U.S. Agriculture is also changing rapidly from a sector characterised by production of undifferentiated bulk commodities sold in spot markets to one of specialised markets driven by new end-user demands. As production shifts away from commodity agriculture to product agriculture, vertically integrated agribusiness firms are increasingly organising production into agro-food value chains to synchronise all stages of production from seed to supermarket. Value-added production is a central element of agro-food value chain, and control over specific identity preserved(IP) trait is basic to the...

Presents a study of the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and a comparison with the Appalachian region. This book analyses the SJV's counties and statistically documents the basis of socio-economic conditions. It also examines the role of federal expenditures in th

In the post-World War II era, widespread rural poverty, most notably among farmers, dominated rural policy concerns. While no overarching framework guides rural policy at the federal level, adequate housing, employment creation, human capital concerns, pov