Roberta L Cook Ph.D.

Specialist in Cooperative Extension

Agricultural & Resource Economics
One Shields Avenue
2117 SS&H
Davis, CA 95616-8512
(530) 752-1531
rlcook@ucdavis.edu

Websites

http://www.agecon.ucdavis.edu

http://cook.ucdavis.edu

Specialty

Food distribution, Fruit and Vegetable Marketing, International Competition and Trade, Mexican Horticultural Industry, Food safety

Areas of Expertise (click to see all ANR academics with this expertise)

Biography

Roberta Cook has a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Michigan State University. Since 1985 she has been the Extension Marketing Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of California, Davis. She conducts an applied research and industry outreach program focusing on the marketing and international trade of fresh fruits and vegetables, including studies on international competitiveness, and trends in consumer demand and food distribution.

In addition to her work on the U.S. food marketing system, she has extensive international marketing expertise on issues such as: modernizing domestic food distribution systems in Latin America; identifying fruit and vegetable import/export opportunities throughout the Western Hemisphere; European fruit and vegetable marketing trends; and the structure of the Mexican horticultural industry, with special emphasis on the vegetable export industries in Sinaloa, Baja California and the Bajio. She is fluent in Spanish and regularly lectures in Spanish throughout Latin America.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ocean Mist Farms, Naturipe Farms, and served on the Board of Directors of Sunkist Growers from 2004 to February 2006. From 1997-98 she chaired the Board of Directors of the California Kiwifruit Commission, having served on the Board since 1992. She has also served as Public Member of the California Tomato Commission since 1993. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Education Foundation, and has served on numerous PMA committees. She is a member of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) Campaign for Children’s Health Committee, and the Research Subcommittee. She is also a member of the Seminis Fresh Produce Advisory Council. From 2001-2004 she served on the American Agricultural Economics Association Foundation Governing Board. From 1998-2003 she was a member of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Fruits and Vegetables of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S.T.R.

Since 2003 she is Faculty Director of the California Agribusiness Executive Seminar, a program co-sponsored by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at University of California, Davis, and Wells Fargo Bank.

http://cook.ucdavis.edu

ANR Publications

California Agriculture Article Contributions

Sidebar: Transgenic produce slow to enter evolving global marketplace

ANR Workgroup Associations

Postharvest Technology Research & Info Center (PTric) - Member
Small Farm - Member
Sub Tropical - Member
Vegetable Crop Coordinating Conference (VCCC) - Member

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