Schmit, Todd Michael

Assistant Professor

My professional interests focus on improving agribusiness firms? marketing and management skills that lead to improved decision making, firm performance, and industry viability. Research determining the effect of firm, spatial, and market factors on firm and industry performance provides critical information for improving firm marketing and management decisions, identifying sources of competitive advantage (firm specific or regional), and forming effective policies targeted toward agri-based industry development. Educating public policy and economic development stakeholders about existing market conditions and structures, and the limiting factors that can influence economic development is emphasized. Extension programming and outreach efforts serve to disseminate applied research results through industry education and improve the understanding and linkages between agribusiness firm development and the public policies that address or impact it.

research

research and scholarship focus

My research centers on the estimation of firm, spatial, and market effects on regional agri-based industry development. Research results are intended to improve agribusiness firms’ marketing and management skills and aid in the development of effective agri-based economic development instruments. In many agri-based sectors agricultural cooperative organizations serve as key players, with significant economic contributions all along the food value chain. As such, applied research on improving the management and effectiveness of cooperatively owned agribusinesses serves a particular emphasis. Current research includes the evaluation of related-market effects of and implications for biofuels-based industry development, an evaluation of the barriers and opportunities for food manufacturing industry development, and understanding consumer demand and market opportunities for local, value-added food products.

co investigator of

DEVELOPING A TEAM TO ADDRESS OPTIMIZING WHITE WINE QUALITY THROUGH PLANT NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT | Research Grant

international geographic focus

Brazil | country

domestic geographic focus

New York State | state
United States | country

submitted impact statement

Municipal approaches to energy conservation and renewable energy production: a resource for community energy Initiatives | 2007 Impact statement
The Northeast Competitive Advantage: Increasing Producer Access to Markets conference | 2007 Impact statement

affiliations

teaching

teaches

AEM 7000 - Individual Study in Applied Economics and Management (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
AEM 7900 - Graduate-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
AEM 8900 - Master's Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
AEM 9900 - Doctoral-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2009 class
AEM 3290 - International Agribusiness Study Trip (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
AEM 7000 - Individual Study in Applied Economics and Management (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
AEM 7900 - Graduate-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
AEM 8900 - Master's Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
AEM 9900 - Doctoral-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | spring 2009 class
AEM 7900 - Graduate-Level Thesis Research (TBA -) | fall 2008 class

service

outreach focus

The focus of my extension program is to encourage the development, growth, and viability of New York agribusiness firms by improving stakeholder knowledge of product marketing, business management, and industry development. Firm decisions are made conditional on existing infrastructural, market, and government policies and standards; understanding the linkages and interrelationships between firm and industry development is essential. Educating public policy and economic development stakeholders about existing market conditions and structures, and the limiting factors that can influence economic development is emphasized. The Cornell Program on Agribusiness and Economic Development (in process), addresses these issues by focusing on key audiences of agricultural cooperative and agribusiness executives and management, and leading public policy makers and personnel involved in agri-based economic development. Program outputs include the development of stakeholder industry conferences, industry and educator publications and materials, and related outreach events.

current professional activities

• Member of the American Agricultural Economics Association, the Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, and the Food Distribution Research Society

• Member of the NEC-63 Research Committee on Commodity Promotion and NCERA-194 Research Committee on Cooperatives

• Honor Societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Zeta, Gamma Sigma Delta

background

educational background

Ph.D., Cornell University, 2003
M.S., Cornell University, 1994
B.S., University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 1990

publications

selected publications (listing in progress)

Dong, D., T.M. Schmit, and H.M. Kaiser. “Optimal Media Allocation of Generic Fluid Milk Advertising Expenditures: The Case of NY State.” Agricultural & Resource Economics Review, 36/2(2007):253-266.

Schmit, T.M. and H.M. Kaiser. “Optimal Seasonal Allocation of Generic Dairy Advertising Expenditures.” Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 39/1(2007):187-199.

Messer, K.D., Schmit, T.M., and H.M. Kaiser. “Optimal Institutional Mechanisms for Funding Generic Advertising: An Experimental Analysis.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 87(2005):1046-1060.

Schmit, T.M. and H.M. Kaiser. “Decomposing the Variation in Generic Advertising Response over Time.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(2004):139-153.

Schmit, T.M., B.W. Gould, D. Dong, H.M. Kaiser, and C. Chung. “The Impact of Generic Advertising on U.S. Household Cheese Purchases: A Censored Autocorrelated Regression Approach.” Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 51(2003):15-37.

Schmit, T.M., D. Dong, C. Chung, H.M. Kaiser, and B.W. Gould. “Identifying the Effects of Generic Advertising on the Household Demand for Fluid Milk and Cheese: A Two-Step Panel Data Approach.” Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 27(2002):165-186.

Lesser, W., T.M. Schmit, and L.M. Ruiz. “Elite Germplasm for GMO’s in Brazil: Modeling Government-Agribusiness Negotiations.” International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 2(2001):391-406.

Boisvert, R.N., T.M. Schmit, and A. Regmi. “Spatial, Productivity, and Environmental Determinants of Farmland Values.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 79(1997):1657-1664.

linked articles

Enhancing dairy processing capacity in the Northeast | 2006 Impact statement

speaker at Cornell event

Optimal Institutional Mechanisms for Funding Generic Advertising: An Experimental Analysis | Friday, February 17, 2006 9:00 AM
When to get In and get out: A Real options analysis of biofuels manufacturing development | Monday, April 28, 2008 2:30 PM