Trade fundamentally seeks out the most efficient combination of resource use. In economic terms, it optimizes the lowest opportunity cost. The US, and more recently Brazil, produce soybeans so well they supply the world. When other nations import soybeans, it … Continue reading →
One hundred and one years ago, USDA began counting the production of soybeans on US farms. This is not because that is when farmers began harvesting soybeans for grain. No. This is when the quantity of soybean production was sufficient … Continue reading →
Agricultural byproducts are not produced on demand. The quantity of byproduct production is based on the demand for the higher valued commodity or product. This is not news. But it seems forgotten in the passionate discussions of waste cooking oils … Continue reading →
Who pays a tariff? This was a standard question in my Greenville University undergraduate economics class. Tariffs are taxes, mostly on imported goods. When the United States imposes a 25 percent, or $0.25/$1, tariff on an imported good, an imported … Continue reading →
Food prices have been inflated. Food, as a category in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is no longer driving inflation. The Wall Street Journal reported on November 2, 2024, that grocery distributors are causing food prices to increase and cause … Continue reading →
Most economic demand today manifests itself in report charts and news as a change over time. But traditional economic supply and demand curves do not have time in them (price x quantity). Demand drives any economy, but it doesn’t look … Continue reading →
