Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T16:36:26.731Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Ethanolization of Agriculture and the Roles of Agricultural Economists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2015

Cary W. “Bill” Herndon Jr.
Cary W. “Bill” Herndon Jr.*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

First, please permit me the latitude to use a bit of poetic license in coining the term, “ethanolization,” which attempts to describe the upheaval and chaos witnessed across the agricultural sector attributed to the booming corn-based ethanol industry. Ethanolization has focused its impact on agriculture and, in particular, the U.S. agricultural sector as a combination of market-induced and policy-induced factors have created a “perfect storm” that is causing dramatic shocks to virtually every crop and livestock producer and agribusiness. Coining the term ethanolization also borrows from past eras in agriculture described as the “mechanization” of agriculture in the 1940s and 1950s and the “industrialization” of agriculture in the 1990s. Mechanization described a period when widespread adoption of farm machinery occurred across the United States. Then, industrialization, accredited to a body of writings by Draben-stott and Barkema, portrayed a “quiet revolution” of ever-increasing size and specialization of U.S. farms, ranches, and agribusinesses. Now, ethanolization attempts to characterize a similar revolution that is affecting essentially every facet of American agriculture.

Type
Presidential Address
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , August 2008 , pp. 403 - 414
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Coalition for Ethanol. U.S. Ethanol Production. Internet site: http://www.ethanol.org/index.php?id=37&perendid=8 (Accessed February 2008).Google Scholar
Anderson, David. “Bio-Fuel Revolution and Its Impact on Dairy and Agriculture Sectors.” Proceeding of the 34th Annual Southern Dairy Conference, Atlanta, GA, January 30, 2008. Internet site: http://www.southeastdairyextension.org/SDC%202008%20program01.html. (Accessed February 2008).Google Scholar
Anderson, John. “Feed Price Risk Management Considerations for Catfish Producers.” In-House Extension Factsheet, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, February 27 2008.Google Scholar
Boak, Joshua. “Ethanol Boom a Mixed Bag; Farmers Flourish, but Consumers Take a Hit.” Chicago Tribune. December 26 2007. Internet site: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-wed_farmersdec26,1,4802943.story (Accessed January 2008).Google Scholar
Busby, David Preston. The Cost of Producing Lignocellulousic Biomass for Ethanol. Master of Science Thesis. Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, August 2007.Google Scholar
Cato Institute. “Ethanol Program Milks Consumers Dry.” News Release, Cato Institute. Internet site: http://www.cato-at-liberty.Org/2008/01/l5/ethanol-program-milks-consumers-dry/ (Accessed January 2008).Google Scholar
Luttrell, Clifton B. “The Russian Wheat Deal— Hindsight vs. Foresight.” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Reprint No. 81, October 1973.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Corn Growers Association. Corn Growers Producing Food and Fuel. Internet site: http://www.ncga.com/news/OurView/pdf/2006/Food ANDFuel.pdf (Accessed January 2008).Google Scholar
Renewable Fuels Association. “Vast Majority of Consumers Want More Ethanol.” Polling Results. Phoenix Marketing International. Internet site: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/media/press/rfa/2006/view.php?id=721 (Accessed February 2008).Google Scholar
Renewable Fuels Association. “Renewable Fuels Standards.” Internet site: http://ethanolrfa.org/resource/standard (Accessed January 2008).Google Scholar
Taylor, Jerry, and Doren, Peter Van. “The Ethanol Boondoggle.” The Milken Institute Review. The Milken Institute, First Quarter 2007.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Block Announces Payment-In-Kind Program Details.” News Release, USDA News Center. Internet site: http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta- ers- 9038:1 (Accessed January 2008).Google Scholar