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The Campus to Commonwealth (CC) article series highlights the Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and its mission to generate and share knowledge in applied economics and agribusiness. This work helps address food, financial, health, development, policy, environmental, and social needs in Virginia and beyond.

The team: John Bovay, managing editor | Melissa Vidmar, production editor

2025 Articles:

Implications of Tomato Tariffs on Grocery Prices.

Author: Bheom Seok Kim and Xi He
Article ID: CC-2025-02
Tags: Tomato tariffs, US–Mexico trade, produce imports, price impacts
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On July 14, 2025, the U.S. government imposed a 17.09 percent tariff on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico and terminated the nearly three-decade-long Tomato Suspension Agreement, signaling a major shift in tomato trade policy and raising concerns about the effects on U.S. producers and consumer prices. Since 1990, domestic production has declined while imports, especially from Mexico, have surged, with tomatoes becoming the highest-value imported vegetable and imports doubling domestic production volumes by 2024. These trends have fueled debates over the competitiveness of U.S. growers, particularly in Florida, and set the stage for renewed trade actions after the USITC found in 2019 that Mexican imports threatened material injury. With the immediate effects of the new tariffs still uncertain, the article reviews the evolution of U.S.–Mexico tomato trade policy, recent pricing patterns, and the key factors that will shape how these 2025 tariffs influence consumer prices and domestic production.

From Hype to Habit: The Story of Plant-Based Meat Products Unfolds.

Author: Mario Ortez
Article ID: CC-2025-01
Tags: Consumer behavior, food economics, plant-based food
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The study found that consumers who try plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) are likely to buy them again, indicating strong habit formation. However, frequent beef buyers are less likely to choose PBMAs, and the products often complement rather than replace traditional meats in household purchases.