Improvement of a Bio-Economic Mathematical Programming Model in the Case of On-Farm Source Inputs and Outputs

We present a two-step process for solving nonlinear farm activity models inside a linear framework under the assumption that market prices approximate the shadow prices of the model’s constraints. In the event of market imperfections or missing prices (for example non-marketed outputs), the previous assumption is not justified and the derived solution is not optimal. To circumvent this problem and to avoid nonlinear algorithms that may prove unwieldy for large models, we propose an iterative computation method, based on the re-estimation of shadow prices in each step until a converging solution is found. The method is applied to the bio-economic model AROPAj, which consists of a number of linear programming (LP) farm sub-models representing different farming systems across the European Union. For most of LPs producing non-marketed outputs a converging solution is obtained in two iterations, while the remaining LPs lead to periodic solutions of very low amplitude.

     

Ingredient Optimization and Children’s Liking of Popcorn Seasoned with Fish Protein Powder/Omega-3 Fish Oil

Response surface methodology (Box-Behnken design) was used to optimize the seasoning ingredients of popped popcorn. Children’s liking of seasoned popcorn was also determined by 120 school children. The results indicated that seasoning of popcorn with fish protein powder and omega-3 fish oil could produce accepted snacks that would be more nutritious than the widely consumed regular popcorn. Fortification of popcorn with 9% fish protein powder and/or 6% omega-3 fish oil did not influence the sensory attributes of the prototypes. Liking test revealed that children in the age range of 6 to 12 years liked the selected fortified products. This fortification also provided another avenue for cereal snack food diversification and might be a healthy option to boost children’s nutritional intake and to increase fish protein consumption. Such products are good choices for health-conscious consumers.     

Effects of Supply Chain Management on Tomato Export in Iran: Application of Structural Equation Modeling

Although Iran is one of the top 10 countries in the world that produce tomatoes, the level that they are exported into the global market is low. This issue may have resulted from a major problem within tomatoes’ supply chain management. This paper aims to develop an empirical model of the supply chain management (SCM) of tomato companies. Throughout the reviewed literature, a SCM construct with different six indicators has been developed, including information sharing, long-term relationship, cooperation, quality, flexibility, and delivery. In this study, the influence of the SCM components on tomato export was identified through the use of empirical data that were collected from 20 different tomato companies in Northeast Iran. Using structural equation modeling, the major elements of SCM were found to have significant impacts on the export of tomatoes. The results also showed that information sharing, cooperation, flexibility, quality, and delivery had significant positive effects on the export of tomatoes.     

The Impact of Cooperative R&D and Advertising on Innovation and Welfare

Journal of Quantitative Economics - This paper studies the impact of cooperative R&D and advertising on innovation and welfare in a duopolistic industry. The model incorporates two...