ERS has a broad range of research on how agricultural markets and natural resources might be affected by the increased demand for bioenergy. ERS research on bioenergy encompasses all aspects of the ERS research mission, including economic and policy issues involving food,
farming, natural resources, and rural development. Ongoing bioenergy research focuses on domestic and global agricultural markets; economywide, regional, and household effects; natural resource, environmental, and rural community impacts; and implications for food prices.the range of crops
that can be grown for energy production in the future.
Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERS’s research and analysis. The magazine covers the economics of agriculture, food and nutrition, the food industry, trade, rural America, and farm-related environmental topics. Available on the internet and in print, Amber Waves is issued in print five times a year (February, April, June, September and November). The internet edition, or “eZine,” includes links to web –only resources, such as podcasts and additional articles.
This Amber Waves article provides a synthesis of ERS research about U.S. and international trends in food spending, food consumption, and food delivery systems. 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 and consumption patterns in middle-income countries are converging to countries with higher income levels. Income growth has been a primary force behind converging global consumption patterns.
The use of food for biofuels, coupled with greater global food demand, has reversed the path of declining price trends for several commodities. For highly food import-dependent or highly food-insecure countries, any decline in import capacity stemming from rising food prices can have challenging food security implications. Food aid, a key safety net source, has stagnated during the last two decades, and its share has declined relative to total food imports of low-income countries.
Average earnings are lower in nonmetro areas than in metro areas, even after accounting for differences in the individual characteristics of nonmetro earners. The nonmetro-metro earnings gap is greater for workers with more education and more experience. For nonmetro households, lower earnings may be offset by factors difficult to measure, such as lower living costs or the value of rural amenities.
Ethanol’s impact on retail food prices depends on how long the increased demand for corn drives up farm corn prices and the extent to which higher corn prices are passed through to retail. ERS research traces the effect of higher corn prices on U.S. retail food prices by analyzing data on price trends and price response of corn-dependent food to cost changes.
The Multifiber Arrangement (MFA) governed world trade in textiles for decades. The MFA's effective conclusion in 2005 was the catalyst for a reshaping of world textile and fiber markets that will continue for years to come. This conference will review the impact of textile trade liberalization along the textile supply chain and discuss how these changes have affected textile exporters, textile importers, and the U.S. textile industry and communities. The conference will be held on January 31-February 1, 2008, in the Frederick Waugh Auditorium at the Economic Research Service, 1800 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Attendance is free but registration is required.
Statistical Indicators previously published in Agricultural Outlook addressing a broad spectrum of agriculture-related issues. Includes commodity and food prices, general economic indicators, government program expenditures, farm income estimates, and trade and export statistics.
Issued monthly, WASDE provides the most current USDA forecasts of U.S. and world supply-use balances for major grains, soybeans and products, and cotton, and U.S. supply and use data for sugar and livestock products.
A futures-price forecasting model is used to provide season-average price forecasts for corn, soybeans, and wheat. In addition to the monthly forecasts for prices received, the model computes a forecast for the counter-cyclical payment rate for each commodity. The 2002 Farm Act provides for counter-cyclical payments when prices are below specified levels.
The objective of this research is to extend and generalize the equilibrium displacement
methodology by combining it with mathematical programming methods and existing
knowledge of farm sector relationships to develop sectoral adjustment models that can
operate in pure competition, monopoly/monopsony, or mixed-competition. A model of
the U.S. agricultural sector at the national aggregate level is presented to illustrate the
methods. An appendix contains a user's manual describing the operation of the model.
Further appendices contain documentation of the structure of the spreadsheets, the
programming tableau, and the SAS solution program.
Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for rice, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains information on U.S. rough, milled, and long-, medium-, and short-grain rice.
Timely version released by 4 p.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for oil crops (primarily soybeans and products), including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Includes information on cottonseed, peanuts, sunflowerseed, tropical oils, corn oil, and animal fats.
Timely version released by 4 p.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
This report provides longrun (10-year) projections for the agricultural sector through 2017. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices.
Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for feed grains, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Focuses on corn; also contains information on sorghum, barley, oats, and hay.
Released by 9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
Examines supply, use, prices, and trade for wheat, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains data and information on U.S. wheat by class.
Timely version released by 9 a.m. ET. Final full pdf available no later than 4 business days after the day of initial release. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification.
The Farm Income and Costs briefing room provides indicators of economic performance for the U.S. farm sector and major crop and livestock farm groups. Farm balance sheet estimates are used by USDA and other public and private sector clients to form a perspective about the financial health of the U.S. agricultural economy. Distributional analyses identify sub-sectors and business types that are performing well relative to past trends and to other groups and types of farms. Identification of these businesses enables analysts to more closely examine factors contributing to financial performance, such as assessment of debt-repayment difficulties of specific farm types, industry sub-sectors, and regions of the country.
This report provides longrun (10-year) projections for the agricultural sector through 2017. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices.
Longrun (10-year) projections for the U.S. agricultural sector. Includes assumptions for U.S. and foreign macroeconomic conditions and projections for major commodities, agricultural trade, farm income, and consumer food prices.
The agricultural baseline database provides longrun, 10-year projections from USDA's annual long-term projections report. The database covers projections for major field crops (corn, sorghum, barley, oats, wheat, rice, soybeans, and upland cotton), and livestock (beef, pork, poultry and eggs, and dairy).
The Farm Household Economics and Well-Being briefing room focuses on indicators of the economic well-being of the households of the principal operators of family farms. It includes USDA's latest forecast for 2008. Indicators of well-being include household income and wealth (from both farm and off-farm sources), and indicators of health insurance coverage. The briefing room compares the financial well-being of farm households relative to all U.S. households, identifies the contributions of off-farm employment, non-farm self-employment, transfer payments, and financial market investments in household income, and discusses how taxes influence both income and wealth. The briefing room also describes the demographic characteristics of the principal farm operator households and how members of these households allocate their time to farm and off-farm work.
This report provides longrun (10-year) projections for the agricultural sector through 2017. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices.
The latest U.S. agricultural trade data are now available from ERS. This new data product announces USDA's monthly release of calendar year, fiscal year, year-to-date, and monthly value of U.S. agricultural exports, imports, and trade balance.
Annual data on U.S. and State harvested acreage, yield, production, prices, crop value, trade, and per capita use of blueberries. Also includes monthly data on shipments, imports, and exports, and world data on production and trade.
Timely livestock, dairy, and poultry information, focusing on current and forecast production, price, and trade statistics for each of the sectors.
Released by 9:00 a.m. ET. Supporting tables available later in the month after release of key livestock and animal product data. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification. Printed copies can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-LDPM-4042).
The Livestock and Meat Trade Data Set contains monthly and annual data for imports and exports of live cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats, as well as beef and veal, pork, lamb and mutton, chicken meat, turkey meat, and eggs. The tables report physical quantities, not dollar values or unit prices. Data on beef and veal, pork, and lamb and mutton are on a carcass-weight-equivalent basis. Breakdowns by country are included.
Provides a monthly update of year-to-date quantities and values of U.S. agricultural exports and imports. Also provides data on leading destination countries for exports and import source countries.
This data product contains statistics on wheat - including the five classes of wheat: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, white, and durum - and rye. Includes data published in the monthly Wheat Outlook and previously annual Wheat Yearbook. Data are monthly, quarterly, and/or annual depending upon the data series.
Interactive database that contains statistics on four feed grains (corn, grain sorghum, barley, and oats), foreign coarse grains (feed grains plus rye, millet, and mixed grains), hay, and related items. Tables previously published annually in the Feed Yearbook are available and updated continuously as data are added to the database. Custom queries also allow users to retrieve historical data.
This data set provides monthly average price values, and the differences among those values, at the farm, wholesale, and retail stages of the production and marketing chain for selected cuts of beef, pork, and broilers. In addition, retail prices are provided for beef and pork cuts, turkey, whole chickens, eggs, and dairy products.
Provides current intelligence and forecasts the effects of changing conditions in the U.S. vegetables and melons sector (including potatoes, pulses, and mushrooms). Topics include production, consumption, shipments, prices received, trade, and more.
Released by 4 p.m. ET. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter (and yearbook) availability. Users who subscribe to this newsletter will also receive articles on timely topics via e-mail notification. Printed copies of the newsletter (and yearbook) can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-VGS-4039).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 84th Outlook Forum, "Energizing Rural America in the Global Marketplace," is an annual conference for industry and government leaders, farmers and ranchers, and other agricultural experts. Topical sessions cover energy and technology, rural America, policy and trade, food risk and security, conservation, weather and climate, and commodities. The forum will take place on February 21-22, 2008, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
Offers the latest forecast of value and volume of U.S. farm exports, by commodity and region, as well as the agricultural trade balance for the coming year. Keeps readers abreast of how U.S. agricultural trade stacks up in a global market.
Released at 10 a.m. ET. Subscribe to the free electronic version to receive timely notification of newsletter availability. Printed copies can be purchased from the National Technical Information Service by calling 1-800-999-6779 (specify SUB-AES-4035).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 84th Outlook Forum, "Energizing Rural America in the Global Marketplace," is an annual conference for industry and government leaders, farmers and ranchers, and other agricultural experts. Topical sessions cover energy and technology, rural America, policy and trade, food risk and security, conservation, weather and climate, and commodities. The forum will take place on February 21-22, 2008, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
The DatelinERS newsletter offers concise summaries of ERS reports and events with links to areas within our website. You can find it in our newsroom at www.ers.usda.gov/News/.
This product provides U.S. annual data on imports and exports of selected fertilizer types. The data cover imports and exports from 1995 to 2007 and exports from 1990 to 2007 for 26 major fertilizer products and materials, and for 82 major trading countries.
38 releases of 37 products this month on 12 different days.
