AgMRC-Developed Materials

• Can Quality Revitalize the Alaskan Salmon Industry?, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University, 2004 - Declining salmon prices, due primarily to expansion of farmed salmon production, have reduced revenues for Alaska’s wild salmon fisheries by roughly 62 percent over the past 10 years. One possibility for reversing this trend is to differentiate wild and farmed salmon in consumer markets through quality improvements and marketing. A conceptual model is used to highlight the challenges that Alaska’s wild salmon industry must overcome before the industry is likely to see significant revenue gains from increased quality.
• Economic Issues with Process Verification, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Kansas State University, 2004 - The purpose of this publication is to describe the QSVP program and discuss how it is being used by a group of Kansas beef producers.
• Identity Preservation of Agricultural Commodities, a publication of the Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, Davis, describes motives for an IP process that results in certification that a product meets specific quality standards. Summarizes California Rice Certification Act of 2000 and the USDA National Organic Program. Provides isolation distances to grow certified crops.
• Meat Traceability in Japan, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), Iowa State University, 2003 - A series of food safety crises, the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the domestic cattle herd and a series of labeling scandals in Japan have shaken the trust of Japanese consumers in the safety of their food supply. The Japanese government has responded by implementing a series of new regulations and creating the new Food Safety Commission. 
• Topics of Consideration for Process Verification, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Kansas State University, 2004 - Process Verification is not likely for every group and achieving process verification is not as easy as it may seem. There are some issues to consider when undertaking process verification. Most producers do not market all their animals through one program and it is likely that most producers will not market all of their animals through a process verified system.
• Trends in the Marketing of Fresh Produce and Fresh-cut Products. Roberta Cook. Agricultural Issues Center, University of California, 2007.
• USDA Process Verification Certification Generic Manual for Natural Beef Production, Ag Marketing Resource Center, Kansas State University, 2004.

Other Information

• Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL), Ag Marketing Service, USDA - This site includes background information, resources and federal register rulemaking.
• Country-of-Origin-Labeling (COOL), Food Industry Trade Coalition - This site was established in 2003 to provide information and answer questions regarding country-of-origin labeling.
• Food Traceability: One Ingredient in a Safe and Efficient Food Supply, Amber Waves, Economic Research Service, USDA, 2004 - This examination of U.S. food traceability systems involved research into the market studies literature, interviews with industry experts, and site visits in which we interviewed owners, plant supervisors, and/or quality control managers in fruit and vegetable packing and processing plants; beef slaughter plants; grain elevators, mills, and food manufacturing plants.

Links checked July 2008.