Short answer

When assessing the economic viability of a product or system, consider how external shocks (like disease, natural disasters, or geopolitical events) can alter supply and demand, potentially creating unexpected profit margins or losses across different stakeholders.

Field
Commercial Production
Source
Journal of Animal Science (2015)
Method
Economic impact analysis and literature review
Evidence
Strong effect

Disruptions in supply due to disease can lead to price increases that, for some producers, outweigh the direct losses from reduced productivity, resulting in higher net returns. This commercial production research insight is drawn from a 2015 study published in Journal of Animal Science. Using Economic impact analysis and literature review, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When assessing the economic viability of a product or system, consider how external shocks (like disease, natural disasters, or geopolitical events) can alter supply and demand, potentially creating unexpected profit margins or losses across different stakeholders.

Study
Commercial ProductionHigh ImpactStrong effect

Disease outbreaks can unexpectedly increase producer profits by disrupting supply chains

Disruptions in supply due to disease can lead to price increases that, for some producers, outweigh the direct losses from reduced productivity, resulting in higher net returns.

Journal of Animal Science · 2015

01

Key Findings

  • 01PEDV significantly impacted pig losses, primarily in 2014.
  • 02Despite losses, some producers experienced net returns above pre-outbreak expectations due to proportionally smaller price increases relative to productivity decreases.
  • 03Packers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers likely experienced negative economic impacts due to reduced supply and increased prices.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When assessing the economic viability of a product or system, consider how external shocks (like disease, natural disasters, or geopolitical events) can alter supply and demand, potentially creating unexpected profit margins or losses across different stakeholders.

How to apply

When forecasting financial outcomes for a product or service, model scenarios that include potential supply chain disruptions and analyze how resulting price changes might affect profitability for different market participants.

Project actions

  • 01When researching a product, consider how external factors like regulations or natural events could affect its availability and price.
  • 02Think about who benefits and who loses when there's a shortage or surplus of a product.
03

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the economic impacts of disease outbreaks on different sectors of the pork industry?
MethodEconomic impact analysis and literature review
ProcedureThe study reviewed the timeline of a specific disease (PEDV) in the US hog population and analyzed its corresponding economic impacts on various industry subsectors, including producers, packers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers. A budget model was used to assess producer returns.
ContextAgricultural economics, specifically the pork industry

Variables

IVDisease outbreak (PEDV)
DVNet returns for producers, price changes for consumers and other industry sectors
CVPork demand, pre-outbreak market conditions, other competing meat prices
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Provides a detailed analysis of impacts across multiple industry segments.
  • +Utilizes a budget model to quantify producer-level effects.

Limitations

The economic models used might not capture all nuances of market behavior. The study is specific to the agricultural sector.

Reliability & validity

The study's findings are based on economic modeling and literature review, which provide a strong basis for understanding economic impacts. However, real-world market fluctuations can introduce variability. The validity is high for the specific context studied, but generalizability may require further research.

Think critically

To what extent can businesses strategically leverage or mitigate the effects of supply chain disruptions for economic gain, and what are the ethical considerations involved?

05

Design Principles

"Supply chain disruptions can create price volatility that may disproportionately benefit certain actors within the value chain."

This insight highlights that market dynamics, particularly supply and demand, can create counterintuitive economic outcomes during crises. Understanding these complex relationships is crucial for businesses to navigate unforeseen events and identify potential opportunities or risks within their operational context.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Sometimes, when there's less of something available (like pigs due to disease), the price goes up so much that the people who still have some can actually make more money than before, even though they lost some of their product.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this to explain how market forces, influenced by external factors, can impact the economic feasibility of your design project.
  • 2.Refer to this when discussing the potential financial risks and rewards associated with your design's production and market entry.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research demonstrates that external shocks to supply chains, such as disease outbreaks, can lead to significant price increases. For instance, the PEDV outbreak in the US pork industry resulted in reduced supply, which, while detrimental to some, allowed certain producers to achieve higher net returns due to a disproportionate rise in market prices compared to their production losses. This highlights the importance of considering market dynamics and supply-side volatility when assessing the economic viability of a design project.

09

Source

Journal of Animal Science

Assessment of the economic impacts of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in the United States

journal · 2015

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about disease outbreaks can unexpectedly increase producer profits by disrupting supply chains?
When assessing the economic viability of a product or system, consider how external shocks (like disease, natural disasters, or geopolitical events) can alter supply and demand, potentially creating unexpected profit margins or losses across different stakeholders. Evidence: Journal of Animal Science (2015).
Why does "Disease outbreaks can unexpectedly increase producer profits by disrupting supply chains" matter for design?
This insight highlights that market dynamics, particularly supply and demand, can create counterintuitive economic outcomes during crises. Understanding these complex relationships is crucial for businesses to navigate unforeseen events and identify potential opportunities or risks within their operational context.
How can designers apply this research?
When assessing the economic viability of a product or system, consider how external shocks (like disease, natural disasters, or geopolitical events) can alter supply and demand, potentially creating unexpected profit margins or losses across different stakeholders.
What were the main findings?
PEDV significantly impacted pig losses, primarily in 2014.. Despite losses, some producers experienced net returns above pre-outbreak expectations due to proportionally smaller price increases relative to productivity decreases.. Packers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers likely experienced negative economic impacts due to reduced supply and increased prices.
What research method was used?
Economic impact analysis and literature review.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2015 journal from Journal of Animal Science.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When forecasting financial outcomes for a product or service, model scenarios that include potential supply chain disruptions and analyze how resulting price changes might affect profitability for different market participants.
What are the limitations?
The study focuses on a specific disease and time period; impacts may vary with different diseases or market conditions. The analysis of producer returns is based on a budget model.