Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly important component of modern business strategy as consumers, communities, and regulators place greater emphasis on ethical and environmental performance. This Virginia Cooperative Extension publication provides an economic overview of CSR, defining the concept and explaining why firms may voluntarily engage in socially responsible practices that go beyond legal or market requirements. Drawing on economic research, the publication discusses how CSR can influence profitability, consumer demand, employee loyalty, regulatory relationships, and community goodwill, while also highlighting the limitations and risks of unsustainable or profit‑sacrificing activities. The publication is intended to support informed decision‑making by agribusiness owners, farm operators, and business managers considering CSR as part of a broader business strategy.

Consumer demand for food grown using sustainable farm practices is at an all-time high (Nielsen, 2018). This is compelling farmers to explore various options to improve sustainability.

The federal crop insurance program is managed by the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). The crop insurance program helps to protect producers against low-revenue years. This publication provides a basic overview of the federal crop insurance policies available in Virginia and links to additional information about crop insurance policies.

More simply, marketing is the process of deciding what to sell and how to sell it. A producer or seller must decide what products to produce (and how to produce them) or sell. She must decide when to sell it, where to sell it, and how much of it to sell. She must make decisions about packaging, labeling, and branding of the product.