Services and Special Expertise

Agricultural Land Resource Analysis

Globalwise has a strong emphasis in rural land analysis to determine agricultural production potential and crop alternatives. This expertise is useful for clients such as local governments and land trusts that are evaluating how to support farm enterprises and related economic sectors such as food processors, distributors and retailers. Globalwise uses expert knowledge of existing data to refine our analysis and to complement our information gathering through surveys to better understand unique community goals.

We evaluate land for agricultural zoning designation to determine if it complies with local and state land use policies and regulations. This expertise is used at the single property parcel level to determine if land can be withdrawn from agricultural resource designation, but we also evaluate county zoning criteria to achieve public polices and gain public support.

Food Market Research

Food producers and agricultural organizations retain Globalwise to help them evaluate new and expanding markets. The research includes many competitive factors of interest to clients. These include market size, pricing at the manufacturing or wholesale levels, and likely levels of brand/marketing costs for product introduction and market maintenance. We also advise on potential market intermediaries that can assist our clients’ access new market channels and new markets.

Our work includes a diverse range of food and farm sectors, including organic grains, grass seed, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and fish products, processed consumer-ready foods and beverages. We have conducted research at the farm, wholesale and retail levels.

We have experience conducting market research in much of the U.S. as well as in Canada and Asia.

Litigation Economic Analysis

Globalwise has solid expertise conducting analysis of economic damages for more than 75 personal injury, wrongful death and business loss legal cases. Authoritative reports for settlement or mediation – as well as trial testimony – are all part of the services provided.

Among our clients are leading law firms, businesses, and U.S. government agencies that trust our efficient and effective approach to gathering, analyzing, and presenting the data and economic information needed to measure damages. We are objective and persuasive.

We have testified in superior courts as well as in Federal Courts.

Economic Impact Analysis

Business development and public policies impact the expansion and contraction of the local economy. To quantify the contributions business make to the economies of cities, counties, and larger regions, Globalwise carefully constructs input-output economic models. These models estimate the changes in terms of jobs, income and taxes from economic development and from policies that impact businesses. IMPLAN I-O models are the basic framework but typically they are customized with additional data and insight from the experience gained by Globalwise. This ensures that the resulting models credibly measure important community and regional impacts.

Examples include:

• What if a processing plant were added (or closed) in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest – what does this mean for the local economy in terms of jobs, income and tax revenue?
• If exports of Washington apples were severely curtailed, how would orchardists, packers, warehouses and marketing firms be impacted and in turn what are the state-wide losses of tax revenues?
• How can the impact be measured if a new policy to encourage certain industry to locate in a defied region of the state? We use impact models to show the total economic gains if new business development is attracted to the area.