Socio-economic evaluation of sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil in view of the potential implementation of innovative plant protein ingredients for human consumption

This study aimed at performing a socio-economic analysis of an agri-food chain focused on a non-established crop in view of the potential implementation of food innovations, using sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil and upcoming sunflower high-quality food protein ingredients as a case study. Thus, fieldwork was carried out in the main sunflower-producing areas between April and August 2016 for data collection among sunflower chain agents from the input, farming, and processing segments, besides representatives from the research sector. Section 1 applied a multiple case study embedded design to describe and analyze the dynamics of operation of sunflower agri-food chains in Brazil. The analysis followed a theory-driven approach based on concepts from transaction costs economics and the social network approach. The findings indicated an environment of high transaction costs, in which the economic transactions are ruled by formal and relational governance structures, and made possible through knowledge diffusion, under the coordination of a processing company. Nevertheless, the sustainable long-term operation of the sunflower chains is constrained by typical limitations of non-established crops, such as restricted market structure, land use competition with well-established crops, and technological limitations regarding plant breeding, and control of pests and diseases. Moreover, Section 1 revealed that a farmer-led sunflower chain in the state of Mato Grosso (MT) stood out regarding the operational stability, suggesting a closer analysis of this farmers collective endeavor, which was performed in the subsequent section. Thus, Section 2 adopted a single case study embedded design to describe and analyze the establishment process of the leading Brazilian sunflower agri-food chain located in MT under the regime of farmers. The analysis followed a framework that regarded the agri-food chain establishment as an entrepreneurial process. The findings indicated that the process of establishment of this sunflower chain has been a complex social-economic endeavor stemming from a set of interconnected driving forces composed of entrepreneurial skills, social network, resource availability, and crop suitability. Furthermore, Section 2 suggested the existence of a supportive institutional environment for the establishment of new sunflower agri-food chains in MT among soybean farmers, besides indicating the need of examining the potential for sunflower production expansion in MT, which was the focus of the next section. Thus, Section 3 applied an integrated assessment approach that combines an agent-based model (ABM) with a crop growth model to investigate the potential for sunflower land use expansion in double-cropping systems prevailing in MT. The ABM was implemented using the software package Mathematical Programming-based Multi-Agent Systems (MPMAS), and the crop yields simulations were implemented using the process-based model for nitrogen and carbon in agro-ecosystems (MONICA). The findings indicated the existence of a potential for the expansion of the sunflower production in MT. Nevertheless, this potential is constrained by the distance between the producing areas and the processing facilities. Moreover, the simulations confirmed the land use competition between sunflower and maize, showing that sunflower land use is strongly associated with agents expectations regarding prices and yields of sunflower and maize. However, the results also revealed a complementary effect between these two crops due to the different water deficit tolerance of these crops. Section 3 also highlighted that the simulated potential production of sunflower would require further increases in the current processing capacity installed in MT. To conclude, the analyses performed in Sections 1, 2, and 3 indicated relevant aspects to be considered by innovators interested in implementing food innovations related to non-established crops. The scarcity of feedstock suppliers requires the adoption of contractual and relational governance structures coupled with the provision of technical assistance at the farming level. Moreover, farmers with a recognized professional and social reputation as well as leadership abilities play an important role in influencing other farmers to adopt a non-established crop. Finally, the suitability of the crop for the agricultural system prevailing in the region is essential for ensuring a minimum level of farmers willingness to adopt a non-established crop. In this regard, particular attention should be given to the land use competition with well-established crops.Die vorliegende Arbeit auf die Durchführung einer sozio-ökonomischen Analyse einer Agrar- und Lebensmittelkette unter Fokussierung auf eine nicht etablierte Feldfrucht und im Hinblick auf die potenzielle Implementierung von Lebensmittelinnovationen. Zu diesem Zweck werden die Agrar- und Lebensmittelkette der Sonnenblume in Brasilien und in der Entwicklung befindliche hochqualitative Proteininhaltsstoffe auf Basis dieser Pflanze als Fallstudie betrachtet. Abschnitt 1 verwendet als Untersuchungsmethode einen mehrfachen Fallstudienansatz, um die Funktionsdynamik der agrarischen Sonnenblumenwertschöpfungsketten in Brasilien zu beschreiben und zu analysieren. Die Analyse folgte einem auf der Theorie der Transaktionskosten und der Theorie von sozialen Netzwerken basierenden Ansatz. Die Ergebnisse zeigen ein Umfeld hoher Transaktionskosten, in welchem die Transaktionen von formalen und beziehungsgebundenen Governancestrukturen beherrscht werden, hervorgerufen durch Wissensdiffusion unter dem koordinierenden Einfluss eines verarbeitenden Unternehmens. Dennoch ist eine dauerhaft nachhaltige Funktion von Sonnenblumenwertschöpfungsketten, wie für nicht etablierte Feldfrüchte typisch, eingeschränkt: dies wird bedingt durch eine begrenzte Marktstruktur, Landnutzungskonkurrenzen mit gut etablierten Feldfrüchten und technologische Limitierungen im Hinblick auf die Pflanzenzucht sowie den Pflanzenschutz. Darüber hinaus zeigt Abschnitt 1, dass eine durch die Landwirte selbst organisierte Sonnenblumenwertschöpfungskette im Bundesstaat Mato Grosso (MT) sich durch ihre funktionale Stabilität hervortut. Entsprechend wird in Abschnitt 2 ein einfacher Fallstudienansatz gewählt, um den Entstehungsprozess der prominentesten Sonnenblumenwertschöpfungskette Brasiliens, ansässig in MT und organisiert von Landwirten, zu beschreiben und zu analysieren. Dabei folgt die Analyse der Vorstellung, dass die Entstehung der agrarischen Lebensmittelwertschöpfungskette einem unternehmerischen Prozess entspricht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Entstehungsprozess dieser Sonnenblumenwertschöpfungskette einer komplexen sozio-ökonomischen Anstrengung entspringt, resultierend aus einer Mischung untereinander verbundener Antriebe: unternehmerischer Kompetenzen, sozialer Netzwerke, vorhandener Ressourcen und passender Feldfrüchte. Im weiteren Verlauf deutet Abschnitt 2 die Existenz eines unterstützenden institutionellen Umfelds für die Etablierung neuer Sonnenblumenwertschöpfungsketten in MT unter den Landwirten an, die bislang Soja anbauen. Abschnitt 3 nutzt den Ansatz einer integrierten Abschätzung und kombiniert hierzu ein Agenten-basiertes Modell (ABM) mit einem Pflanzenwachstumsmodell, um das Potenzial der Anbauflächenausweitung für Sonnenblumen in den vorherrschenden Zweifruchtsystemen in MT zu untersuchen. Das ABM wurde mithilfe der Software Mathematical Programming-based Multi-Agent Systems (MPMAS) umgesetzt, die Ertragssimulation erfolgte mittels des prozessbasierten Models for nitrogen and carbon in agro-ecoystems (MONICA). Die Ergebnisse zeigen ein Potenzial der Produktionsausweitung von Sonnenblumen in MT an. Jedoch ist dieses Potenzial limitiert durch die Entfernungen zwischen Anbaugebieten und Verarbeitungsstätten. Darüber hinaus bestätigen die Simulationen die Landnutzungskonkurrenzen zwischen Sonnenblumen und Mais: es besteht ein starker Zusammenhang der Akteure im Hinblick auf erwartete Preise und Erträge dieser Feldfrüchte. Allerdings zeigen die Ergebnisse auch, dass ein komplementärer Effekt zwischen Sonnenblumen und Mais besteht, da unterschiedliche Toleranzen gegenüber Trockenstress existieren. Abschnitt 3 zeigt zudem, dass das simulierte Potenzial der Anbauausweitung von Sonnenblumen einen Ausbau der aktuell vorhandenen Verarbeitungskapazität in MT bedarf. Zusammenfassend beschreiben die Analysen der Abschnitte 1, 2 und 3 die von gestaltenden Akteuren zu beachtenden Aspekte, wenn Lebensmittelinnovationen durch nicht etablierte Feldfrüchte erfolgen sollen. Die Knappheit an Rohstofflieferanten erfordert den Einsatz vertraglicher und beziehungsgebundener Governancestrukturen, verknüpft mit der Bereitstellung technischer Unterstützung für die landwirtschaftliche Erzeugung. Zudem spielen Landwirte mit hoher Professionalität, sozialer Reputation und Führungsqualitäten eine wichtige Rolle im Einwirken auf andere Landwirte bezüglich des Anbaus von nicht etablierten Feldfrüchten. Schließlich ist die grundsätzliche Eignung dieser Feldfrüchte für das regional vorherrschende Anbausystem unverzichtbar, um ein Mindestmaß an Anbaubereitschaft für nicht etablierte Früchte bei den Landwirten sicherzustellen. In dieser Hinsicht ist besondere Aufmerksamkeit bezüglich der Landnutzungskonkurrenzen mit gut etablierten Feldfrüchten angezeigt

Agri-food business: Global challenges â Innovative solutions

The rise of a western-style middle class in many successful emerging economies like China currently is inducing deep structural changes on agricultural world markets and within the global agri-food business. As a result of both higher incomes and concerns over product safety and quality the global demand for high-quality and safe food products is increasing significantly. In order to meet the new required quality, globally minimum quality standards are rising and private standards emerging. All over the world these developments cause adjustments at the enterprise, chain and market levels. At the same time, the tremendously increasing demand for renewable energy has led to the emergence of a highly promising market for biomass production. This has far-reaching consequences for resource allocation in the agri-food business, for the environment, for the poor in developing countries and for agricultural policy reforms. The challenges increase with ongoing liberalisation, globalisation and standardisation, all of which change trade patterns for agricultural and food commodities, and influence production costs and commodity prices. The objective of the IAMO Forum is to show opportunities as well as risks for all participants of the food economy in the ongoing globalisation process: for small peasants in developing countries, farmers in Europe and globally active food enterprises and retailers. The success of enterprises depends on the ability to find innovative solutions with regard to the organisation of enterprises, chains, and markets, as well as future policy design. Concerning bio-energy strategies has to be identified to combat global warming most efficiently and concurrently attenuate the competition between "tank and table" on farmland. IAMO Forum 2008, as well as this book, would not have been possible without the engagement of many people and institutions. We thank the authors of the papers, as well as the referees. Furthermore we are highly indebted to MARLIES LOHR, NADINE GIEMSA and RONNY RECKE who in an outstanding way contributed to the organisation of the Forum. This is true as well for the IAMO administration, whose work we gratefully acknowledge. Many sponsors has funded the IAMO Forum 2008. We are very grateful to the German Research Foundation (DFG), The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Production in Germany, The Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Federal State Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and last but not least the City of Halle. Further Conference sponsors are the BIONADE Corporation, Gaensefurther Mineral Water, The Wine Growers Association of the Region Saale-Unstrut, Germany, Obsthof am SüÃen See GmbH, Monsanto Company, KWS Saat AG, Sachsen-Anhalt-Tours, Baumkuchen Salzwedel and the Hallesches Brauhaus.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Industrial Organization, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Development, Marketing, Political Economy,

Agri-food business: global challenges - innovative solutions

The rise of a western-style middle class in many successful emerging economies like China currently is inducing deep structural changes on agricultural world markets and within the global agri-food business. As a result of both higher incomes and concerns over product safety and quality the global demand for high-quality and safe food products is increasing significantly. In order to meet the new required quality, globally minimum quality standards are rising and private standards emerging. All over the world these developments cause adjustments at the enterprise, chain and market levels. At the same time, the tremendously increasing demand for renewable energy has led to the emergence of a highly promising market for biomass production. This has far-reaching consequences for resource allocation in the agri-food business, for the environment, for the poor in developing countries and for agricultural policy reforms. The challenges increase with ongoing liberalisation, globalisation and standardisation, all of which change trade patterns for agricultural and food commodities, and influence production costs and commodity prices. CONTENTS: Preface... i; On the political economy of food standards ... 1, Johan F. M. Swinnen, Thijs Vandemoortele; An analytical framework for the study of deviant behaviour in production... 11, Norbert Hirschauer, Gaetano Martino; Netchain innovations for sustainable pork supply chains in an EU Context... 22, Rannia Nijhoff-Savvaki, Jacques Trienekens, Onno Omta; Inclusion of dairy farms in supply chain in Bulgaria - Modes, efficiency, perspectives... 35, Hrabrin Bachev; The effective traceability on the example of Polish supply chain ... 47, Agnieszka Bezat, Sebastian Jarzebowski; Geographical indications in transition countries: Governance, vertical integration and territorial impact. Illustration with case studies from Serbia... 58, Marguerite Paus; Processing and marketing feasibility of underutilized fruit species of Rajasthan, India ... 70, Dheeraj Singh, Lobsang Wangshu, V. C. Prahalad; Future impact of new technologies upon food quality and health in Central Eastern European countries... 82, Lajos Zoltán Bakucs, Imre Ferto, Attila Havas; Are food industry companies interested in co-financing collective agricultural marketing?... 95, Anikó Tóth, Csaba Forgács; Farmers' reasons for engaging in bioenergy utilisation and their institutional context: A case study from Germany ... 106, Melf-Hinrich Ehlers; Degree and pattern of agro-food trade integration of South-Eastern European countries with the European Union ... 118, Štefan Bojnec, Imre Ferto; Competitiveness of cotton and wheat production and processing in Central Asia ... 133, Inna Levkovych --

Contributions to the 4th young scientists workshop on agricultural development in Central and Eastern Europe

This Discussion Paper contains the greater part of the contributions to the Young Scientists Workshop on Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO, September 4-5, 2006). After last years' positive response, the workshop has been organized for the fourth time and has a solid number of contributions. The aim of this annual event is to give young scientists the opportunity to present and discuss their transition-related research. The following short versions of the workshop contributions serve as a basis for discussion during the workshop, but also offer a cross-sectional overview of current research being carried out by young scientists. Although the issues covered by the workshop contributions are quite diverse, they share a common interest in evaluating the impact of institutional and policy changes on agricultural and rural development at the current stage of transition. Regionally, the contributions focus on the new member states of the European Union, as well as countries of South Eastern Europe. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: Dieses Diskussionspapier enthält den größten Teil der Beiträge, die im Rahmen des Workshops zur Agrarentwicklung in Mittel- und Osteuropa für Doktoranden und kürzlich auch Promovierte vorgestellt und diskutiert werden. Dieser Workshop findet zum vierten Mal am IAMO statt, dieses Jahr vom 4. bis 5. September. Ziel der Veranstaltung ist es, Nachwuchswissenschaftlern die Möglichkeit zu geben, ihre Forschungsvorhaben zu präsentieren und zu diskutieren. Die folgenden Kurzfassungen sollen allerdings nicht nur als Diskussionsgrundlage für den Workshop dienen, sondern auch einen kleinen Überblick über die gegenwärtige Nachwuchsforschung im Agrarbereich zu Mittel- und Osteuropa vermitteln. Auch wenn die Workshopbeiträge ein sehr breites Themenspektrum abdecken, beschäftigen sie sich alle mit der Analyse der Wirkung von politischen und institutionellen Änderungen auf die Entwicklung ländlicher Räume und des Agrarsektors im gegenwärtigen Stadium des Transformationsprozesses. Regional konzentrieren sich die Beiträge auf die neuen Mitgliedsländer der Europäischen Union und die Länder Südosteuropas.

The potential of rural cooperatives development in Albania : challenges and benefits

Promising but particularly challenging remains the agricultural sector in Albania even after almost three decades of transition and the collapse of communism regime. The country is located in a very strategic geographical area of Europe, tempting for centuries to its neighbors is struggling to find the way to promote the agriculture sector. On the other hand, the agriculture sector contributes to almost half of the employment in Albania and accounts for about one-fifth of the gross domestic product (ILO - International Labour Organisation, 2018). Roughly 60% is subsistence farming meaning that small and family farms with an average of 1.2 ha to 2 ha is the most common profile of the farmers (INSTAT, 2018). Combining this with the land fragmentation, for instance two or more rather small parcels per farm, geographically spread, generates a challenge for farmers. As a consequence of the land reform implemented in the early 1990s, in which state agricultural land was equally distributed to the rural population, which resulted in small and fragmented farms that hampered the growth and competitiveness of agriculture. Due to negative experience in the past, Albania, farmers tend to be hesitant to form or join organizations such as cooperatives, as in many other post communism regime countries. However, there are signs of change, as the first movements of cooperatives establishment have started, even though initiated by external factor such as international projects provided by GIZ, FAO and many other foreigner programs. The two major objectives of this research are: first to highlight the obstacles why farmers are hesitant to participate in cooperation even after three decades of regime change. Secondly, the benefits and the mechanisms to promote this movement, as well as the impact it might have in further development of agriculture in the country. Based on this observations and consecutive problematic this dissertation analyzes the potential of cooperative development in the following key issues: cooperatives evolution within the last decades, governmental institution supporting role in this movement, the factors that influence the willingness of farmers to or not to cooperate. The research has taken place in the main villages/areas of Lushnja and Fier district covering about 25% of the Albanian national milk/dairy cow per head (INSTAT, 2018). The research sample included 238 farmers involved in cow milk production who were selected randomly by the interviewers. The interviewed farmers were all personally involved in farm activities, including the production and sale of cow milk Furthermore, the findings show the importance of governmental institutions in the promotion and the support for the development of cooperatives. Their role is fundamental as they play the leading and managerial role of the policy implementation. Moreover, a particular importance has shown the indirect affect that local rules have on cooperation. From the findings, it emerges that the main and most noteworthy mechanism of how local rules affect willingness to cooperate is by constructing social capital. Without leaving apart the determinants of the local rules, trust, and leadership skills in cooperation taken individually and in relation to each other (Agrawal 2001, Ostrom 2009, Ostrom and Mc Ginhis 2014). Summarizing the above mentioned major findings and in conclusion, innovative initiatives is a process in itself that should be elaborated and supported broadly to deliver the importance it brings in the development of the farm or in the farmers organization such as cooperatives, without leaving aside the impact it might have in the community (Dossa and Kaeufer, 2014; Bocken et al., 2013; Weltzien, 2011). A challenging initiative does not make it not valuable and uncertain but should intrigue the community to incorporate new possibilities.Der Agrarsektor in Albanien ist vielversprechend, stellt aber dennoch besondere Herausforderungen, selbst nach dem Zusammenbruch des kommunistischen Regimes und nahezu drei Jahrzehnten des Übergangs. Das Land befindet sich geografisch in einer sehr strategisch bedeutsamen und daher über Jahrhunderte für die Nachbarn einladenden Region von Europa, was es schwierig macht, einen Weg zur Förderung des Agrarsektors zu finden. Andererseits trägt der Agrarsektor nahezu zur Hälfte der Beschäftigung in Albanien bei und ist für ungefähr ein Fünftel des Bruttoinlandsprodukts verantwortlich (ILO - International Labour Organisation, 2018). Bei etwa 60 % handelt es sich um Subsistenzwirtschaft, was bedeutet, dass kleine und von Familien betriebene Bauernhöfe mit durchschnittlich 1,2 ha bis 2 ha am häufigsten vertreten sind (INSTAT, 2018). Wird dies mit der Flächenzerstückelung kombiniert, z. B. zwei oder mehr eher kleine Parzellen pro Bauernhof, die verteilt räumlich sind, stellt dies für Landwirte eine Herausforderung dar. Als Folge der in den frühen 1990ern implementierten Landreform, bei der im Staatsbesitz befindliche Agrarflächen in gleichem Umfang auf die Landbevölkerung aufgeteilt wurden, was zu kleinen und zerstückelten Bauernhöfen führte, wurden Wachstum und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit des Agrarsektors erschwert. Aufgrund der negativen Erfahrungen in der Vergangenheit tendieren Landwirte in Albanien dazu, zögerlich zu sein, was die Bildung von Organisationen oder Kooperativen oder einen Beitritt zu diesen betrifft, was auch in vielen anderen postkommunistischen Ländern der Fall ist. Allerdings gibt es Anzeichen für einen Wandel, da die ersten Bildungen von Kooperativen begonnen haben, auch wenn dies durch externe Faktoren initiiert wird, z. B. durch internationale Projekte, die durch GIZ, FAO und viele andere ausländische Träger vorhabens angeboten werden. Die zwei Hauptziele dieser Forschungsstudie sind: Zuerst die Hindernisse hervorzuheben, warum Landwirte zögern, sich selbst nach drei Jahrzehnten Regimewechsel an Kooperationen zu beteiligen. Zweitens die Vorteile und den Mechanismus zur Förderung dieser Bewegung herauszustellen sowie den Einfluss, den sie auf die weitere Entwicklung des Agrarsektors im Land haben könnte. Auf der Grundlage dieser Beobachtungen und der daraus folgenden Problematik analysiert diese Dissertation das Potenzial für die Entwicklung von Kooperativen im Hinblick auf die folgenden Schlüsselthemen: Entwicklung von Kooperativen innerhalb der letzten Jahrzehnte, die unterstützende Funktion staatlicher Einrichtungen bezüglich dieser Bewegung sowie die vorhaben Faktoren, welche die Bereitschaft von Landwirten beeinflussen, zu kooperieren oder nicht. Das Forschungs wurde in den wichtigsten Dörfern/Regionen der Lushnja- und Fier-Bezirke durchgeführt, was ca. 25 % der nationalen albanischen Milchproduktion pro Kopf abdeckt (INSTAT, 2018). Die Stichprobe der Forschungsstudie umfasst 238 Landwirte in der Kuhmilchproduktion, die von den Interviewern auf Zufallsbasis ausgewählt wurden. Die interviewten Landwirte waren alle persönlich an landwirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten beteiligt, also Produktion und Verkauf von Kuhmilch mit einbezogen. Darüber hinaus zeigen die Ergebnisse die Bedeutung staatlicher Einrichtungen, was die Förderung sowie die Unterstützung der Entwicklung von Kooperativen betrifft. Deren Rolle ist fundamental, da sie im Hinblick auf die Implementierung des Regelwerks eine zentrale und führende Rolle spielen. Außerdem hat sich die besondere Bedeutung der indirekten Wirkung gezeigt, die lokale Vorschriften auf eine Kooperation haben. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der wichtigste und bemerkenswerteste Mechanismus, wie lokale Vorschriften die Bereitschaft zur Kooperation beeinflussen, die Schaffung von Sozialkapital ist. Wobei lokale Vorschriften, Vertrauen und Führungsqualitäten als Bestimmungsfaktoren einer Kooperation individuell und in Beziehung zueinander nicht außer Acht gelassen werden dürfen (Agrawal 2001, Ostrom 2009, Ostrom und Mc Ginhis 2014). Fasst man die oben genannten, wichtigen Ergebnisse zusammengefasst, sind innovative Initiativen abschließend der Prozess, der näher ausgeführt und umfassend unterstützt werden sollte, um die Bedeutung für die Entwicklung von landwirtschaflichen Betrieben oder landwirtschaftlichen Organisationen, wie z. B. Kooperativen, zu vermitteln, ohne die Auswirkung auf das Gemeinwesen außer Acht zu lassen (Dossa und Kaeufer, 2014; Bocken et al., 2013; Weltzien, 2011)

Agricultural economics and transition: What was expected, what we observed, the lessons learned. Proceedings (Volume I)

Over fifteen years have elapsed since the process of transition from the socialist system started in the early 1990s. During this time, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia have undergone profound structural change with wide variation in the amount of transformation in rural areas. In retrospect, it can be seen that the countries that chose to transform their socialized agriculture into a private-ownership and market-based system experienced the most positive economic performance. These countries in 2004 became members of the European Union, and left the classical stages of transition behind. Looking at the developments of the past one and a half decade, it is clear, however, that the initial expectations for the transformation in the bulk of the region were overly optimistic and the transition process in agriculture is far more complex than originally envisaged. It is widely recognized, for instance, that the importance of functioning institutions was underestimated at the outset of the transition. Increased social problems and alarming signs of increasing poverty and inequality have also added a new, unexpected, dimension to the transition process. This Seminar provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the process and the status of transition in agriculture as well as to review of the status of agricultural economics profession in the region. CONTENTS: Foreword; Csaba Csáki, Csaba Forgács. A Joint IAAE-EAAE Seminar summary comments; Csaba Csáki. The profession of (agricultural) economists and the experience of transition; Ulrich Koester. Measuring the success of agricultural transition: An application to Russia; William M. Liefert. Competitiveness in the food industry: A CGE modeling approach to assess foreign direct investment in transition countries; Martin Banse, S. H. Gay, S. Mcdonald, R. M'barek, Johan F. M. Swinnen. Policy reform and agricultural productivity in transition countries; Hanho Kim, Donghwan An. Changes in the structure of agricultural production, farm structure and income in Hungary in the period of 2004-2006; Gábor Szabó. Shaping agribusiness and its impact on the competitive environment of agricultural enterprises; Vera Becvárová. Transition and foreign trade: The case of the Ukrainian agri-food sector; Inna Levkovych, Heinrich Hockmann. The development of the hungarian agricultural trade after the EU accession; Gábor Konig. Agricultural transition and integration to the world economy: NIS case; Eugenia Serova. Diversification of rural incomes and non-farm rural employment: Evidence from Russia; Dmitry Zvyagintsev, Olga Shick, Eugenia Serova, Zvi Lerman. Accounting for heterogeneity bias in efficiency models: An application to Polish agriculture; Heinrich Hockmann, Agata Pieniadz. Transformational crisis, transformational depression in the agriculture. The Hungarian case; Péter Halmai, Viktória Vásáry. The main bottlenecks of the rural knowledge transfer in Romania; Mária Vincze, Andrea Kölcsey. Studying investment patterns in Russian agriculture; Raushan Bokusheva, Irina Bezlepkina, Alexander Kupavyc. Changes in the Romanian farm structures during transition - Evolution and main determinants; Crina Turtoi, Camelia Toma, Camelia Gavrilescu. A time-series analysis of the beef livestock supply in Russia: Implications for agricultural sector development policies; Maria Antonova, Manfred Zeller. Agricultural recovery in CIS: Lessons of 15 years of land reform and farm restructurin; Zvi Lerman. Land market development and agricultural production efficiency in Albania; Klaus Deininger, Sara Savastano, Gero Carletto, The persistence of the corporate farms: They survived the transition but do they have future under the CAP; Laure Latruffe, Sophia Davidova, Gejza Blaas. Land use and land reform in some former Central and East European countries; Katalin Takács-György, Anna Bandlerova, Adam Sadowski. Romania: Semi-subsistence farm sector, result of wrong strategic approach? Lucian Luca. Farm-level determinants of conversion to sustainable farming practices in the New Members States; Adriana Cristoiu, Francisco Cáceres-Clavero, Blanca Lucena-Cobos. The economics of farm organization in CEEC and FSU; Pavel Ciaian, Jan Pokrivcak, Dusan Drabik. The structure of individual (family) farms in Hungary; Anna Burger, Katalin Szép. Facing the future: Strategies and investment behaviour of Polish farmers; S. Gomez y Paloma, E. Majewski, M. Raggi, D. Viaggi --

Shrimp farming in Central Vietnam: A value chain analysis

White shrimp has become a key commodity in Vietnamese aquaculture. White shrimp farming does not only enable the participation of smallholders, but also attracts companies and other stakeholders along the value chain. The value generating activities in white shrimp farming have contributed to improved livelihood opportunities of its stakeholders, and the socioeconomic growth of coastal communities in general. However, low accessibility to high value markets, low bargaining power and high dependence are existing issues for farmers, which affect the efficiency of white shrimp farming, as well as the development of the white shrimp value chain. Based on a qualitative analysis of the white shrimp value chain in Vietnam, the presented research explores the current situation of production and consumption of the white shrimp industry, as well as advantages, disadvantages and development strategies in white shrimp farming. The value chain analysis approaches are theoretically based on the concepts of global production networks and global value chains (e.g. Gerreffi et al., 1994, 2005, 2016; Humphrey and Schmitz, 2001; Dicken, 2015; Coe and Yeung, 2015). Gereffi et al.’s (2005) approach of five types of governance and Humphrey and Schmitz’ (2002) concept of four types of upgrading within the concept of value chain analysis are the backbone of this study. The goal of this study was to provide information on the current status and sustainability issues in white shrimp farming, the differences among marketing channels and response ability of farmers to access each channel. Additionally, the power relationships among actors within the white shrimp value chain and the impact of these relationships on farmers are also outlined. Qualitative research methods were applied by conducting 24 semi-structured interviews. Interviewed stakeholders include white shrimp farmers, suppliers, middlemen, wholesalers, retailers, and relevant representatives of local governments. Further, secondary data was collected through socio-economic reports of government levels and related previous research. Thua Thien Hue province in central Vietnam was selected as the case study area. The first part of this thesis is an introduction on global food, the importance of aquaculture and the rationale behind conducting research on value chain analysis. Afterwards, the framework of value chain analysis, governance and upgrading dimensions and the agri-food value chain, Vietnamese aquaculture with regard to development processes, distribution and existing issues, as well as the research methodology are outlined before presenting the empirical results, discussion and conclusion. The research results are outlined in four stand-alone research papers (chapters 5-8), which have the following common characteristics: the research focuses on small-scale white shrimp farmers; the theoretical approach of global production networks and global value chains is used for the analysis; governance dimensions are also a theoretical lens used throughout the research; furthermore, informal transactions and informal relationships often coin the white shrimp value chain and are thus integral parts of the empirical work. The results show that the volume of white shrimp has significantly increased in central Vietnam in both, production and export since 2002. White shrimp farming requires high investments while it can provide comparably high revenue for farmers; normally, farmers can gain profit margins from 4.5 to 10%. However, lack of expertise, low availability of relevant infrastructure, missing access to capital and traditional production routines of farmers are affecting sustainability as well as resilient livelihoods with regard to the quality of white shrimp seed, changing technical knowledge, use of aquatic medicine, water pollution and curing diseases. Furthermore, there is a dependency of farmers on input suppliers because farmers are often debtors of input suppliers, especially of industrial feed suppliers. Meanwhile, the output market of white shrimp is controlled by intermediaries and most of the Vietnamese white shrimp production is traded via these middlemen before being distributed to consumers or processors. Although farmers can access the processing plant to capture a higher share of value, international standards appear as barriers for these kinds of direct business relations. The change from informal relationships to formal relationships is constrained by the gap between the quality requirements of processing plants and the ability of farmers to adapt to those requirements. Thus, selecting intermediaries is currently the easiest solution for farmers for accessing sales markets. This development led to ignoring the regulations on using antibiotics for shrimp production and wastewater treatment among farmers; instead, they solely focused on growing the production and maximizing revenues, which can be considered an attempt of farmers to compensate their disadvantages. Compared to other actors in the white shrimp value chain, farmers have less bargaining power, and little to no possibilities of independent decision-making, which leaves them only able to react instead of act within business relations. The relationships among actors in the chain were established based on personal trust, regular face-to-face interaction and the exchange of tacit information. The typical feature of the relationships is a high degree of informality and that the binding character can be stronger than with a formal contract. Local governments and farmers have implemented various strategies to upgrade the white shrimp value chain. That might result in issuing the regulations in white shrimp farming, establishing cooperative organizations. However, these activities are still limited and the majority of farmers are still facing major issues of access to distribution channels and dependencies on middlemen and suppliers. Hence, the thesis concludes, that in order to be competitive and ecologically sustainable, white shrimp farmers need to change production habits and improve product quality to respond to the requirements of domestic and international markets. The local government needs to continue to support farmers with infrastructure, capital and technology

Economic Feasibility, General Economic Impact and Implications of a Free Trade Agreement Between the European Union and Georgia

This study of the feasibility, costs and benefits of a free trade agreement between the EU and Georgia was conducted from July 2007 to April 2008 under contrach with the European Commission. The first meeting in Brussels in September 2007 with staff members of Directorates-General for Trade, External Relations, Economic and Financial Affairs, Internal Market and Services, Competition, Enterprise and Industry proved indispensable in our work on this report. During mission to Tbilisi in October 2007 the consultations were held with a number of ministries, research institutes and business organizations. We greatly benefited from consultations with the Ministry of Economic Development, Standardization Office, UN Team Leader for Economic Development, State Minister for Reforms Coordination, Ministry of Energy, Office of Deputy State Minister for European and Euro Atlantic Integration, American Chamber of Commerce, Georgian Chamber of Commerce, IMF, World Bank, EBRD, GEPLAC – Georgian European Policy Legal Advice Centre, Wine Producers Association, Federation of Georgian Businessman. The European Commission Delegation to Georgia provided us with extensive information, consultation on key policy issues and organizational support, for which we are very grateful. Several authors contributed to this study. David Dyker is the author of the introductory section (chapter 2) and the analysis of services sectors (chapter 7). Michael Emerson is the author of section on regional integration scenarios (charter 3) and he also provided very valuable comments on all chapters in this study. Sveta Taran, Peter Holmes and Michael Gasiorek are the authors of chapter 4 employing the Sussex Framework to study the impact of a free trade agreement. Michael Gasiorek and Peter Holmes also provided valuable comments on the CGE modelling section. Evgeny Polyakov, Andrei Roudoi as well as Nino Chokheli and Giorgi Pertaia contributed to the chapter on the institutional and regulatory harmonization (chapter 5). The team from the Global Insight including Andre Jungmittag, Vicki Korchagin, Evgeny Polyakov and Andrei Roudoi supervised the implementation of the survey and completed the analysis of the survey results (chapter 6). Also the same team from Global Insight contributed chapter 10 on sensitive sectors. The implementation of the survey of NTBs was conducted by CASE-Transcaucasus under the supervision of Tamaz Asatiani. The analysis of FDI flows and their likely trends following an FTA was prepared by Malgorzata Jakubiak, while the estimation of the potential FDI flows was conducted by Alina Kudina (section 8.4). The CGE analysis (chapter 9) was written by Maryla Maliszewska, who also acted as the project manager and the editor of the study. Finally, conclusions are a collective work of all the authors. Sierz Naurodski and Elena Kozarzewska provided an excellent administrative support. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their cooperation, valuable contributions and comments.European Neighborhood Policy, free trade agreement, institutional harmonization, EU, Georgia.

Analyse der Kontroll- und Sanktionshäufigkeiten großer Öko-Kontrollstellen in Deutschland

Die Vermarktung von ökologischen Lebensmitteln in Deutschland ist an die Einhaltung der entsprechenden europäischen Rahmenvorschrift geknüpft. Bis Ende 2008 war dies die Verordnung (EWG) Nr. 2092/91, deren Einhaltung durch die Öko-Lebensmittelwirtschaft in Deutschland von privaten Kontrollstellen überprüft wurde. Die privaten Kontrollstellen melden im Rahmen der gesetzlich vorgeschriebenen Überwachung Daten zu Kontroll- und Sanktionshäufigkeiten der Unternehmen an die Behörden der Länder (Überwachung auf Bundeslandebene) und an die Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE). Die BLE ist für den Transfer der Daten an die Europäische Kommission (Überwachung auf EU-Ebene) verantwortlich. Dieser Beitrag analysiert die an die Europäische Kommission gemeldeten Daten des Jahres 2006. Dabei werden für die neun größten deutschen Öko-Kontrollstellen einerseits die Art der durchgeführten Kontrollen, deren absolute und relative Häufigkeit und die Kontrollergebnisse (insbesondere Verstöße und schwere Sanktionen) betrachtet. Zum Anderen wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob bei der relativen Sanktionshäufigkeit der kontrollierten Unternehmen Unterschiede zwischen verschiedenen Öko-Kontrollstellen bestehen. Darauf aufbauend werden zwei grundlegende Erklärungsansätze für die vorgefundenen signifikant unterschiedlichen Sanktionshäufigkeiten diskutiert. Schließlich werden die Anforderungen an Daten zur näheren Analyse dieser Ansätze beschrieben