and other economic
variables for major U.S. crop and livestock sectors.
Converging Patterns in Global Food Consumption and Food Delivery Systems (February 2008) reports that across countries and income levels worldwide, consumers are choosing to spend their additional income on some combination of increased quality, convenience, and variety of foods. Food delivery systems and consumption patterns in middle-income countries like China and Thailand are converging, or "catching up" to countries with higher income levels. Income growth has been a primary force behind converging global consumption patterns, but globalization of the food industry is also contributing. For the full report, see Convergence in Global Food Demand and Delivery (March 2008).
The Japanese Market for Oranges (March 2008) reviews the trade, production, and consumption of oranges in Japan, which is one of the largest markets for U.S. orange exports. Consumption and trade peaked in the mid-1990s. The report uses recent research findings about demographic and economic changes that might explain why consumption has fallen off in the past 15 years.
Recommended Readings
The Changing Economics of U.S. Hog Production (December 2007) documents the increasing size and specialization of U.S. hog operations during the last 15 years. Large operations that specialize in a single production phase and produce under contract have replaced traditional farrow-to-finish operations. These structural changes have coincided with substantial gains in efficiency and lower production costs, most of which are attributed to increases in scale of production and technological innovation. For an Amber Waves article on this topic, see Technology, Larger Farm Size Increased Productivity on U.S. Hog Farms (April 2008).
Ethanol Expansion in the United States: How Will the Agricultural Sector Adjust? (May 2007) examines effects of the expansion in U.S. ethanol production. Market impacts extend well beyond corn, the primary feedstock for ethanol in the United States, to supply and demand for other crops, such as soybeans and cotton, as well as to U.S. livestock industries. As a consequence of these commodity market impacts, farm income, government payments, and food prices also change. See narrated slideshow for an overview; see related Amber Waves feature U.S. Ethanol Expansion Driving Changes Throughout the Agricultural Sector (September 2007).
Commodity Backgrounders addresses considerations
in domestic agricultural policy deliberations, including
market conditions, policy proposals, trade agreements,
and the interactions between policy and markets for selected
commodities.
See all recommended readings...
Recommended Data Products
Agricultural
Outlook Statistical Indicators, formerly provided
in Agricultural Outlook magazine, provide data
on individual commodities, the general economy, agricultural
trade, farm income and expenses, farm prices, food prices
and expenditures, and other statistical indicators of
the food and agriculture system.
Procurement and Contracting by Organic Handlers provides information on procurement practices and use of contracts by certified organic handlers (packers, shippers, manufacturers, processors, brokers, and distributors). Procurement information includes basic firm characteristics, their purchasing habits, and their relationship with suppliers. Contracting information includes the use of written and verbal contracts with their suppliers.
Farm Business and Household Survey
Data: Customized Data Summaries from ARMS (the Agricultural
Resource Management Survey) is a web-based data delivery
tool that provides information on farming practices, commodity
production costs and returns, the economics of the farm
business, the structure of American farming, and the characteristics
of the American farm household. This tool provides centralized
access to all ARMS data, including those previously provided
in the Farm Financial Management and Crop Production Practices
data products.
Commodity and Food Elasticities Database allows queriable searches of income, expenditure, and own- and cross-price elasticities for specific commodities and countries, which can be ranked and sorted. The elasticities are mainly from U.S. research on consumer demand published in working papers, dissertations, and peer-reviewed journals. The greatest number of demand studies are for vegetables, fruits, meat, and grocery products in the United States and China.
See all recommended data products...
Newsletters
ERS develops newsletters, many of which are issued monthly,
highlighting timely developments in U.S. and global markets.
Commodity-based newsletters include: cotton
and wool,
feed grains, oil
crops, wheat,
rice,
fruit and tree nuts,
vegetables and melons,
sugar
and sweeteners,
and livestock, dairy, and
poultry. We also issue the Outlook
for U.S. Agricultural Trade and Agricultural
Income and Finance. See the 2008
calendar of releases.
Related Links
USDA agencies and other government organizations of interest
in the area of agricultural competitiveness.
See all related links...
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