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Research and Outreach

Research

Examples of current and recent research projects include:

• Examination of contracting arrangements between growers and processors,
• Investigation of characteristics of services purchased by farmers which add value,
• Identification of useful applications of management science toward more efficient decision making in food processing and agribusiness operations,
• Analysis of economic efficiency of food processing firms,
• Identification of likely future competitive scenarios affecting a variety of food and agribusiness industries,
• Examination of the interactions between firm strategies and public policy,
• Analysis of poultry processing alternatives for economic development in Illinois, and
• Case studies of management challenges, solutions, and results.

Research within the FAM program is designed to benefit private firms and public agencies while being a useful tool for educating tomorrow's managers and researchers.

Outreach Education

FAM's outreach education targets high priority topics of future importance to sector executives.

Firms in the private sector are involved in the many phases of the FAM program. Although the Executives-in-Residence program is the most visible, private industry leaders have cooperated in a number ways:

• Guidance in program development and direction,
• Financial support for graduate fellowships and sponsored research, and
• Provision of data, other information and insight for teaching and research. Continued input and support of private industry is an integral part of the success of the FAM Program. The interaction sparks teaching innovations and research initiatives.

We are very thankful to Cargill, Inc. for their financial support in our efforts to provide value to industry. We have done this through an executive seminar series. The inaugural event was held on March 12, 1999. The FAM program has built strong relationships with various business people in the Chicago area and hopes this series will provide information to help enhance their businesses.

A luncheon meeting at the Illini Center on South Wacker Street in downtown Chicago, featured Caroline Normand, First Secretary of Trade, with the European Commission in Washington, D.C. She spoke on the topic "What the European Commission May Introduce in the Next Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations." She indicated the EC will have six focal points for the negotiations, which are to begin in Seattle this fall. From the EC perspective, the major negotiating topics are as follows:

1. Removing industrial tariffs and harmonizing tariff schedules across countries.
2. Reducing the burden of export and import documentation, the procedures for which are estimated to currently cost $US 75 billion per year.
3. Developing a multilateral investment protection treaty to both a) replace the 1,600 bilateral treaties currently in place, and b) facilitate foreign direct investment by increasing the predictability of the political environment.
4. Harmonizing trade and internal competition rules among member nations, and increasing the transparency of competitive rules.
5. Rules related to harmonizing environmental protection.
   

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Food and Agribusiness Management Program
Departments of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and Business Administration
Colleges of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and Business
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Web Contact: - Updated: May 23, 2003