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Data Training Webinar: Area and Road Ruggedness Scales
In this webinar, ERS Regional Economist Elizabeth Dobis and Senior Geographer John Cromartie will provide an overview of the data available from the Area and Road Ruggedness Scales data product, highlight its uses, and demonstrate how to find the data on the ERS website.
New from ERS

Analysis of the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement Split-Panel Test
Revisions based on USDA, ERS research update to the food security survey questions, including additional ways to shop for food such as club stores, farmers markets, and online.

Scenarios of Global Food Consumption: Implications for Agriculture
ERS research describes how increasing population, income, and agricultural productivity may affect global production of crops and food products to 2050.

The Changing Landscape of U.S. Strawberry and Blueberry Markets: Production, Trade, and Challenges from 2000 to 2020
Since 2000, the demand for strawberries and blueberries in the United States has increased substantially, fueled by new berry varieties, advanced production technology, and year-round availability due in part to imports.

Area and Road Ruggedness Scales
The Area and Road Ruggedness Scales data product provides measures of topographic variation for census tracts across 50 States and Washington, DC. This data product provides continuous and categorical measures of topographic variation for vintage 2010 census tracts, offering users the flexibility to utilize measures of rugged terrain that meet their unique needs. These are the first detailed ruggedness measures with full nationwide coverage for the United States and the first to provide a roads-only version.

Highlights from the August 2023 Farm Income Forecast
Net farm income, a broad measure of profits, is forecast to decrease by $41.7 billion (22.8 percent) from 2022 to $141.3 billion in 2023. Net cash farm income is forecast to decrease by $53.6 billion (26.5 percent) to $148.6 billion in 2023. Median farm household income is forecast to increase 2.5 percent to $98,148 in 2023. These values are all in nominal terms, so not adjusted for inflation.

International Food Security Assessment, 2023–2033
While global food insecurity remains high, 228.9 million fewer people are estimated to be food insecure in 2023 than in 2022 due to growth in per capita income and the easing of food commodity prices.

How Mexico’s Horticultural Export Sector Responded to the Food Safety Modernization Act
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) gave new authority to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that imported food meets U.S. standards. This case study explores Mexican horticultural exporters’ response to FSMA’s new requirements.

Characterizing Rugged Terrain in the United States
This report introduces two nationwide classifications of census tracts: the Area Ruggedness Scale and the Road Ruggedness Scale. The authors analyze population, population density, and income by ruggedness, rurality, and regions.