Philadelphia House Price Indices, 2011 Q1
Philadelphia’s Decline in House Values Slows Significantly in Q1 . . . House prices decline 1.3% in 2011 Q1.
Following several consecutive quarters of sharp price declines, the Philadelphia housing market appeared to have tapped the brakes this past winter.
The typical Philadelphia home fell in value by an average of 1.3% on a quality- and seasonally- adjusted basis this past winter, according to the latest data from the City’s Recorder of Deeds. This comes after several consecutive quarters in which price declines totaled nearly 9% following the expiration of the Federal homebuyer tax credit last spring. And, while the winter season is normally a down period for both home sales and prices, this winter’s price decline is the smallest since 2007. With this most recent decrease, the average Philadelphia home has now fallen in value by a cumulative total of 16% since the bursting of the national housing bubble several years ago. Philadelphia’s house values have now reverted back to 2005 levels. (April 25, 2011)
The Rethinking US Agricultural Policy: Changing Course to Secure Farmer Livelihoods Worldwide slideshow gives a brief overview of policy barriers farmers face and smart solutions.
An overview of the Challenge Program on Water and Food's research-for-development results, and plans to address global challenges, from CPWF Director, Dr Alain Vidal
Philadelphia House Price Indices, 2011 Q1
Philadelphia’s Decline in House Values Slows Significantly in Q1 . . . House prices decline 1.3% in 2011 Q1.
Following several consecutive quarters of sharp price declines, the Philadelphia housing market appeared to have tapped the brakes this past winter.
The typical Philadelphia home fell in value by an average of 1.3% on a quality- and seasonally- adjusted basis this past winter, according to the latest data from the City’s Recorder of Deeds. This comes after several consecutive quarters in which price declines totaled nearly 9% following the expiration of the Federal homebuyer tax credit last spring. And, while the winter season is normally a down period for both home sales and prices, this winter’s price decline is the smallest since 2007. With this most recent decrease, the average Philadelphia home has now fallen in value by a cumulative total of 16% since the bursting of the national housing bubble several years ago. Philadelphia’s house values have now reverted back to 2005 levels. (April 25, 2011)
The Rethinking US Agricultural Policy: Changing Course to Secure Farmer Livelihoods Worldwide slideshow gives a brief overview of policy barriers farmers face and smart solutions.
An overview of the Challenge Program on Water and Food's research-for-development results, and plans to address global challenges, from CPWF Director, Dr Alain Vidal
Bekki Griffiths, PhD student at the University of Worcester, discusses her research so far on assessing how farmers perceptions of climate change are formed.
Bekki Griffiths, PhD student at the University of Worcester, discusses her research so far on assessing how farmers perceptions of climate change are formed.
A syntesis from World Economic Forum Europe's Competitiveness Report, presented by Carl Bjorkman, Director, Head of government and international organizations relations, World Economic Forum and garagErasmus' Board member.
Julián Chará, Coordinator of Center for Research on Sustainable Systems of Agriculture Production (CIPAV) presented the urgency to promote silvopastoral systems in Latin America, in particular in Colombia. “CIPAV advocates the Intensive Silvopastoral Systems (ISS) because it increases efficiency of biological processes by combining fodder shrubs, pastures and timber trees” said Chará.
What is Just: Education, Excellence and Equity Laurie Posner
Presentation delivered as part of Difficult Dialogues Spring Forum: What is Fair? What is Just?, convened by The Humanities Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.
For more information:
humanitiesinstitute.utexas.edu
www.idra.org
By Derek Byerlee. Presented at the ASTI-FARA conference Agricultural R&D: Investing in Africa's Future: Analyzing Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities - Accra, Ghana on December 5-7, 2011. http://www.asti.cgiar.org/2011conf
Sustainability in its shortest definition is the capacity to endure. To endure one does not only need material goods, but also a mental and spiritual resilience and set of skills on how to cope. When the quality and quantity of our material goods and biophysical environment starts to change, when our fellow South Africans are sick and dying prematurely and when our economy does not deliver the needed health and wealth to all of us, our hope for a better future is severely tested. It is the integrity of our hope that could and should be playing a fundamental role in a possible transition towards sustainability.
In this talk ladies and gentleman, the question of South Africa’s sustainability is under scrutiny. I will first show you that from an ecological, from a human well-being, and even from an economic perspective there are several warning lights on the biophysical and material sustainability of this country. I will also show the remarkable optimism we have as South Africans and highlight the importance of hope. Third, and finally I will argue that we as humans have an ethical responsibility in the individual and collective choices we make. It is our attitudes and behaviours that sustain or destroy.
Presentation by GWP Chair Dr Letitia A Obeng at the conference "Water Securit...Global Water Partnership
Presentation by GWP Chair Dr Letitia A Obeng at the conference "Water Security, Risk and Society", 16-18 April, 2012 at St Hugh's College, University of Oxford, UK
http://www.gwp.org/en/gwp-in-action/Events/Water-Security-Risk-and-Society/
Shuai HE, Saini YANG, Jiayuan YE
State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Energy Return on Energy Investment with Professor Charles Hall.
A dynamic look in detail at Energy Return on Energy Investment, from one of the top thinkers on the subject.
2. YIELD RISK Approved Yield x Coverage Level x Base
Premium Rate x Base Price
REV RISK: Approved Yield x Coverage Level x CRC Base Rate
x CRC Low Price Factor
PRICE RISK Approved Yield x Coverage Level x Base Premium
Rate x CRC High Price Factor
RISK PREM
4. US Economy and Agriculture
1947 2006
US GDP $244B $13.1T
AG GDP $19.9B $129.7B
Sources:
5. GDP ($trillions)
Sources:
$-
($trillions)
US GDP
$10.0
$12.0
$14.0
$6.0
$2.0
$4.0
$8.0
1947
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
US Economy and Agriculture
1995
1998
2001
2004
6. US Economy and Agriculture
Top US Industries as a Percent of US GDP
Agriculture Manufacturing Finance Professional services
30.0
25.0
20.0
% of US GDP
15.0
10.0
5.0
-
1947
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
Sources:
7. US Economy and Agriculture
Agriculture GDP Performance
10.0 % of GDP $160.0
$GDP
9.0
$140.0
8.0
$120.0
7.0
$100.0
$GDP ($billions)
6.0
% of GDP
5.0 $80.0
4.0
$60.0
3.0
$40.0
2.0
$20.0
1.0
- $-
1947
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
Sources:
12. AG Productivity Improvements
Production History and Stats
1900s Today
Fertilizer 3.7m tons 50m tons
Hrs to Prod. 100 bushels 100hrs 2hrs
One farmer supplies… 5 people 110 people
Exports ($b) $0.92b $77.5b
Sources:
25. Global Marketplace
World Population (in Billions)
10.0 9.2
World Pop. (billions)
9.0
8.0
6.5
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0 3.3
3.0
1965 2006 2050
26. Impact of Global Demand
CBOT
Corn 40% 70%
Example, Georgia chickens
Wheat 75%
Soybeans
27. Global Marketplace - DEMAND
•US Biofuel Tax Incentives
•Economies of Asia and Latin America
– Growing Middle Class
•Global Grain Stockpiles Decreasing
28. Global Marketplace – FOOD CONSUMPTION
• US: 10% of Income = Food Purchases
– Bread up 24%
– Milk up 26%
•Italy / Mexico / Pakistan / Russia
29. 30
18
20
15
13
12
2
Home Debt Energy Food Goods Savings Taxes
31. Global Marketplace – The American Farmer
•Income up 48% to a record est. $87B
•Exports up 15% to $79B
•Reinvestment:
– John Deere up 76%
– Monsanto up 79%
– Mosaic up 200%
32. Global Marketplace – Developing Nations
•Long-Term Prices
•Increased Demand
• Part of the reason for the drawdown can be seen in China, where soaring demand for milk has increased the number
of dairy cattle threefold so far this decade. Half of the world's hogs now live in China, which is importing about 13%
of all the soybeans grown in the U.S. to help fatten its livestock.
•Price burdens
• The prospect for a long boom is riveting economists because the declining real price of grain has long been one of
the unsung forces behind the development of the global economy. Thanks to steadily improving seeds, synthetic
fertilizer and more powerful farm equipment, the productivity of farmers in the West and Asia has stayed so far
ahead of population growth that prices of corn and wheat, adjusted for inflation, had dropped 75% and
69%, respectively, since 1974. Among other things, falling grain prices made food more affordable for the world's
poor, helping shrink the percentage of the world's population that is malnourished.
33. Global Marketplace
Outlook
Increased resource use and improvements in technology and efficiency have increased
global food production more rapidly than population in recent decades, but 800 million
people remain food insecure
Given economic and environmental constraints on cropland expansion, the bulk of
increased crop production will need to come from increased yields on existing cropland