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Good or bad, agribusiness is an undeniable part of the agricultural landscape. We often associate the concept with (bad) industry practices and giant corporations. These associations aren't wrong, but there is so much more to agribusiness than widely- known cultural giants with poor social and environmental track records. So, what does agribusiness really mean? The …
Continue reading "how does agribusiness work? what are the different parts of agribusiness?"
Historically speaking, agriculture has been treated as a single, unified sector in which existing market mechanisms (most commonly government intervention) enabled the coordination of production and distribution. This approach failed to account for the activities engaged in by private entities, e.g. farmers or industries working with farmers. The common understanding of agriculture as a sector …
Continue reading "what is agribusiness? how did agribusiness evolve?"
It is often said that there are two sure things in life: death and taxes. This holds true for most people. However, for individuals or groups with the capital to invest heavily in farms, taxes are a reality they won't need to face thanks - in part - to agricultural exceptionalism and an exploitable tax …
Continue reading "how have U.S. tax policies turned farms into tax havens?"
According to the European Commission, an ecolabel is a voluntary environmental performance certificate awarded to products and services. Certified products and services are classified by groups. These product and service groups must meet specific, pre-defined criteria by demonstrating that they reduce the standard overall environmental impact. Accordingly, ecolabels are seals of approval given to products …
Ecolabels are certification schemes that serve as a declaration of the higher sustainability qualities of products or services. In some instances, these regulatory tools serve to create new markets and educate consumers about the environmental impact of the products they consume. However, the concept of ecolabels is still evolving and there are a number of …
Companies, firms, and organizations label their products or services to share information about the quality and content of their products. This information is used as a marketing tool that encourages consumer trust and helps to differentiate similar products. Ecolabels are a specific type of product labeling that certifies the environmental performance of a specific product …
With growing concern about the impact of production systems on the environment, a range of efforts have been made to shift both producer and consumer behavior. Ecolabelling is one approach that aims to (1) inform consumers about the environmental impact of their consumption patterns and (2) encourage producers to improve the environmental sustainability of their …
