Departmental Publications, Agricultural and Applied Economics
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Newsletters, annual reports, and other departmental publications
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- From Hype to Habit: The Story of Plant-Based Meat Products UnfoldsOrtez, Mario (Virginia Tech, 2025-11)The study found that consumers who try plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) are much more likely to buy them again, showing strong habit formation rather than one-time curiosity. However, households that frequently buy ground beef are significantly less likely to purchase PBMAs, indicating limited crossover from loyal meat consumers. The study also found that PBMAs are often purchased alongside meats like ground turkey, suggesting they complement rather than replace traditional meats in many households.
- Implications of Tomato Tariffs on Grocery PricesKim, Bheom Seok; He, Xi (Virginia Tech, 2025-12)On July 14, 2025, the U.S. government imposed a 17.09 percent tariff on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico and terminated the nearly three-decade-long Tomato Suspension Agreement, signaling a major shift in tomato trade policy and raising concerns about the effects on U.S. producers and consumer prices. Since 1990, domestic production has declined while imports, especially from Mexico, have surged, with tomatoes becoming the highest-value imported vegetable and imports doubling domestic production volumes by 2024. These trends have fueled debates over the competitiveness of U.S. growers, particularly in Florida, and set the stage for renewed trade actions after the USITC found in 2019 that Mexican imports threatened material injury. With the immediate effects of the new tariffs still uncertain, the article reviews the evolution of U.S.–Mexico tomato trade policy, recent pricing patterns, and the key factors that will shape how these 2025 tariffs influence consumer prices and domestic production.
- Land-Use Value Assessment UpdatesFriedel, Jennifer S.; Kayser, Patrick; Chen, Cary; Huff, Coren; Rogers, Valentina (Virginia Tech, 2026-01)The Land-Use Value Assessment Program (LUVA) has provided tax relief for qualifying agricultural, horticultural, open space, and forest land for over 50 years by allowing land to be assessed at its use value rather than market value, helping preserve rural land. LUVA at Virginia Tech develops these use-value estimates for the Virginia Department of Taxation using two State Land Evaluation Advisory Council (SLEAC) approved methods, the capitalized rental rate approach and the capitalized income approach, which are reviewed annually by SLEAC. For Tax Year 2026, SLEAC adopted LUVA’s updated estimates, which show an average statewide decrease of $65 per acre from 2025, bringing the average use-value to $958 per acre. Sixty percent of localities experienced decreases, reflecting recent agricultural challenges such as lower government payments, declining grain prices, and high input costs. While localities are not required to adopt these values, lower use-values can reduce tax burdens and encourage the continued preservation of Virginia’s rural and productive lands.
- AAEC News, Fall 2014(Virginia Tech. Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 2014-11-29)This is the alumni newsletter for the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
- AAEC News, Spring 2017(Virginia Tech, 2017)This is the alumni newsletter for the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.