Genetic Engineering and Risk in the Varietal Selection of Potatoes

Abstract

The objective of this case study is to examine the farm management decision of whether to adopt a new, genetically engineered potato variety. We describe the potato supply chain from seed production to final consumer products and explore how price and production risk interact to influence decision making at each link in that chain. We provide extensive supplemental material as well, including a teaching note with assignment and/or discussion questions, an introduction to and application of stakeholder theory, and a tool that assists students in calculating expected and simulated actual returns from their choice of potato variety.