The Steven Zahniser Collection on Latin American Agricultural Economy
Scope and Contents Note
Correspondence, reports, charts, maps and clippings documenting the agricultural economy of Latin America (1938-1993, n.d.). Materials were collected through research activities conducted by the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, U.S. Department of State, and USDA Economic Research Service.
Series I contains correspondence reports (1964-1984) between the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service and Cultural Attachés in six Latin American Countries, documenting coffee and cacao production through statistical and narrative data. Includes one telegram on the "Transmittal of Plant Protection Act of 1975", a bill imposing stricter inspection of plant materials imported in the U.S.
Series II contains correspondence reports (1955-1984) between the U.S. Department of State and American Embassies throughout Latin America. Reports document livestock, cotton, coffee, coconut, sugar, cacao, labor, narcotics, drought, agrarian reform legislation, state assistance programs, and U.S. fruit company operations in Latin America.
Series III contains reports, clippings, maps, and charts (1938-1993, n.d.) documenting the agricultural economy of Latin America. Bulk of reports and clippings deal with the Andean Pact and the Central American Common Market. Charts (1951-1975, n.d.) contain statistical comparisons of commodities production and exports, especially rice, corn, beans and sorghum.
Dates
- Creation: 1938-1993
Language of Materials
English, Spanish
Access Restrictions
Unrestricted.
Use Restrictions
Standard copyright restrictions apply.
Biographical and Historical Note
Steven Zahniser is an agricultural economist with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS). He conducted research for the Asia and Western Hemisphere Branch, and the Market and Trade Economics Division. Zahniser completed a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
ERS provides economic data, analysis and research in support of USDA national and international policy and decision-making. The ERS organization has its roots in the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (BAE), a federal research organization established in 1922 aimed at helping farmers solve their price and income problems. In 1953, BAE divided into three organizations, including the Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
When it was established, the FAS worked primarily to develop foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities, and employed foreign attachés based at U.S. embassies throughout Latin America. Initially, these attachés were affiliated with the Department of State, but following the passage of H.R. 8033 in 1954, they were transferred to the FAS. The attachés provided information and statistical findings about commodities markets in Latin America. The USDA added the Economic Research Service in 1961. ERS, AMS, FAS and ARS remain active today.
Full Extent
10 linear inches
Abstract
Papers used by the United States Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of State for the purpose of carrying out research on Latin American commodities markets.
Acquisition Information
Information of acquisition method not available.
Processing Information
Processing information not available.
Geographic
- Title
- Steven Zahniser Collection on Latin American Agricultural Economy
- Status
- Edited Partial Draft
- Author
- Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
- Date
- 2008
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2021 June: Edited by Carla O. Alvarez to fix compliance check errors to prepare for the migration to new TARO website.
- 2021 November: Edited by Devon Murphy to update control access terms and formatting based on the TARO Control Access List.
- 2025 July: Revised by Ryan Sullivant to fix validation errors prior to ingestion into ArchivesSpace.
Repository Details
Part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Repository
2300 Red River Street
Austin Texas 78712 United States
(512) 495-4578
bensonspecialcollections@austin.utexas.edu