Year
2003
There is an increasing tendency for forest product firms worldwide to adopt sound environmental management practices by voluntarily agreeing to have their forest practices certified by third parties. Using a simple model of profit maximization, we illustrate that the puzzling emergence of this non-state, self-imposed governance structure is compatible with firms’ profit motives. An empirical model using firm data from three countries shows firm location and export destinations play a key role in firms’ decisions to seek certification, while the nature of forestland ownership has no significant impact on certification decisions.
One-step-ahead forecasts of quarterly live cattle, live hog, and broiler prices are evaluated under two general approaches: accuracy-based measures and classification based measures which test the ability to categorize price movements directionally or within a forecasted range. Results suggest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) price forecasts are not optimal. Broiler price forecasts are biased, and all the forecast series tend to repeat errors. While the USDA forecasts are more accurate than those of a univariate AR(4) time-series model, evidence suggests the USDA live cattle forecasts could be improved with a composite forecast that includes a time-series alternative. Despite this, the USDA correctly identifies the direction of price change in at least 70% of its forecasts over the sample period. Furthermore, actual prices fall within the USDA’s forecasted range 48% of the time for broilers, but only 35% for hogs. Finally, there is some evidence that the USDA’s price forecasting accuracy has improved over time for broilers, but has gotten marginally worse for hogs.
This study focuses on estimating wholesale pork primal demand relationships in order to determine their own-quantity flexibilities, whether these flexibilities have changed over time, and seasonal price fluctuations. A set of equations for pork loin, rib, butt, ham, pork belly, and picnic primals was estimated. Monthly data over an 11-year period were used to determine that own-quantity flexibilities varied across months, that they increased in absolute value over time for some primal cuts, and cold-storage stocks were used as an inventory control measure to reduce price variation for some primal cuts.