The present invention provides for computer-implemented methods and related methods which tie financial management and/or financial services to the use of environmental classification in making agricultural production decisions.
Agricultural production has attendant uncertainties and risks. Managing such risks are important not only to the success of the production operation, but also to related industries. These include, without limitation, banks or other financial institution that provide financing for producers; input suppliers, such as, but not limited to seed suppliers, chemical suppliers, equipment suppliers, and others; purchasers or users of the produced crops, including livestock producers, ethanol or bio-diesel producers, and food manufacturers. Thus, there are many potential stakeholders in agricultural production.
What is needed is a method for product selection that is useful in characterizing relative performance of different agricultural inputs under different conditions so that risk can be managed in a way that can assist in making financial management decisions, including not only decisions made by producers, but also decisions made by other stakeholders.