Evolution of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in Agricultural Cold Chain Monitoring: A Literature Review

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a technology providing considerable opportunities to improve quality control for perishable foods. Over the past decade, a significant improvement in RFID application has been observed in cold chain monitoring. The aim of this paper is to, first, demonstrate the role of RFID in improving the monitoring of the agricultural products cold chain. Particular focus is placed on the specifications of RFID and its advantages, which makes its application appealing in food temperature monitoring. Second, this paper aims to provide an overview of RFID developments in cold chain monitoring. For this purpose, we conduct a review of the literature throughout 2004-2018 citing the challenges of this technology’s practical implementation in temperature monitoring of perishables, and provide the solutions presented in the literature for each limitation. This survey would be beneficial for those involved in food distribution, as it offers approaches for overcoming the limitations of RFID, making its application more advantageou

Risque de prix et décisions de production et d'exportation : le cas de l'agriculture au Québec

Cette thèse porte sur l’effet du risque de prix sur la décision des agriculteurs et les transformateurs québécois. Elle se divise en trois chapitres. Le premier chapitre revient sur la littérature. Le deuxième chapitre examine l’effet du risque de prix sur la production de trois produits, à savoir le maïs grain, la viande de porc et la viande d’agneau dans la province Québec. Le dernier chapitre est centré sur l’analyse de changement des préférences du transformateur québécois de porc pour ce qui est du choix de marché. Le premier chapitre vise à montrer l’importance de l’effet du risque du prix sur la quantité produite par les agriculteurs, tel que mis en évidence par la littérature. En effet, la littérature révèle l’importance du risque de prix à l’exportation sur le commerce international. Le deuxième chapitre est consacré à l’étude des facteurs du risque (les anticipations des prix et la volatilité des prix) dans la fonction de l’offre. Un modèle d’hétéroscédasticité conditionnelle autorégressive généralisée (GARCH) est utilisé afin de modéliser ces facteurs du risque. Les paramètres du modèle sont estimés par la méthode de l’Information Complète Maximum Vraisemblance (FIML). Les résultats empiriques montrent l’effet négatif de la volatilité du prix sur la production alors que la prévisibilité des prix a un effet positif sur la quantité produite. Comme attendu, nous constatons que l’application du programme d’assurance-stabilisation des revenus agricoles (ASRA) au Québec induit une plus importante sensibilité de l’offre par rapport au prix effectif (le prix incluant la compensation de l’ASRA) que par rapport au prix du marché. Par ailleurs, l’offre est moins sensible au prix des intrants qu’au prix de l’output. La diminution de l'aversion au risque de producteur est une autre conséquence de l’application de ce programme. En outre, l’estimation de la prime marginale relative au risque révèle que le producteur du maïs est le producteur le moins averse au risque (comparativement à celui de porc ou d’agneau). Le troisième chapitre consiste en l’analyse du changement de préférence du transformateur québécois du porc pour ce qui est du choix de marché. Nous supposons que le transformateur a la possibilité de fournir les produits sur deux marchés : étranger et local. Le modèle théorique explique l’offre relative comme étant une fonction à la fois d’anticipation relative et de volatilité relative des prix. Ainsi, ce modèle révèle que la sensibilité de l’offre relative par rapport à la volatilité relative de prix dépend de deux facteurs : d’une part, la part de l’exportation dans la production totale et d’autre part, l’élasticité de substitution entre les deux marchés. Un modèle à correction d’erreurs est utilisé lors d’estimation des paramètres du modèle. Les résultats montrent l’effet positif et significatif de l’anticipation relative du prix sur l’offre relative à court terme. Ces résultats montrent donc qu’une hausse de la volatilité du prix sur le marché étranger par rapport à celle sur le marché local entraine une baisse de l’offre relative sur le marché étranger à long terme. De plus, selon les résultats, les marchés étranger et local sont plus substituables à long terme qu’à court terme.The objective of this thesis is to investigate the effect of price risk on the decision of farmers and processors in Quebec. The dissertation is structured in three main chapters. The first chapter looks on a literature review. The second chapter examines the effect of price risk on the supply of three productions namely grain corn, pork and lamb in the Quebec province. The final chapter focuses on the analysis of changing in preferences of the Quebec pork processor concerning the choice of market. The first chapter, addressing the academic background of importance of risks in agriculture, shows the significant effect of price risk on agricultural production. Also the literature points out the effect of price risk on international trade. The second chapter introduces risk factors (prices expectations and price volatility) in the supply function. A generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model is used to model the above mentioned risk factors. The model parameters are estimated by full information maximum likelihood (FIML) method. While empirical results show the negative effect of price volatility on production, prices predictability has a positive effect on the amount produced. As expected, the results reveal the application of the farm income stabilization insurance program (ASRA) in Quebec leads to more sensitivity of producer to effective prices (prices including ASRA compensation) than to the market price. In addition, our results present less sensitivity to input prices than output ones in the case of application ASRA. The decrease in producer risk aversion is another consequence of the application of this program. On the other hand, estimation of the relative marginal risk premium index reveals that the pork producer is the most risk-averse producer. The third chapter concerns the analysis of market choice by Quebec pork processor. It is supposed that processor has the ability to supply his products in two markets: foreign and local. The theoretical model explains the relative supply as a function of both relative price expectation and relative price volatility. Furthermore this model shows that the sensitivity of the relative supply to the relative price volatility depends on two factors: the share of exports in total production and the elasticity of substitution between two markets. An error correction model is used in estimating model parameters. The results show a positive and significant effect of relative price anticipation on relative supply in short-term. Besides, these results show an increase in price volatility of foreign market in comparison to local market, leads to a decline of supply in the foreign market in long-term. Also according to the results, the local and foreign markets are more substitutable in long-term than short-term

Changes in Canada’s Preferential Trade Network and the Welfare Effects in Agricultural Markets

There have been some important changes in Canada’s preferential trade network over the last few years. At the regional level, the re-negotiations over the NAFTA produced the generally-resembling USMCA. At the inter-regional level, the CETA and the CPTPP marked significant steps toward promoting Canada’s trade with distant countries. This paper overviews the corresponding regional and inter-regional trade preferences for agricultural products. It examines the welfare effects of the USMCA and more pronounced regional preferential schemes, and those of the CETA and the CPTPP for Canada in the agricultural markets. It assesses the welfare outcomes from different scenarios involving various combinations of presence and absence of regional and inter-regional trade preferences. The analysis underlines that the deepening of the North American market integration would lead to increases in national welfare. It shows that inter-regional trade preferences could exceed the USMCA/NAFTA in promoting imports in some cases, resulting in increases in Canada’s national welfare. However, inter-regional trade preferences may not entirely substitute for the losses in welfare resulting from the absence/elimination of regional trade preferences in some other cases. This paper suggests that Canada would generally benefit from higher national welfare levels across agricultural markets through a simultaneous network of regional and inter-regional trade preferences

Changes in Canada’s Preferential Trade Network and the Welfare Effects in Agricultural Markets

There have been some important changes in Canada’s preferential trade network over the last few years. At the regional level, the re-negotiations over the NAFTA produced the generally-resembling USMCA. At the inter-regional level, the CETA and the CPTPP marked significant steps toward promoting Canada’s trade with distant countries. This paper overviews the corresponding regional and inter-regional trade preferences for agricultural products. It examines the welfare effects of the USMCA and more pronounced regional preferential schemes, and those of the CETA and the CPTPP for Canada in the agricultural markets. It assesses the welfare outcomes from different scenarios involving various combinations of presence and absence of regional and inter-regional trade preferences. The analysis underlines that the deepening of the North American market integration would lead to increases in national welfare. It shows that inter-regional trade preferences could exceed the USMCA/NAFTA in promoting imports in some cases, resulting in increases in Canada’s national welfare. However, inter-regional trade preferences may not entirely substitute for the losses in welfare resulting from the absence/elimination of regional trade preferences in some other cases. This paper suggests that Canada would generally benefit from higher national welfare levels across agricultural markets through a simultaneous network of regional and inter-regional trade preferences

Effects of price insurance programs on supply responses: a case study of corn farmers in Quebec

Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0) applies.Aims: This study examines the supply response of corn in the province of Quebec. Study Design: A time series design is implemented. Place and Duration of Study: Our analysis covers the period from 1985 to 2013 and uses the data of corn production in the province of Quebec. Methodology: A generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) process is used to model output price expectations and its volatility. Results: We found that application of the Farm Income Stabilisation Insurance in Quebec neutralises the adverse effects of price volatilities on corn production and generates a market power for corn producers. The change in the producers' attitude towards risk is other implication of the insurance program. Conclusion: These results imply that implementation of the insurance program in the province of Quebec leads to an increase of corn production and consequently this increase in production can impose more compensation cost (paid by the insurance program) to governments.Ye

Implications of the state assistance program in the province of Quebec: the case of lamb production

This study investigated the impact of the Farm Income Stabilization Insurance (ASRA) on the adoption of price risk management strategies by lamb producers in the province of Quebec. This study employed a Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) process to model price risks. The results indicated that the application of the Farm Income Stabilization Insurance in Quebec generates crowding-out effects on price risk management strategies, which decreases the efficiency of this program. On the other hand, the product-specific nature of ASRA leads to some challenges such as a modification in the revenue distribution across the farm, increased production, increased indebtedness of farmers and the increased financial burden on governments’ shoulders. Finally, the results imply asymmetric impacts of negative and positive shocks generated by ASRA which result in an increasing risk-aversion of producers over the periods of decreased prices and a decreasing risk aversion over the periods of increased prices

Effects of Price Insurance Programs on Supply Response: A Case Study of Corn Farmers in Quebec

Aims: This study examines the supply response of corn in the province of Quebec. Study Design: A time series design is implemented. Place and Duration of Study: Our analysis covers the period from 1985 to 2013 and uses the data of corn production in the province of Quebec. Methodology: A generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) process is used to model output price expectations and its volatility. Results: We found that application of the Farm Income Stabilisation Insurance in Quebec neutralises the adverse effects of price volatilities on corn production and generates a market power for corn producers. The change in the producers' attitude towards risk is other implication of the insurance program. Conclusion: These results imply that implementation of the insurance program in the province of Quebec leads to an increase of corn production and consequently this increase in production can impose more compensation cost (paid by the insurance program) to governments

Effects of Price Insurance Programs on Supply Response: A Case Study of Corn Farmers in Quebec

Aims: This study examines the supply response of corn in the province of Quebec. Study Design: A time series design is implemented. Place and Duration of Study: Our analysis covers the period from 1985 to 2013 and uses the data of corn production in the province of Quebec. Methodology: A generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) process is used to model output price expectations and its volatility. Results: We found that application of the Farm Income Stabilisation Insurance in Quebec neutralises the adverse effects of price volatilities on corn production and generates a market power for corn producers. The change in the producers' attitude towards risk is other implication of the insurance program. Conclusion: These results imply that implementation of the insurance program in the province of Quebec leads to an increase of corn production and consequently this increase in production can impose more compensation cost (paid by the insurance program) to governments

Changes in Canada’s Preferential Trade Network and the Welfare Effects in Agricultural Markets

There have been some important changes in Canada’s preferential trade network over the last few years. At the regional level, the renegotiations over the NAFTA produced the generally similar USMCA. At the inter-regional level, the CETA and the CPTPP marked significant steps toward promoting Canada’s trade with distant countries. This article overviews the corresponding regional and inter-regional trade preferences for agricultural products. It examines the welfare effects of the USMCA and more pronounced regional preferential schemes, and those of the CETA and the CPTPP for Canada in the agricultural markets. It assesses the welfare outcomes from different scenarios involving various combinations of presence and absence of regional and inter-regional trade preferences. The analysis underlines that the deepening of North American market integration would lead to increases in Canada’s welfare. It shows that inter-regional trade preferences could exceed the USMCA/NAFTA in promoting imports in some cases, resulting in increases in Canada’s welfare. However, inter-regional trade preferences may not entirely substitute for the welfare losses resulting from the absence/elimination of regional trade preferences in some other cases. This article suggests that Canada would generally benefit from higher welfare levels across agricultural markets through a simultaneous network of regional and inter-regional trade preferences