Members in the News: September 8, 2025

 Jiameng Zheng, Louisiana State University
Wendong Zhang, Cornell University
Ruohao Zhang, The Pennsylvania State University
Xibo Wan, University of Connecticut

“You Can Be Exposed to PFAS Through Food, Water, Even Swimming in Lakes – New Maps Show How Risk From ‘Forever Chemicals’ Varies”

By: The Conversation – September 4, 2025

“Notably, our analysis found that most dietary PFAS risk comes from butter, olive oil and shrimp. Seafood typically contains much higher PFAS concentrations than butter or olive oil – polluted rivers bring these chemicals into marine environments, and fish and shellfish gradually accumulate and magnify it through the food chain. However, substantially greater consumption of butter and olive oil makes those products potentially large dietary sources of PFAS.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Conversation

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Chad Hart, Iowa State University

“Trump Plan to Move USDA Spurs Brain Drain Fears”

By: The Hill – September 7, 2025

“Some of the issues these agencies are trying to address are national issues. Moving it from D.C. to Indianapolis doesn’t necessarily make it easier for an Alabama cotton farmer to get a hold of — or someone who does aquaculture in Maine… “He’s done this before with other parts of USDA, and so now he’s following that same blueprint here again.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Hill

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Ani Katchova, The Ohio State University

“Land Use and Development in Ohio”

By: Ohio Corn and Wheat Kernels Podcast – Sept 2, 2025

“What are the land prices looking around you right now? ... Land use in Ohio is changing at an alarming rate over the last few years with new development projects and the major cities all expanding. So what can be done about the issue and how severe is the problem?”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Ohio Corn and Wheat Kernels Podcast

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Catalina Herrera-Almanza, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

“Research Investigates Impact of Teacher Training and Reading Programs on Literacy Rates in Mozambique”

By: Science Mag – August 27, 2025

“The investigation, co-led by assistant professor Catalina Herrera-Almanza from Illinois’ Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, seeks to interrogate the efficacy of “light-touch” teacher training schemes supplemented with community literacy initiatives, particularly reading camps. These interventions are envisioned as pragmatic alternatives to extensive, resource-intensive training that, while effective in some contexts, present formidable implementation barriers at scale.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Science Mag

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Shuoli Zhao, University of Kentucky

“Your Child's Favorite Cereal May Have More Fat, Sodium and Sugar Than it Did 15 Years Ago”

By: Courier Journal -  September 3, 2025

“A lot of people, especially parents, probably already know that cereal, especially kids’ cereal, is not something that's on the healthy side of products. This is not new knowledge. But what we are trying to understand is that even though a lot of people have been talking about making products healthier, we looked at the product development trend for products that have been available to see if there is a potential positive direction in terms of the nutritional content.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Courier Journal

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Zach Rutledge, University of Michigan

"Farmers Advocate For Reform, Workers Fight For Survival Amid Trump Immigration Crackdown"

By: Idaho Capital Sun – September 8, 2025

“The bill’s pathway to legal status may be what’s holding it back. It’s hard to get bipartisan support when you’re talking about legalizing hundreds of thousands of unauthorized workers – especially in our current political climate.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Idaho Capital Sun

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David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Trump Faces Hamburger Headache After Pledge to Cut Food Prices”

By: The Telegraph – August 16, 2025 

“Food prices are top of mind for many consumers, and they played a critical role in the last election. And with high beef prices, we have to keep in mind that we are a beef-consuming country.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Telegraph

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Richard Sexton, University of California, Davis

“Economist Warns That Current Ag and Food Policies Risk Global Supply Shortfall”

By: AgWeek – August 19, 2025

“Food demand is likely to grow significantly through the century. But we face considerable headwinds to expanding supply enough to keep up with it.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: AgWeek

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Members in the News: September 2, 2025

 Andrew Hultgren, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“Climate Change is Coming for Your Bananas”

By: Time - August 18, 2025

“Very hot days… even for small amounts of time during the entire growing season, can cause large losses in the yield you get from a given plot of land at the end of the growing season.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Time

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Joseph Janzen, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

“Record Corn Harvest: Why Farmers Aren’t Celebrating”

By: News Nation – August 21, 2025

“Unfortunately, lower corn prices aren’t expected to provide much relief at the grocery store. We might see a little bit of relief, but it’s going to be relatively muted. That’s because there are so many other factors that determine grocery prices, many of which are facing upward pressure right now.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: News Nation or MSN Money, Yahoo! News

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Wenhui Feng, Tufts University

“Dollar Store Food Shopping Isn't Derailing American Diets: Study”

By: ABC News – August 11, 2025

"Purchases directly from dollar stores were less healthy, but even households that bought a lot from dollar stores had overall diets similar in healthfulness to those who bought less -- suggesting they may be getting healthier options from other places.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: ABC News or Science Magazine, The Hill

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Shuoli Zhao, University of Kentucky

“UK Study: Cereals For Children Becoming Less Healthy”

By: LEX 18 – August 14, 2025

"This is very big topic of children for their health intake, and food intake. It's really under the umbrella of the connections between the market, individual choices, as well as the policy that motivates people to make individual choices.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: LEX 18

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Kenneth Burdine, University of Kentucky

“Fast Food Burgers Could Soon Get More Expensive”

By: Newsweek – August 15, 2025

"Beef supplies are likely to remain tight in the near future. A lot of ground beef comes from cull cows and farmers have not been culling as many cows because the calf market has been so strong. We are also not seeing a lot of heifer retention [keeping young females for breeding purposes, for clarity] yet, which will have to happen in order to see the cowherd grow in size."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Newsweek

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Daniel Mooney, Colorado State University

“Colorado River Water Conservation Program Remains Stalled in US House”

By: Colorado Sun - August 20, 2025

“Flexibility is important… There are a lot of programs that recommend fallowing or land retirement, but this is saying we need some kind of middle-ground.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Colorado Sun or Colorado Politics

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David Ortega, Michigan State University

“Trump Faces Hamburger Headache After Pledge to Cut Food Prices”

By: The Telegraph – August 16, 2025 

“Food prices are top of mind for many consumers, and they played a critical role in the last election. And with high beef prices, we have to keep in mind that we are a beef-consuming country.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Telegraph

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Richard Sexton, University of California, Davis

“Economist Warns That Current Ag and Food Policies Risk Global Supply Shortfall”

By: AgWeek – August 19, 2025

“Food demand is likely to grow significantly through the century. But we face considerable headwinds to expanding supply enough to keep up with it.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: AgWeek

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Hunter Biram, University of Arkansas
Jesse Tack, Kansas State University

“Researcher Links Hurricane Risk to Higher Cost of Crop Insurance in Mid-South”

By: The Pine Bluff Commercial – August 22, 2025

"I began to study the price of crop insurance across the United States, and what I noticed was, there were vast differences in prices between what folks in the South and primarily the Mid-South would pay versus those in the upper Midwest. One thing that I begin to think about and do some research on is what's different about the Mid-South?"

(Continued...)
Read more on: The Pine Bluff Commercial

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Jackson Somers, University of Connecticut

“Is Composting Really Beneficial? The Science Behind the Complex Calculation”

By: Science Mag – August 22, 2025

“Composting programs result in an average weekly decrease of approximately 2.3 pounds of organic waste per household. However, this reduction accounts for only about 30% of the typical food waste generated by a U.S. household weekly, highlighting significant gaps in participation and compliance. Unlike cities with enforcement mechanisms, many municipalities rely on voluntary participation, which influences the overall effectiveness of these programs.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Science Mag

Farm Income and Financial Forcasts - September 2025 Update

Webinar: Farm Income and Financial Forecasts, September 2025 Update

Members in the News: August 25, 2025

 Richard Volpe, California Polytechnic State University

• “More Tariff Price Hikes on the Way: How It'll Impact Grocery Bills”
  By: Today Show – August 6, 2025
• “How Trump's Tariffs May Make Your Coffee More Expensive”
  By: Yahoo! Today – August 15, 2025
• “Food Prices on the Rise”
  By: CBS Evening News – August 18, 2025

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Rabail Chandio, Iowa State University

“New Report Unpacks Foreign Interest and Land Leases in Iowa Farmland”

By: Farm Forum – August 15, 2025

“Information is relevant for all Iowa landowners. If you own farmland in Iowa, or are thinking about buying, selling or leasing, it’s smart to understand who else has an interest in that land. This information helps give Iowa producers and landowners a clearer picture of how much land is actually foreign-held, what it’s being used for and what kinds of ownership structures are involved.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Farm Forum

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Wenhui Feng, Tufts University

“Dollar Store Food Shopping Isn't Derailing American Diets: Study”

By: ABC News – August 11, 2025

"Purchases directly from dollar stores were less healthy, but even households that bought a lot from dollar stores had overall diets similar in healthfulness to those who bought less -- suggesting they may be getting healthier options from other places.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: ABC News or Science Magazine, The Hill

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Shuoli Zhao, University of Kentucky

“UK Study: Cereals For Children Becoming Less Healthy”

By: LEX 18 – August 14, 2025

"This is very big topic of children for their health intake, and food intake. It's really under the umbrella of the connections between the market, individual choices, as well as the policy that motivates people to make individual choices.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: LEX 18

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Kenneth Burdine, University of Kentucky

“Fast Food Burgers Could Soon Get More Expensive”

By: Newsweek – August 15, 2025

"Beef supplies are likely to remain tight in the near future. A lot of ground beef comes from cull cows and farmers have not been culling as many cows because the calf market has been so strong. We are also not seeing a lot of heifer retention [keeping young females for breeding purposes, for clarity] yet, which will have to happen in order to see the cowherd grow in size."

(Continued...)
Read more on: Newsweek

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Daniel Mooney, Colorado State University

“Colorado River Water Conservation Program Remains Stalled in US House”

By: Colorado Sun - August 20, 2025

“Flexibility is important… There are a lot of programs that recommend fallowing or land retirement, but this is saying we need some kind of middle-ground.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Colorado Sun or Colorado Politics

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Yangxuan Liu, University of Georgia

“2024 Georgia Quality Cotton Award Winners Announced”

By: Farms.com – August 7, 2025

“The Georgia Quality Cotton Awards are co-sponsored by the Georgia Cotton Commission and Bayer Crop Science/Deltapine and administered by the University of Georgia (UGA) Cotton Team. Dr. Yangxuan Liu, Extension economist at the University of Georgia, conducted the analysis. Dr. Camp Hand presented the awards at the event in Statesboro on behalf of the UGA Cotton Team.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Farms.com

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Amitrajeet Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

“Groundwater at Breaking Point in South Asia”

By: Basis Point – August 22, 2205

“India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are the world’s largest users of groundwater. Groundwater use here is vital for agricultural growth, food security, and rural livelihoods, particularly for smallholder farmers who dominate agriculture. However, widespread subsidies on energy, diesel and electricity, and the absence of direct pricing for water have created what recent research calls a conundrum.”

(Continued...)
Read more on: Basis Point

Member Blog: David Zilberman

 

Food and Technology Fights Will Affect Our Future – Says Richard Sexton in a Fascinating New Book

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By David ZILBERMAN / August 17, 2025

Most people in the developed world worry much more about “what is a good diet” or “how to enjoy food and lose weight”, rather than “will there be enough food?”. The abundance of food in the last two to three centuries is the result of scientific discoveries and resulting innovations (selective breeding, fertilizer, pesticide, tractors, better storage) and expansion of agricultural land. It also resulted in negative environmental effects that must be addressed. But policymakers and the public largely assume that in the Malthusian race between population growth and technology, technology won. Still, food price inflation may affect elections. More than a billion people are food insecure, but food insecurity is seen as a problem of poverty and underutilization of resources. In the West, there are policies that aim to reduce food supplies. 

Richard Sexton argues convincingly that we should worry about food availability given recent developments. His well-written and argued book (Food Fight: Misguided Policies, Supply Challenges, and the Impending Struggle to Feed a Hungry World), recently published by the University of California Press, makes the case that the Malthusian threat of the planet’s inability to feed human population is not over. Sexton identified several factors that contribute to this threat – and suggests that it can be overcome by smart policy. 

Richard Sexton is one of the leading agricultural economists of our generation. He was born on a dairy farm and his experience and familiarity with rural life gives him an edge over many of us who grew in the cities. He’s a towering figure in the study of Industrial Organization of agriculture – understanding industry behavior, different forms of competition among agribusiness firms, and food and quality pricing. He’s also a rare academic leader – he was the Chair of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at Davis for about 10 years and led it to become second to none. He also has the founding editor of ARE Update, a widely read bimonthly magazine that disseminates new findings on the economics of agriculture and the environment. Richard has a rare capacity to clarify complex issues and explain tough choices to the educated reader.

Sexton considers several threats to the agricultural system. First, is continued economic growth and income growth. As people in developing countries get wealthier, they expand the consumption of a meat-based diet. Animals need to be fed grains, and thus agricultural outputs need to grow by 50% or more, compared to existing carbon levels. Add to this, climatic change that tends to reduce yield significantly at some of the most productive locations in the world. Of course, adaptation and movement of crops is possible, but it’s costly and difficult. Some of the populations affected by these changes cannot move. In addition, changes in climate lead to movement of pests and diseases. These changes require adaptation which requires increased research and knowledge. 

In addition to demographics and climatic changes, many of the challenges we face are the results of human choices. Sexton is very critical of biofuels that take good land out of production and frequently doesn’t contribute to reduce greenhouse gases. I don’t share much of his criticism, viewing biofuels as a work-in-progress, and believing that other regulations are preventing humanity to harness the potential of natural resources to provide much more than food. But Sexton’s argument is well-reasoned and may be valid if we don’t invest more in research and change our policies and regulations. 

The beauty of the book is the analyses of mistaken policies, regulations, and perspectives. Sometimes, good intentions lead to bad policies or arrangements. Organic farming represents the desire to avoid toxic chemicals, but in most cases, the yields of organic systems are significantly below that of traditional systems, which leads to expansion of agricultural land and increased greenhouse gas emissions. He presents a wide range of evidence where organic farming may defeat the environmental purposes that it proclaims. Organic food may be desirable as a social signal, but to move to organic farming on a large scale may exacerbate food insecurity and deforestation. Sexton also criticizes the local food movement. It has its appeal, helping some local farmers to thrive, but the price on consumers is immense. Because certain regions have advantages in terms of agricultural productivity and technology, the overall cost on producing food, in terms of money and greenhouse gases may significantly increase by an emphasis on buying local.

Sexton is also critical of some of the regulation associated with animal welfare. He’s sympathetic to animal welfare arguments but suggests introducing policies that balance the interests of consumers, producers and animal welfare considering benefits, cost and risks. He is critical of some of the emerging policies today that sound good, but their real performance is shaky. Sexton is in his base when he’s able to identify some of the notions that may lead to misguided policy. One example is the concern about waste. Of course, there is a place for efficiency and reduced waste, but evidence shows that fighting food waste intensively may be costly and ineffective. He also argues that regulations that aim to artificially reduce consumption of meat or other products during certain times, generally are of limited value. A lot of policies that are introduced with good intentions, e.g., climate-smart agriculture, may not be in practice, as effective as claimed.

Richard is a strong believer in science-based agriculture. The book provides strong arguments against regulations that limit the use of modern technologies like gene editing and other biotechnologies. Relying on multiple studies, he documents the gains from adoption of some of the modern technologies, and huge loss, especially to developing countries, not using them. Again, good intentions to protect against unknown uncertainties, and the desire to eliminate risk have resulted in policies that are endangering humanity. 

The main threats of the food system and human well-being is reduced investment in research and development in agriculture. While private investments in agricultural research might increase, it is not a substitute to public research. Public sector research makes the discovery that provides the foundation to applied research and commercialization by the private sector. Sexton brings multiple evidence and examples that we are all losing from failing to invest sufficiently in expanding our knowledge base and developing new technologies to support food production. 

Sexton’s book is a rare economic book that is fun to read, in addition to being very informative. It addresses many of the controversies relating to agriculture and food in an approachable manner and I learned a lot, even though I may disagree with some of the points. The book is ideal as an introduction to agricultural economists in high school and colleges and can be a great gift for people that care about agriculture and the planet. I recommend Food Fight: Misguided Policies, Supply Challenges, and the Impending Struggle to Feed a Hungry World strongly.