Ph.D. (1985), Agricultural Economics
Michigan State University

Ext. Marketing Economist

Agricultural Economics, Horticulture, and International Agricultural Development

My interest is fresh produce marketing and food distribution. As a Cooperative Extension Specialist, I carry out an applied research and education program directed at firm and industry marketing strategies, international competitiveness and demand analysis. I collaborate with fruit and vegetable growers, shippers, trade associations, cooperatives, wholesalers, retailers, farm and home advisors, researchers, governmental agencies, and consumers. Major areas of research at the present time include:

• The globalization of the fresh produce industry and its implications for firm-level marketing strategies.
• Analysis of demand trends in the U.S. fresh produce industry and their implications for produce packaging, product diversity, and fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Structural change in the fresh produce value chain and implications for shippers.

• “Greenhouse Tomatoes Change the Dynamics of the North American Fresh Tomato Industry,” (with Linda Calvin), Economic Research Report Number 2, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, April 2005, 81 pp.
• “Supermarket Challenges and Opportunities for Producers and Shippers: US Experience,” Australian Farm Policy Journal, Vol. 2:1, February Quarter 2005, pp. 46-52.
• “The U.S. Fresh Produce Industry: An Industry in Transition,” Chapter 2 in Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops, Adel A. Kader (eds.), University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Publication 3311, 2001, pp.5-30.
• “Contracting Crops,” Vegetables West Grower and PCA Special Pullout Section, Malcolm Media Ag Publishing, Clovis, Ca., August 2001, 3 pp.
• “La Madre Naturaleza, Estrategias de Negocios y Los Productos Agricolas Perecederos” (with Paul Wilson and Gary Thompson, translated by Ricardo Cavazos), Paper posted on web site http://cook.ucdavis.edu/lamadre/Lamadre.pdf, summer 2001, 9 pp.
• “Changing Dynamics in Produce Marketing,” Agricultural Outlook, no. AGO-279, U.S. Department of Agriculture, March 2001, pp. 10-15.
• “U.S. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Marketing: Emerging Trade Practices, Trends and Issues (co-coordinator with Linda Calvin, et al.), Agricultural Economic Report Number 795, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 2001, 52 pp.
• Calvin, L. and R. Cook. April 1997. Commodity spotlight: exporters target U.S. asparagus market. Agricultural Outlook. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic ResearchAO-239. pp. 20-23.
• Wilson, P., G.D. Thompson and R. Cook. First Ouarter 1997. Mother nature, business strategy, and economics. Choises. The American Association of Agricultural Economics.
• Cook, R. and H. Carman. August 1996. An assessment of potential economic impacts of Mexican avocado imports on the California industry. Acta Horticulturae, Intl. Soc. Hort. Sci. Number 429. XIIIth International Symposium on Horticultural Economics. pp. 227-234.
• Cook, R. 1994. The evolving bilateral U.S.-Mexico horticultural trading relationship: trends and issues. Acta Horticulturae No. 340, ISHS, XIIth International Symposium on Horticultural Economics, Jan 1994, pp. 43-52.
• Cook R., et al. 1994. California vegetable crops: production and markets. Giannini Foundation Information Series No.94-3, UCDANR, 47pp.