Research Problem Area
Topic Area VI. Economics, Markets, and Policy
RPA 601. Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm
Management
Research in production economics concerns choices farmers and ranchers make to produce
commodities, services, and products. Management economics research focuses on resource
endowments and allocations at the farm or ranch level.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Farm production economics.
- Farm management.
- Farm and firm growth, including economies of size and scale.
Exclude research on:
- Production and management studies not related to economics. (Use appropriate RPA)
- Real estate, and land values and prices. (Use RPA 602)
- Farm financial management. (Use RPA 602)
- Economics of environmental risk and impacts. (Use RPA 605)
RPA 602. Business Management, Finance, Taxation, and Estate
Planning
This research focuses on the management and administrative techniques applied to farming,
agricultural business, and other businesses and enterprises to enhance planning, decision making,
and resource use. It includes economic analysis on taxation and financial topics.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Business administration.
- Managerial economics.
- Decision analysis, including expert systems.
- Risk management.
- Insurance.
- Human resource management.
- Economics of financial markets, financial management, and lending institutions.
- Real estate values and prices.
- Taxation.
- Estate planning and intergenerational transfer.
Exclude research on:
RPA 603. Market Economics
This RPA focuses on economic research that fosters understanding of markets, productivity, and
interregional trade, and gives insight to the role and function of markets and their regulation
primarily from the macroeconomic (industry) perspective.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Market performance.
- Productivity analysis.
- Economics of processing, storage, and transportation.
- Economics of regulation and protection of markets, including firm- and processor-level
impacts.
- Local, regional, and national trade patterns.
- Economics of marketing and pricing systems, and institutions.
- Regulation of markets.
- Economics of supply and demand.
- Economics of grades and standards.
Exclude research on:
- International trade and development, including foreign market development. (Use RPA 606)
- Economics of food assistance, welfare, and poverty. (Use RPA
607)
- Economics of consumer level food and production regulation and protection. (Use RPA 607)
- Regional economics, except trade patterns. (Use RPA 608)
- Policy. (Use RPA 610 or 611)
RPA 604. Marketing and Distribution Practices
This research and analysis concerns the distribution of products, goods, and services, the
practices of buying and selling, and the development and improvement of markets primarily from
the microeconomic (firm) perspective.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Economic studies to determine and measure quality characteristics desired by
processors.
- Effectiveness of group action.
- Institutional devices for bargaining and negotiation.
- Effectiveness of marketing structures, including cooperatives.
- Improvements in the marketing and distribution of products, goods, and services.
- Marketing orders.
- Futures and options markets, cash and forward contracts, and other marketing and pricing
arrangements.
- Development of domestic markets.
- Direct marketing, alternative markets, and niche marketing.
Exclude research on:
- Economics of markets. (Use RPA 603)
- Economics of supply and demand. (Use RPA 603)
- Economics of pricing systems. (Use RPA 603)
- Commodity analysis and projections. (Use RPA 603)
- Foreign market development. (Use RPA 606 or 611)
- Policy. (Use RPA 610 or 611)
RPA 605. Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
This research is economic inquiry to enhance, guide, and understand efforts to improve the
relationships among agricultural production and processing, the environment, and natural
resource use.
Areas of research include but are not limited to the economics of:
- Water resources.
- Forestry.
- Recreation and leisure.
- Land resources, use, and management.
- Wildlife and fisheries.
- Agrochemical management.
- Waste management, including animal wastes.
- Mineral resources and energy.
- Environment.
- Weather and climate change.
Exclude research on:
RPA 606. International Trade and Development Economics
This research focuses on the economic components of international trade and development, trade
performance of sectors of the U.S. economy and that of other countries, and trade and
development impacts. This research may assist policy makers in the decision making process as
it applies to international trade and development.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Economics of international trade and development programs.
- Global and international commodity analysis and projections.
- Country, regional, and sector analysis.
- Economic growth and development.
- Foreign market development.
Exclude research on:
- Domestic commodity analysis and projections. (Use RPA 603)
- U.S. economic growth and development, including community development. (Use RPA 608)
- Policy. (Use RPA 610 or 611)
RPA 607. Consumer Economics
This area focuses on economic research that provides insight and understanding of the demands,
preferences, behavioral responses, and needs of individuals and consumers.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Consumer demand.
- Consumer level food and production regulation and protection, and food safety.
- Poverty, welfare, and assistance, including food assistance.
- Consumer response to biotechnology, organic products, labeling, etc.
Exclude research on:
- Economics of production technologies. (Use RPA 601)
- Finance and estate planning. (Use RPA 602)
- Dietary and nutritional aspects of food choices. (Use RPA
703)
- Human resource economics. (Use RPA 602)
- Economics of farm, firm, and processor level impacts of food and production regulation and
protection. (Use RPA 603)
- Economics of product quality characteristics desired by consumers. (Use RPA 604)
- Policy. (Use RPA 610)
- Family economics. (Use RPA 801)
RPA 608. Community Resource and Development Economics
Economic research provides insight and understanding, and facilitates the analysis of,
community needs and preferences.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Economic planning, development, and industrialization.
- Regional economics and sector analysis.
- Land use planning and zoning.
- Entrepreneurship.
- Public administration.
Exclude research on:
- Natural resource and environmental issues. (Use RPA 605)
- Poverty and welfare programs, including food assistance. (Use RPA
607 or 703)
- Consumer issues. (Use RPA 607)
- Policy. (Use RPA 610)
- Family issues. (Use RPA 801)
- Public services. (Use RPA 805)
RPA 609. Economic Theory and Methods
Work in this area is limited to economic theory and methodology.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Microeconomics.
- Macroeconomics.
- Property rights, including intellectual property rights.
- Public choice.
- Labor economics.
- Welfare economics.
- Location and decision theory.
- Econometrics and simulation.
- Mathematics and statistics for economic research.
- Data collection and research methodology for economic research.
- Economic history and philosophy.
Exclude research on:
RPA 610. Domestic Policy Analysis
Research in this area evaluates the effectiveness and economic and social impacts of domestic
programs and policies. Also included is research to determine ways in which government actions
impact the U.S.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Agricultural production, price, and income policy, including commodity programs.
- Natural resource policy.
- Antitrust and market policy.
- Rural development policy.
- Science, research, and education policy.
- Consumer policy.
- Impacts and implications of macroeconomic policies.
- Public policy education, including methodology.
- Evaluation of policy effectiveness, impacts, and outcomes.
- Risk assessment.
Exclude research on:
RPA 611. Foreign Policy and Programs
Research in this area is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of U.S. foreign policy
and programs and to determine ways to meet the nation's goals in these areas.
Areas of research include but are not limited to:
- Trade policy.
- Effects of policy on foreign market development.
- Foreign assistance policy, projects, and impacts.
- Interactions between foreign and domestic policies and global implications.
Exclude research on:
- International trade and development. (Use RPA 606)