ARE Update Volume 19, Number2

1. Beer: A Poster Child of the Bioeconomy The bioeconomy includes agricultural sectors that rely on farm inputs and biological processes to produce a wide array of products. The traditional bioeconomy relied on fermentation to produce cheese, beer, etc., while the modern bioeconomy relies on biotechnology. The history of beer used as a case study suggests that over time, the bioeconomy evolved to produce differentiated products with elaborate supply chains. Its evolution depended on investments in research and a balanced regulatory environment. 2. Investment Warning: Farming May Endanger Your Financial Health During the last 15 years, some two-thirds of individual taxpayers with farm income have reported total net farm losses averaging over $11.1 billion annually. In addition, the U.S. Government participates in funding these losses by foregoing taxes on other sources of income from which farm losses are deducted. Persistent losses indicate that farming may have changed from an investment to a consumption good for many individual taxpayers. 3. Obesity in Mexican-Origin Children Research results from the Ninos Sanos, Familia Sana project found that mothers have a dominant role in the weight of their children. Obese children are more prone to gain more weight, at the margin, if their mothersare overweight. Other factors are also important in explaining obesity in Mexican-origin children.