A Profile of the Farm Machinery Industry: Helping Farmers Feed the World - Paperback

by Dawn M. Drake (Author)

The farm machinery industry, though dominated by three large companies, is a complex sector of the global manufacturing economy that encompasses many smaller manufacturers as well. While contributing a small percentage to gross world product, it is vitally important to another key sector of the economy agriculture. Consequently, the recent rise in global crop prices has allowed the industry to be more resilient than other mature manufacturing sectors, like automobiles. The proposed book will provide a concise but comprehensive look at the farm machinery industry: its history, organization, competitors, and the challenges and opportunities the industry faces as a result of regulations, globalization and outside market forces. This will be done as a means of understanding a crucial building block to the success of agriculture's ability to feed the expanding world population.

Author Biography

Dr. Dawn M. Drake is an associate professor of geography in the Department of Biology at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri. Throughout her academic career, she has worked on projects related to barn architecture, climate change impact on diseases in dairy cattle, and competitive advantage in the farm machinery industry. Current research focuses on global food shortages, and challenges and opportunities for agriculture in the rural-urban fringe. Dr. Drake's doctoral research examined the organizational management strategies and competitive issues of the US farm machinery industry.