Environment & Natural Resources

Economic analysis to support litigation, regulatory proceedings, and strategic decision-making

Agricultural Economics

Modern agriculture is being transformed by a host of economic factors including increased consolidation and use of contracting, technological change, environmental regulation, and collaboration in the development and marketing of new products.

Our expertise in agricultural institutions and markets, regulatory policy, business strategy, and litigation enable us to conduct in-depth analyses of emerging issues in this unique sector of the economy.

We team with a number of academic and industry experts in litigation related to agricultural disputes. Our engagements have included:

  • Analyzing class certification, liability, and damages in the context of alleged price fixing of agricultural products
  • Examining the relationship between costs and prices in distribution chains for animal feed and livestock
  • Evaluating futures price data to assess the impact of contamination events on food producers
  • Critiquing models used to determine revenues associated with agricultural product transportation
  • Investigating the effects of fungicide use on orange grove production and profitability
  • Estimating lost wages resulting from hiring practices at food producers
  • Calculating patent infringement damages for genetically engineered crops
  • Assessing the economic impact of trademark infringement arising from the introduction of an enhanced milk product
  • Evaluating an insurance claim for business interruption losses associated with export of an agricultural product

SPOTLIGHT ON AN EXPERT

W. ThurmanAnalysis Group affiliate Walter Thurman is an expert in agricultural markets and regulation. He has provided expert testimony on class certification and damages issues, and has been inducted as a Fellow of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) – the highest recognition in the field of agricultural economics.