Agriculture and farming Books

Book SynopsisThis book shows that within the framework of EU, there has always been an ongoing struggle between two powers, food safety through feed hygiene and functioning of the market in financial terms. The direction of the outcome of this struggle depends on the balance of powers at a given time. For the question of "dilution principle" in the area of undesirable substances of feeds, this did work in favour of safety and the protection of the consumer. On the other hand, for the outstanding issues of "positive list" and "open declaration" in feed marketing, it is apparent that the outcome of the discussions so far supports the functioning of a "healthy" market rather, and the whole question is still pending.

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Book SynopsisIndia''s high agricultural tariffs are a significant impediment to U.S. agricultural exports and certain Indian non-tariff measures (NTMs), including sanitary and phytosanitary measures, substantially limit or effectively prohibit certain U.S. agricultural products. Agriculture is vital to India''s economy, accounting for a substantial share of employment (60%) and GDP (17%). Broad intervention by the Indian government in the agricultural sector, including restrictive and variable trade policies, are designed to protect domestic producers and consumers. This book provides an overview of Indian agricultural production, imports, and consumption during 2003-08, as well as Indian tariffs and NTMs, the Indian food marketing and distribution system, and Indian government regulations relating to the agricultural market, including foreign direct investment and intellectual property rights policies.

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Book SynopsisAbout 717,000 farms in the U.S. went out of business, or exited, between 1992 and 1997, but the total number of farms declined by just 13,400 because the number of entries (703,700 farms) nearly equalled exits. In fact, the farm count has remained relatively stable since the 1974 Census, reflecting exits and entries essentially in balance. This book explores and studies U.S. farm exits, farm survival and the role of commodity payments.

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses the settlement history of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) in the European part of the former USSR territory. Information collected about the appearance of hotbeds of CPB on the territory of South Urals is also presented. The data regarding voltinis, phenological timing of CPB generations developing, kinds of species diapause in the South Urals are discussed. Comparison of the number of particular ontogenetic stages of the Colorado potato beetle on potato plantations is carried out according to the data obtained over an 80 year period, as well as in 2007-2009.

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Book SynopsisGovernments of every sugar-producing nation intervene to protect their domestic industries from fluctuating world market prices. Such intervention is necessary, it is argued, because both sugar cane and sugar beets must be processed soon after harvest using costly processing machinery. When farmers significantly reduce production because of low prices, a cane or beet processing plant typically shuts down, usually never to reopen. This close link between production and capital-intensive processing makes price stability important to industry survival. This book examines the background, policies and issues of the sugar industry across the globe.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive overview of local food systems and explores the definitions of local food; estimates market size and reach; describes the characteristics of local consumers and producers; and examines early indications of the economic and health impacts of local food systems. There is no consensus on a definition of "local" or "local food systems" in terms of the geographic distance between production and consumption. But defining "local" based on marketing arrangements, such as farmers selling directly to consumers at regional farmers'' markets or to schools, is well recognised. Statistics suggest that local food markets account for a small, but growing, share of U.S. agricultural production. Findings are mixed on the impact of local food systems on local economic development and better nutrition levels among consumers, and sparse literature is so far inconclusive about whether localisation reduces energy use or greenhouse gas emissions.

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Book SynopsisSmaller niche-market food producers have good reason to be optimistic in today''s marketplace. Increased demand for specialty food products, and consumers'' willingness to visit different retailers to get them, is creating new marketing opportunities for food producers and processors that can offer innovative merchandise designed to meet the specific needs and preferences of particular consumer segments. Several of today''s most highly profitable retail supermarket chains, typically, privately held firms that operate relatively small numbers of stores, have succeeded because of their ability to closely match their food product offerings to the specific needs of their customer base. Such firms offer promising marketing opportunities to small and medium sized food suppliers who can meet their basic product requirements. This book provides an overview of the changing retail landscape and identifies some of the characteristics associated with successful food retailing.

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Book SynopsisSoybean is one of the major world crops. In 2008, the world consumption of soybean was over 221 million metric tons of which approximately 50% came from the U.S.. Soybean seed is a major source of protein, oil, carbohydrates, isoflavones, and minerals for humans and animals. This book presents current research data from across the globe in the study of soybean cultivation, its uses and nutrition. Some topics discussed herein include soybean seed composition and quality; soybean peroxidase applications in wastewater treatment; soybean germination and cancer disease; soybean oil deodoriser distillate; soybean oil in health and disease; and the use of soybean peptone in bacterial cultivations for vaccine production.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics. (Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope).

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Book SynopsisSeveral epidemiological studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease. Clinical trials have found that consumption of various nuts such as almonds and walnuts can lower serum LDL cholesterol concentrations. Although nuts contain various substances thought to possess cardioprotective effects, scientists believe that their Omega 3 fatty acid profile is at least in part responsible for the hypolipidemic response observed in clinical trials. This book presents current research in the study of nut properties, consumption and nutrition.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a review of the current feed market dynamics including the major emerging issues and their implications for the U.S. livestock sector and Congress and background information on the market structure of the U.S. feed grain sector.

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Book SynopsisIn the last few years, with increasing frequency, modern medicine directs attention to natural products with biological and therapeutic properties and their use in clinical practice. The major arguments for implementing natural products, such as honey, are low cost and the absence of antimicrobial resistance risk. This book presents original current research and clinical results on the leading edge of honey research. Topics discussed include the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of honey; possible anticancer and anti-diabetic properties of honey; immunomodulatory effects of honey on cutenous and immune cells during wound healing process; topical applications of honey and the use of honey in the treatment of burns, non-healing wounds and eye diseases.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides projections for the agricultural sector through 2020. Projections cover agricultural commodities, agricultural trade, and aggregate indicators of the sector, such as farm income and food prices. The projections are based on specific assumptions about macroeconomic conditions, policy, weather and international developments, with no domestic or external shocks to global agricultural markets. Provisions of current law are assumed to remain in effect through the projection period. The projections are one representative scenario for the agricultural sector for the next decade.

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Book SynopsisBeef cow-calf farms operate in an industry characterised by large numbers of small farms. Many of these farms specialise in beef cattle production, but farm households on these operations tend to generate more income from off-farm sources, such as wages and salaries or retirement income, than from the farm businesses themselves. This book discusses select research on global beef production and trade including beef production in the United States, Japan and Mexico.

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Book SynopsisWheat is a key staple food in Afghanistan, accounting for over half of the caloric intake of the population. It is also Afghanistan''s major crop, accounting for roughly 70 percent of the cultivated land area. However, the country''s domestic production of wheat is inadequate for meeting demand and, moreover, is subject to sizeable weather induced fluctuations. Imports from surrounding countries have been required in order for Afghanistan to meet its need for wheat. This book discusses the role of wheat in Afghanistan''s food security.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including cotton growth, seed yield, seed viability, and seedling vigour as affected by plant nutrition and plant growth retardants; salmonella sp. in the pork production chain; health effects of kiwi fruit; developing biomarkers to improve, detect and monitor high pork quality; methods to study the seed production of semi-natural grasslands; and the use of live food for larval peneids.

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Book SynopsisGrazing management is one of the most important management activities world-wide, and it has been a traditional sustainable land use in many areas of the planet. This book demonstrates the poor extrapolation capacity that grazing studies have due to site-dependent effects and sensitivity to changes in weather conditions and soil characteristics. Therefore, researchers should be cautious when suggesting management recommendations, such as removing all grazing animals or reducing grazing activities. A highly variable ecological force such as grazing, with important environmental and social implications, should be analysed deeply before extrapolated results or suggesting management practices.

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Book SynopsisGrasslands provide both ecological and economic benefits. The importance of grasslands lies not only in the areas they cover, but also in the diversity of environmental benefits they produce. The lands provide forage for livestock, water for urban and rural uses, flood protection, wildlife habitat, purification of air, and carbon sequestration. The lands also provide aesthetic values and open space. This book discusses the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), which provides assistance to landowners and operators to protect grazing uses and related conservation values on eligible private range and pasture lands. The program emphasises support of grazing operations, maintaining and improving plant and animal biodiversity, and protecting grasslands and shrublands under threat of conversion to cropping, urban development, and other non-grazing uses.

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Book SynopsisThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program) plays a vital role in the social safety net in the United States, providing almost $72 billion in benefits in 2011. An important measure of SNAP''s effectiveness is the extent to which the program reduces poverty. Evaluations of antipoverty effect of safety net programs often focus on the rate of poverty. However, the poverty rate reflects only one aspect of the antipoverty effect of a safety net program, whether or not adding program benefits to a family''s resources lifts them above the poverty threshold. This book examines SNAP''s role in poverty reduction with a focus on increased food security.

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Book SynopsisFarmers and ranchers have had to adjust to significant changes in the structure and business methods of the livestock and meat sectors in recent decades. At the farm level, animal production in general and hog production in particular have undergone significant consolidation since 1980. Beef and pork packing (slaughtering) and processing have consolidated rapidly since 1980 into fewer and larger plants. As an industry consolidates, it can become highly concentrated, with a relatively small number of firms accounting for most of the production or sales. This book examines the USDA''s "GIPSA Rule" on livestock and poultry marketing practices and competition issues.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed include the trade and food security implications from the Indonesian agricultural experience; the remarkable growth in China''s apple juice concentrate exports since the 1990s; the U.S. and Mexican dry bean sectors; and Peru as an emerging exporter of fruits and vegetables.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including breeding improved cassava cultivars in tropical/subtropical bio-systems; sluggish alcoholic fermentations during wine production; agricultural productivity and poverty in Vietnam; the role of eco-management for sustainable agricultural production; molecular marker assisted selection for disease resistance breeds of cattle; an improved in vitro method for isolated microspore culture of durum wheat; modelling crop water requirements in the Upper Indus Basin of Pakistan for enhancing food security; and agricultural practices for sustainable crop production and soil health.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the possible economic implications of large shifts in the supply of foreign-born, hired farm labour that could result from substantial changes in U.S. immigration laws or policies. Hired labour is an important input to U.S. agricultural production, accounting for about 17 percent of variable production expenses and about 40 percent of such expenses for fruit, vegetables, and nursery products. Over the past 15 years, roughly half of the hired labourers employed in U.S. crop agriculture have lacked the immigration status needed to work legally in the United States. Thus, changes in immigration laws or policies could lead to markedly different economic outcomes in the agricultural sector and the market for hired farm labour. The same is generally true for other economic sectors that rely on large numbers of unauthorised workers.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope.

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Book SynopsisThis book describes and analyses competitive factors in Brazil affecting U.S. and Brazilian sales of agricultural goods, including grains, soy-beans, and meats, in third-country markets. It provides an overview of Brazil''s agricultural imports, exports, consumption, and production during 200611; an overview of Brazilian government programs and regulations relating to agricultural production and exports; an analysis of the growth of Brazilian agribusiness firms and their impact on global supply chains; a description of competitive factors affecting Brazil''s agricultural sector; and special focus chapters surveying the soy-bean, grains, poultry, beef, and pork sectors, with an emphasis on important third-country markets where U.S. and Brazilian exports directly compete.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed include the expansion of modern grocery retailing and trade in developing countries; Indonesia''s modern retail sector; the convergence in global food demand and delivery; and public agricultural research spending and future U.S. agricultural productivity growth.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the changes and trends in farming and farmland in the United States. Innovations in farm organisation, business arrangements, and production practices have allowed farmers to produce more with less. Fewer labour hours and less land are used today than 30 years ago, and practices such as the use of genetically engineered seeds and no-till have dampened increases in machinery, fuel, and pesticide use. Likely aided by the increased use of risk management tools such as contracts and crop insurance, U.S. agricultural productivity has increased by nearly 50 percent since 1982. Future innovations will be necessary to maintain, or boost, current productivity gains in order to meet the growing global demands that will be placed upon U.S. agriculture.

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Book SynopsisThis new book is a collection of research and review articles from authors involved in diverse aspects of cultivar research. This volume discusses the agronomic, biochemical and nutritional aspects of a wide range of plant cultivars, including aspects related to the use of genetic tools for the production of vaccines as well as new molecular techniques available for product traceability. Also reviewed is the comprehensive treatment of the physiological effects of foods and food components capable of promoting good health and preventing or alleviating disease. Moreover, this volume will be of great help to undergraduate and graduate level students in Genetics, Agriculture, Phytochemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Plant Physiology and Crop Development, and an excellent reference material for plant researchers.

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Book SynopsisFor over 55 years, the United States has played a leading role in global efforts to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to enhance world food security through international food aid activities. The development and implementation of a U.S. global food security initiative, and commitments made by global leaders to support agricultural development, have increased Congress''s focus on U.S. international food aid programs. The primary objectives for foreign food aid include providing emergency and humanitarian assistance in response to natural or man-made disasters, and promoting agricultural development and food security. The United States provides food aid for emergency food relief and to support development projects. This book examines the programs, donors, and world food program controls in support of international food aid currently being enacted to deal with this global crisis.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes an incisive, political ecology perspective of the development of agriculture in the West African nation of Ghana (formerly the British colony of the Gold Coast), focusing on agricultural, socio-cultural, economic, political and environmental issues during the pre-colonial (pre-16th century), colonial and post colonial periods (after 1957, up until 1992, the start of the last Republic). This integrated approach for the study of agricultural development and environmental change is very relevant to the Ghanaian context. Here, complex historical, political and socio-cultural factors have been combined, within a fairly short period, to contribute to an environmental metamorphosis. A complicated mosaic of indeterminate vegetation climaxes, such as depleted and secondary forests, derived savannah and savannah woodland, has gradually replaced the primeval rain forest, deciduous forest and savannah. Problems include soil erosion and desertification risk. This, largely due to human agency, is explainable by examining the political and economic relations behind the resource exploitation methods devised by the different actors in the political, economic and social system.

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Book SynopsisRegional and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) have taken on greater significance amidst an evolving international trading environment. Member countries in FTAs agree to eliminate trade barriers on all or most goods and services traded among them. Uncertainties associated with global negotiations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Development Agenda, along with other factors, have contributed to an upsurge in bilateral and regional trade agreements. This book examines the possible impacts on U.S. agricultural trade of two recently implemented FTAs in which the United States is not a partner; the FTAs between the ASEAN countries and China and between the ASEAN countries and Australia/New Zealand. Also discussed is the potential effects on U.S. agricultural exporters of pending bilateral TAs between the United States and Korea, Colombia, and Panama.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of research in the study of household food security in the United States and India. An estimated 85.1 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2011, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (14.9 percent) were food insecure, meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food. Comparatively, this book provides a quantitative assessment of food security using a large household-level expenditure survey conducted by the Government of India during 2004/2005. The analysis tests the impact of several key assumptions required to estimate actual calories consumed from the expenditure data.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the important question of how large a role bioproduction and renewable energy can play in achieving sustainable agricultural practices in the present system of agricultural production. Understanding bioproduction engineering and development can help improve the efficiency of sustainable agriculture and future renewable energy resources. With the aim of understanding this question, this book focuses on bioproduction and sustainability issues, covering sensors, agricultural decision making systems and the relationship between bioproduction and sustainable practices of agriculture. Topics discussed include information oriented technology that can be implemented to address the variability of bioproduction systems; sensors and control systems; precision agricultural technology; decision support systems in agriculture; renewable energy resources; and analytical hierarchy processes for agricultural management. This material will appeal to a wide range of readers and is designed as a resource for graduate and undergraduate students working in any area of agricultural engineering, crop sciences, or environmental science disciplines. The book also includes questions and sample model problems to allow readers to practice implementing the modelling tools.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope. Topics discussed in this issue include agricultural conversation programs; conservation compliance and U.S. farm policy; implications for the growth and financial health of U.S. agriculture; policy reform in the tobacco industry; hemp as an agricultural commodity; and table egg production and hen welfare.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed include classifying and measuring agricultural support and identifying differences between the WTO and OECD systems; China''s volatile pork industry; long-term growth prospects for wheat production in Afghanistan; and economic policy and cotton production in Uzbekistan.

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Book SynopsisThe United States is the world''s leading import market for live animals. From 2005 through 2008 over 1 billion live animals were legally imported into the United States for agriculture, clinical research, education and exhibition, the aquarium and pet industries, and other uses. These imports have the potential to transmit zoonotic diseases; which are infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans and can cause a substantial number of deaths. The spread of zoonotic diseases, as well as other diseases affecting only animals, can take a major economic toll on many industries. This book examines potential gaps in the statutory and regulatory framework governing live animal imports, that may allow the introduction and spread of zoonotic and animal diseases, the extent to which the various government oversight agencies collaborate to meet their responsibilities on this issue, and performance information that the responsible agencies have reported on live animal imports.

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Book SynopsisThe United States is the undisputed world leader in agricultural production today, but as we look out across the 21st century, agriculture faces a series of challenges: managing new pests, pathogens, and invasive plants; increasing the efficiency of water use; reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture; growing food in a changing climate; managing the production of bioenergy; producing safe and nutritious food; and assisting with global food security and maintaining abundant yields. Meeting these challenges requires a new commitment to research, innovation, and technology development in agriculture. This book examines the challenges of agricultural preparedness and the required public commitment to agricultural research, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence to address some of the greatest threats to U.S. long-term prosperity and security.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of select programs relating to federal agricultural assistance. Topics discussed include the status and issues concerning the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP); technical assistance for agriculture conservation; emergency assistance for agricultural land rehabilitation; agricultural disaster assistance; the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP); and trade adjustment assistance for farmers.

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Book SynopsisDuring the past decades, the performance of the agricultural sector in Africa and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been distressing. Rapid annual population growth has led to declining per-capita food production and consumption levels and incomes have not risen fast enough to permit market imports to offset the decline. More alarming, the prognosis for the immediate future is quite bleak. The recent food crisis has again drawn attention to the African tragedy and exposed the fragility of sub-Saharan agricultural and economic progress. Though some of the effects are no longer visible, the food crisis is still a sword of Damocles hanging over Africa''s head. Africa has experienced food crisis in the past and there is no reason to believe that there will be no more food crisis in the future, for its root causes have not been addressed: technological progress and productivity growth. This book explores the missing links in the technology transfer segment of the innovation-diffusion-utilisation complex. The text also critically reviews the current state of knowledge and research, examines the main drivers of technology adoption in African agriculture, and explores the causes of success and failure in technology dissemination.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including the competitiveness of Bulgarian farms in conditions of EU CAP implementation; perennial weeds and management in Argentinean crop systems; the anti-inflammatory effects of the waste components from soybeans; dry matter production, yield dynamics and chemical composition of perennial grass and forage legume mixtures at various seeding rate proportions; genetic variations of globulin composition in soybean seeds; different effects of garlic preparations; vegetable soybean (edamame) production; the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and foliar application of potassium (K) and mepiquat chloride (MC) on the yield of cotton; and rapid methods for improving the nutritional quality of hydroponic leafy vegetables before harvest.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of the production, chemistry and sensory properties of cheese. Topics discussed include the technological and chemical characterization of PDO cheeses in Italy; the presence of biogenic amines in cheese; Spanish traditional cheese characteristics; sensorial analysis methodology for goats'' cheese made with clotting enzymes; processed cheese flavours and flavour compounds; the dietary and toxicological aspects of cheese; fortification strategies of cheese as a functional food; health issues, reduction and replacement of salt in cheese; cheese ripening and proteolysis; lipid fraction in cheese; engineering properties of Mexican chihuahua cheese; structure and texture determination of dairy products by using spectroscopic techniques coupled with chemometric tools; clostridium in late blowing defect of cheese; analysis of fatty acids in cheese by capillary electrophoresis; valorisation of whey in small and medium dairy industries; conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in cheese; assessment of natural levels of substances with preservative effects in dairy products; cheese microstructure; and the multifaceted function of cheese and its anticancer effect on human leukaemic cell growth in vitro.

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Book SynopsisRural communities across America are working to strengthen their economies, provide better quality of life to residents, and build on assets such as traditional main streets, agricultural and working lands, and natural resources. The Partnership for Sustainable Communities, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), established a Rural Work Group to reinforce these initiatives and ensure that the four agencies'' spending, policies, and programs support rural communities'' efforts to be economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable. Strengthening federal support for rural communities by co-ordinating and aligning these programs is a key Partnership goal. In August 2010, the Partnership established a Rural Work Group comprised of staff from HUD, DOT, EPA, and USDA to guide its approach to rural sustainable communities. This book, which summarises the work group''s efforts, explores how the Partnership can contribute to more resilient economies, healthy environments, and quality of life in rural America. It also sets out a framework for the Partnership''s future work with rural communities.

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Book SynopsisThe Forest Service manages more than 158,000 miles of recreational trails offering hikers, horseback riders, cyclists, off-highway-vehicle drivers, and others access to national forests. To remain safe and usable, these trails need regular maintenance, such as removal of downed trees or bridge repairs. This book examines (1) the extent to which the Forest Service is meeting trail maintenance needs, and effects associated with any maintenance not done; (2) resources, including funding and labour, that the agency employs to maintain its trails; (3) factors, if any, complicating agency efforts to maintain its trails; and (4) options, if any, that could improve the agency''s trail maintenance efforts.

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Book SynopsisThis book is believed to be the the first collection of articles to summarize the most advanced information and studies of Brassicaceae, a special genus with vast species, which not only have tremendous human health beneficial compounds for dietary consumption, but also comprise the most metal hyperaccumulating species worldwide discovered to date with potential usage in phytoremediation of polluted soil, air and water. The seven carefully selected chapters are authored by renowned experts from across the globe and cover the diverse beneficial roles of brassica-derived compounds and their molecular mechanisms of chlorophyll degradation. It also includes the newly released Brasscas with great health benefits and high suitability for the fresh-cut and fifth range industries, the three-dimensional molecular structure prediction of the health-important BoSMT protein, and new discoveries on the molecular and physiology mechanisms of heavy metal hyper-accumation and tolerance species in Brassicaceae. This book can be a useful reference book for scientists, teachers, students and others who are interested in the health benefits of brassica vegetables or their potential application in phytoremediation.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed in this compilation include the policy, technology, and efficiency of Brazilian agriculture; Southeast Asia''s rice surplus; and speciality crop access to U.S. markets and a case study of Indian mangoes.

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Book SynopsisGlobal demand for and consumption of olive oil has increased significantly since the 1990s. While the United States and other "New World" players, such as Australia, Argentina, and Chile, have emerged as both producers and consumers, countries in the European Union (EU) and North Africa still dominate global production, consumption, and trade. Almost 60 percent of global exports by volume were intra-EU trade flows during 2008-12. The largest bilateral trade flows during this period were Spanish exports of olive oil to Italy, where large multinational companies source oil from around the world, blend and bottle it, and then re-export the final product to third-country markets, including the United States. The benchmark for international standards for determining the grade of an olive oil are set by the International Olive Council. Findings suggest that the current standards for extra virgin olive oil are widely unenforced and allow a wide range of olive oil qualities to be marketed as extra virgin. Broad and unenforced standards can lead to adulterated and mislabelled product, weakening the competitiveness of high-quality U.S.-produced olive oil in the U.S. market. In addition, many U.S. consumers are unable to distinguish quality differences and, as a result, gravitate toward less costly oils, giving an advantage to large bottlers that sell low-cost imported product. This book describes and analyses the factors affecting competition between the United States and major olive oil producing countries. It provides: (a) an overview of global production, consumption, exports, and imports during 2008-12 and 2013 where available; (b) an analysis of the factors impacting consumption in the U.S. market; (c) profiles of the olive oil industries in the United States and other major producing countries; and (d) an examination of competition between firms and countries in both the global and U.S. market.

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