Evans Tetteh Akoto

We examine the relationship between monetary intervention and the volatility of relative prices. Using Producer Price Indices for farm products and industrial commodities, we analyze how monetary shocks and movements in these indices influence the weighted average volatility of commodity price components. We find that monetary expansion systematically increases average price volatility across commodity categories. We find that monetary expansion create non-neutral effects on relative prices, especially with regard to their distance from the sale of final goods and services. We find that monetary expansion is, thus, non-neutral with respect to its impact on relative prices. The consistency of these findings suggests that a capital theory that integrates relative prices into analysis provides a helpful lens for interfacing applied economic analysis with macroeconomic theory. The authors express appreciation for feedback from Cameron Harwick. All errors herein are our own.

The swift advancements in autonomous vehicle systems have facilitated their implementation across various industries, including agriculture. However, studies primarily focus on passenger vehicles, with fewer examining autonomous trucks. Therefore, this study reviews autonomous truck systems implementation in North Dakota’s agricultural industry to develop comprehensive technology readiness frameworks and strategic deployment approaches. The review integrates systematic literature review and event history analysis of 52 studies, categorized using Social–Ecological–Technological Systems framework across six dimensions: technological, economic, social change, legal, environmental, and implementation challenges. The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) analysis reveals 39.5% of technologies achieving commercial readiness (TRL 8–9), including GPS/RTK positioning and V2V communication demonstrated through Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative deployments, while gaps exist in TRL 4–6 technologies, particularly cold-weather operations. Nonetheless, challenges remain, including legislative fragmentation, inadequate rural infrastructure, and barriers to public acceptance. The study provides evidence-based recommendations that support a strategic three-phase deployment approach for the adoption of autonomous trucks in agriculture.