PRIVATE R&D INVESTMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN A PANEL OF FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

The paper presents production function estimates of human capital and business research and development knowledge for a panel of Canadian food manufacturing industries over the period 1993-2004. Our results show that physical and human capitals are major determinants of food manufacturing productivity. Business research and development (R&D) was found not to be a major factor shaping food manufacturing productivity. This result is consistent with previous studies showing that not only is R&D an important factor but engineering practices, information technologies, and equipment suppliers are a key ingredients shaping the technological landscape of food manufacturing. In addition, we tested the robustness of our food manufacturing sample results to a larger sample of manufacturing industries (food, wood, paper, fertilizer) over a shorter time period. Our results show from employing different panel model estimators business R&D was a significant variable impacting manufacturing productivity.Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

PRICING TO MARKET BEHAVIOR: EVIDENCE FROM SELECTED CANADIAN AND U.S. AGRI-FOOD EXPORTS

This study examines the pricing behavior of Canadian and U.S. agri-food exporters consistent with a model that permits the identification of pricing to market (PTM) behavior and imperfect market competition in agri-food markets. The estimation strategy takes advantage of recently developed panel unit root tests to determine the time-series properties of the data and avoid the problem associated with lower power conventional unit root tests. Among U.S. products, the conventional PTM model indicated evidence of a greater degree of imperfect competition in international markets for U.S. wheat. While price discrimination and market segmentation are apparent for Canadian exports in selected markets, the export adjustment pattern in most cases tended to exacerbate the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on foreign currency prices of Canadian products.Demand and Price Analysis,

An Analysis of Price Determination in the Sweet Cherry Markets of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California

Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis,

British Columbia Consumers' Preferences for Italian Wines: Reputation and Vintage Effects on Wine Quality and Prices

Italian wines have been enjoyed by Canadian consumers for decades and the consumption is not limited to the ethnic Italian population. The study examines effects of wine characteristics and the brand associated with the designation of geographic origin estimating five hedonic price equations for Barbaresco; Barbera; Veneto (Valpolicella, Amarone and Reecioto); Soave; and, Chianti and uses weekly sales data from British Columbia retail outlets. Results indicate that, in general, a premium was paid for higher alcohol content, but the effects of individual brands within each area of origin varied and the range of price premia and discounts was from 14% to -12% suggesting that small price changes with regard to the baseline wine price could affect purchase.Hedonic pricing, appellation, objective characteristics, Demand and Price Analysis,

Factors Influencing Wheat Yield and Variability: Evidence from Manitoba, Canada

Production functions to explain regional wheat yields have not been studied extensively in the Canadian prairies. The objective of this study is to employ a Just-Pope production function to examine the relationship between fertilizer inputs, soil quality, biodiversity indicators, cultivars qualifying for Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), and climatic conditions on the mean and variance of spring wheat yields. Using regional-level wheat data from Manitoba, Canada, model results show nitrogen fertilizer, temporal diversity, and PBR wheat cultivars are associated with increased yield variance. Mean wheat yield is reduced by the proportion of land in wheat, the interaction of growing temperature and precipitation, and spatial diversity. By contrast, higher soil quality and PBR wheat cultivars increase mean yield. The wheat yield increases attributed to PBR range from 37.2 (1.4%) to 54.5 kg/ha (2.0%). Plant Breeders’ Rights may have enhanced royalties from increased certified seed sales, but the benefits in terms of higher wheat yield or lower yield variability are limited. Future research is required to understand the interactive effects of fertilization practices, genetic diversity, and environmental conditions on regional wheat yield stability.climate, fertilizer, Manitoba, Plant Breeders’ Rights, production risk, wheat, yield, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use, Productivity Analysis, Risk and Uncertainty, O18, Q16,

Pricing Attributes of Wines from Emerging Suppliers on the British Columbia Market

We examine British Columbia (BC) wine consumers’ valuation of wine imported from emerging suppliers (Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia and Hungary) through the estimation of a hedonic price function. Retail sales data employed in this study comes from the BC Liquor Distribution Branch and covers weekly sales of table wine that was imported from all five countries into the province of British Columbia. The results indicate that the grape variety is an important factor influencing consumers’ willingness to pay. In particular, white and red wines from Chile are associated with larger price premia while wines from Argentina command a premium only among red wines. Wines from Bulgaria, Croatia and Hungary, although sold in large quantities in the BC market, are associated with significant price discounts compared to wines from New World suppliers.hedonic pricing, objective characteristics, New World countries, wine, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis,

Analyzing Temperature and Precipitation Influences on Yield Distributions of Canola and Spring Wheat in Saskatchewan

The IPCC indicates that global mean temperature increases of 2°C or more above preindustrial levels negatively affect such crops as wheat. Canadian climate model projections show warmer temperatures and variable rainfall will likely affect Saskatchewan's canola and spring wheat production. Drier weather will have the greatest impact. The major climate change challenges will be summer water availability, greater drought frequencies, and crop adaptation. This study investigates the impact of precipitation and temperature changes on canola and spring wheat yield distributions using Environment Canada weather data and Statistics Canada crop yield and planted area for 20 crop districts over the 1987-2010 period. The moment-based methods (full- and partial-moment-based approaches) are employed to characterize and estimate asymmetric relationships between climate variables and the higher-order moments of crop yields. A stochastic production function and the focus on crop yield's elasticity imply choosing the natural logarithm function as the mean function transformation prior to higher-moment function estimation. Results show that average crop yields are positively associated with the growing season degree-days and pregrowing season precipitation, while they are negatively affected by extremely high temperatures in the growing season. The climate measures have asymmetric effects on the higher moments of crop yield distribution along with stronger effects of changing temperatures than precipitation on yield distribution. Higher temperatures tend t o decrease wheat yields, confirming earlier Saskatchewan studies. This study finds pregrowing season precipitation and precipitation in the early plant growth stages particularly relevant in providing opportunities to develop new crop varieties and agronomic practices to mitigate climate changes

Inter- and Intra-household Perceived Relative Inequality Among Disabled and Non-disabled People in Liberia

Evidence suggests that people with disabilities are the most marginalised and vulnerable group within any population. However, little is known about the extent of inequality between people with and without disabilities in contexts where the majority of persons experience extreme poverty and hardship. This includes in Liberia, where very little is understood about the lives of disabled people in general. This study uses a multidimensional wellbeing framework to understand perceived relative inequality associated with disability by assessing several facets of wellbeing across and within households containing disabled members (N = 485) or households with no disabled members (N = 538) in Liberian communities (Total individuals surveyed, N = 2020). Statistical comparisons (adjusted for age, sex, education and wealth differences and clustered at the household, village and county level) reveal that disabled Liberians are managing similarly to non-disabled Liberians in terms of income and education, but experience many perceived relative inequalities including in life satisfaction, transport access, political participation and social inclusion. Our results further suggest that disability may lead to perceived relative inequality at the household level in terms of trust held in neighbours. However, they also show that being the head of a household may protect against perceived relative inequality in certain dimensions (e.g. healthcare and transport access, political participation) irrespective of disability status. Results are discussed in terms of practical implications for development efforts in Liberia and for disabled people in other low- and middle-income settings

Exploring Partnerships between Academia and Disabled Persons’ Organisations: Lessons Learned from Collaborative Research in Africa

In this article, we discuss how our academic research on disability and international development in five African countries has benefited hugely from active collaboration with advocates, practitioners, and policymakers, ultimately ensuring that research evidence is used to inform policy and practice. Whilst building such partnerships is seen as good practice, it is particularly important when working on disability issues, as the clarion call of the disability movement, ‘nothing about us without us’, attests. This is not just a slogan. Without the active and critical engagement of disabled people – as researchers, participants, advocates – the evidence gathered would not have the same impact. This article discusses experiences from research in Liberia, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. It highlights the challenges and opportunities such partnerships can bring in achieving the goals of leaving no one behind and doing nothing without the active engagement and inclusion of persons with disabilities.Department for International Development (DFID)Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Testing a communication assessment tool for ethically sensitive scenarios: Protocol of a validation study

Background: Although well-designed instruments to assess communication during medical interviews and complex encounters exist, assessment tools that differentiate between communication, empathy, decision-making, and moral judgment are needed to assess different aspects of communication during situations defined by ethical conflict. To address this need, we developed an assessment tool that differentiates competencies associated with practice in ethically challenging situations. The competencies are grouped into three distinct categories