Evaluating Costs, Benefits, and Risks of Insect Control Strategies in Post-Harvest Food Storage and Processing

The general objective of the proposed research is to improve the ability of the grain marketing system to respond to increased pesticide regulations and to consumer demands for wholesome, insect-free foods by evaluating the economic feasibility of commercially implementing methods that are shown to be effective in controlling insects. An important component of those evaluations will be an assessment of risk-reducing and risk-increasing attributes of those alternatives.The specific objectives are:(1) Estimate costs, benefits, and risks of alternative pest-control strategies in stored grain facilities, and(2) Estimate costs, benefits and risks of alternative insect-control strategies in food processing facilities.