Market Dynamics in Supply Chains: The Impact of Globalisation and Consolidation on Food Companies' Mark-Ups

This paper examines whether ownership and increased competitive pressure affect food retailers’ market power, analysing whether all actors involved in the food supply chain deviate from the pricing behaviour that exists under perfect competition. A method proposed by Roeger (1995) is used to estimate price-cost margins, relaxing the assumptions of perfect competition and constant returns to scale. The obtained results show that foreign investments and consolidation have a positive and significant impact on the market power of food processors and retailers. Food processors, agricultural producers and wholesalers have lower price-cost margins than retailers, which suggests that these actors price closer to marginal costs being more concerned with maximising social welfare or that the former have higher costs than retailers. The results are robust to various estimation techniques and specifications.Price-cost mark-ups, multinational firms, retailing, Agribusiness, F23, L13, L81,

Applying regression quantiles to farm efficiency estimation

This article is concerned with the methodological question of frontier production functions estimation for agriculture, and the appropriateness of regression quantiles, as a useful semi-parametric approach. Better insights are reached using the proposed methodology that provides robust farm efficiency scores estimates. Using the 2007 Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data for Greece, analysis shows that the distribution of efficiency scores is closer to normality when employing regression quantiles, while underestimation of efficiency obtained by other parametric or deterministic methods based on the conditional mean can be avoided. The results further suggest that government support aimed at enhancing farms viability should be directed towards payments decoupled from output or prices, as well as rural development payments that affect productivity in a uniform way.Efficiency, Quantile Regression, Agriculture, Agricultural and Food Policy, Productivity Analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, C14, D24, Q18,

The Impact of CAP Reforms on Farm Labour Structure. Factor Markets Working Document No. 63, August 2013

The labour force engaged in the agricultural sector is declining over time, and one can observe the reallocation of labour from family members to hired workers. Using farm-level data, this paper analyses the on-farm labour structure in Greece and assesses the factors driving its evolution over the period 1990-2008. The impact of agricultural policies and farm characteristics is examined in a dynamic panel analysis. Family and hired labour are found to be substitutes rather than complements, while agricultural support measures appear to negatively affect demand for both family and hired labour. Decoupled payments and subsidies on crops are found to have a significant impact on both sources of labour, as well as subsidies for rural development that do not favour on-farm labour use. The paper also finds that structural labour adjustments are the result of farm characteristics, such as farm size and location. The results are robust to various estimation techniques and specifications

A two-stage productivity analysis using bootstrapped Malmquist index and quantile regression

This paper examines the effects of farm characteristics and government policies in enhancing productivity growth for a sample of Greek farms, using a two-stage procedure. In the 1st-stage, non-parametric estimates of Malmquist index and its decompositions are computed, while a bootstrapping procedure is applied to provide their statistical precision. In the 2nd-stage, the productivity growth estimates are regressed on various covariates using a bootstrapped quantile regression approach. The effect that the covariates exert on productivity growth of the average producer is analyzed, as well as the marginal effect of a given covariate for individuals at different points in the conditional productivity distribution. The results indicate that there exists large disparity of the covariates effect on productivity growth at different quantiles. Thus, policy suggestions should take into account the productivity distribution involved, as well as the selected policy objectives.Malmquist productivity index, quantile regression, bootstrap, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, C14, C21, D24,

Recent evidence on the taxpayers’ reporting decision in Greece : a quantile regression approach

This paper examines the responses of individuals to marginal tax rates in their reporting of income, using the 2009 individual tax return data for Greece. The method of regression quantiles is employed to provide evidence on behavioral responses at different points of the income distribution. The results reveal significant differences in the marginal tax rate reporting responses across income classes and for different occupational groups; whereas high income taxpayers have a very elastic response. As particular groups of taxpayers have more flexibility in misreporting tax liability also depends on the government’s effectiveness to control tax avoidance. Evaluation of the 2010 tax reform further reveals that misreporting of the occupational groups Rental Income and Wages & Salaries appears to be the highest. Policy recommendations regarding tax reforms should therefore take into account the reported income distribution involved and the selected policy objectives.peer-reviewe

Land, Labour and Capital Markets in European Agriculture: Diversity under a Common Policy. CEPS Paperback. October 2013

Well-functioning factor markets are an essential condition for the competitiveness and sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. At the same time, the functioning of the factor markets themselves is influenced by changes in agriculture and the rural economy. Such changes can be the result of progress in technology, globalisation and European market integration, changing consumer preferences and shifts in policy. Changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) over the last decade have particularly affected the rural factor markets. This book analyses the functioning of factor markets for agriculture in the EU-27 and several candidate countries. Written by leading academics and policy analysts from various European countries, these chapters compare the different markets, their institutional framework, their impact on agricultural development and structural change, and their interaction with the CAP. As the first comparative study to cover rural factor markets in Europe, highlighting their diversity − despite the Common Agricultural Policy and an integrated single market − Land, Labour & Capital Markets in European Agriculture provides a timely and valuable source of information at a time of further CAP reform and the continuing transformation of the EU's rural areas

Foreign Investments and Institutional Convergence in Southeastern Europe

Foreign investments are in the focus of most governments around the world. In order to be able to set a policy agenda which is successful in promoting FDI, it is necessary to understand their determinants. This paper examines whether and to what extent sound institutions and the degree of regulation deter or attract FDI flows in four economies of Southeastern Europe. In a dynamic panel analysis, a broad set of institutional and regulatory variables that may affect the decision of foreign investors to undertake investment projects in this region is examined, using firm-level data. Analysis shows that the quality of the institutional environment significantly influences foreign capital. Governments in this region should, therefore, focus primarily on creating a good legal system, having relatively stable political and economic conditions.Foreign Investments, Corruption, Transition Economies

FACTOR MARKETS Coordination: Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), 1 Place du Congrès, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 229 3911 • Fax: +32 (0)2 229 4151 • The Impact of CAP Reforms on Farm Labour Structure

FACTOR MARKETS Working Papers present work being conducted within the FACTOR MARKETS research project, which analyses and compares the functioning of factor markets for agriculture in the member states, candidate countries and the EU as a whole, with a view to stimulating reactions from other experts in the field. See the back cover for more information on the project. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed are attributable only to the author in a personal capacity and not to any institution with which she is associated. ABSTRACT The labour force engaged in the agricultural sector is declining over time, and one can observe the reallocation of labour from family members to hired workers. Using farm-level data, this paper analyses the on-farm labour structure in Greece and assesses the factors driving its evolution over the period [1990][1991][1992][1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008]. The impact of agricultural policies and farm characteristics is examined in a dynamic panel analysis. Family and hired labour are found to be substitutes rather than complements, while agricultural support measures appear to negatively affect demand for both family and hired labour. Decoupled payments and subsidies on crops are found to have a significant impact on both sources of labour, as well as subsidies for rural development that do not favour on-farm labour use. The paper also finds that structural labour adjustments are the result of farm characteristics, such as farm size and location. The results are robust to various estimation techniques and specifications. JEL Classification: J43, Q18, Q1

The Impact of CAP Reforms on Farm Labour Structure

The labour force engaged in the agricultural sector is declining over time, and one can observe the reallocation of labour from family members to hired workers. Using farm-level data, this paper analyses the on-farm labour structure in Greece and assesses the factors driving its evolution over the period 1990-2008. The impact of agricultural policies and farm characteristics is examined in a dynamic panel analysis. Family and hired labour are found to be substitutes rather than complements, while agricultural support measures appear to negatively affect demand for both family and hired labour. Decoupled payments and subsidies on crops are found to have a significant impact on both sources of labour, as well as subsidies for rural development that do not favour on-farm labour use. The paper also finds that structural labour adjustments are the result of farm characteristics, such as farm size and location. The results are robust to various estimation techniques and specifications

Market Dynamics in Supply Chains: The Impact of Globalisation and Consolidation on Food Companie's Mark-ups

This paper examines whether ownership and increased competitive pressure affect food retailers’ market power, analysing whether all actors involved in the food supply chain deviate from the pricing behaviour that exists under perfect competition. A method proposed by Roeger (1995) is used to estimate price-cost margins, relaxing the assumptions of perfect competition and constant returns to scale. [Discussion Paper 273/2011]. URL:[http://www.econ.kuleuven.be/licos/DP/DP2011/DP273.pdf].pricing behaviour, pice, cost, perfect competition, constant returns to scale, ownership, competitive pressure, food supply, food companie's, mark-up, Globalisation, Consolidation, supply chains, market dynamics, multinational firms, retailing