The rise of supermarkets in developing countries: Implications for credit markets

The rise of supermarket in developing countries has important implications for the agricultural system in these countries. To lessen the intense price competition in retail markets, supermarkets have introduced private food standards. While the literature has pointed out the additional financial burden for producers, associated with the introduction of supermarket standards, it has ignored its positive demand effect. This paper examines the relationship between downstream product competition and upstream credit access for agricultural producers. In doing so, the analysis shows that as long as there is coexistence of the supermarket and domestic marketing system the entry of supermarket should broaden the financial opportunities of the agricultural producers.Agribusiness,

STRATEGIC LABELING AND TRADE OF GMOS

This paper systematically analyzes the strategic effects of national regulatory decisions on labeling of GM products and identifies the determinants of the non-cooperative Nash equilibrium labeling regimes in a small number of producing countries that compete for access in the world market for an agricultural product.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

A Financial Contracting Approach to the Role of Supermarkets in Farmers' Credit Access

Replaced with revised version of paper 10/17/08.Financial Contracting, Development, Financial Intermediation, Food Standards, Organization of Production, Supermarket, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, O17, O33, O50, Q12, Q13,

Regulation and Trade of GMOS

This paper analyzes the strategic effects of national regulatory decisions on labeling of GM products and identifies the determinants of the noncooperative Nash equilibrium labeling regimes in a small number of producing countries that have adopted the GM technology. Analytical results show that the equilibrium labeling regimes depend on (i) the distribution of consumer preferences and the level of consumer aversion to GM products; (ii) the segregation and labeling costs in these countries; (iii) the relative productive efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the GM technology; (iv) the structure of the trading sector; (v) the market power of the life science companies; and (vi) the strength of intellectual property rights in these countries.International Relations/Trade,

Fishing Behavior Across Space and Time

Models of fishing behavior rarely incorporate the complexities of marine ecosystems, multiple-stock harvest technologies, and regulations present in real world marine fisheries. We introduce a structural model of a multi-species, weak-output-disposability harvest technology. A latent target-cost-minimizing share vector is estimated to link the technology to a spatially and temporally heterogeneous fish stock. Data from the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery is used to estimate the model. The results provide a robust characterization of harvest and discard behavior across space and time. Our approach considerably improves methods used to study fishing behavior and evaluate alternative fisheries management policies.costly targeting; Spatial fishing behavior; multiple-stock fisheries; at-sea discarding.

Strategic Labeling and Trade of GMOs

The emergence of agricultural biotechnology and the subsequent introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the food system have been among the most controversial issues surrounding the increasingly scrutinized agri-food system. They have received considerable attention in the economics literature with the main focus being on the optimal regulatory response to products of biotechnology. This paper builds on the literature on the regulation of products of biotechnology by placing the analysis of labeling decisions in a multi-country context. Specifically, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of the strategic interdependence between countries on their regulatory responses to products of biotechnology. The paper analyzes the strategic effects of national regulatory decisions on labeling of GM products and identifies the determinants of the non-cooperative Nash equilibrium labeling regimes in a small number of producing countries that supply the world market of an agricultural product. Analytical results show that the Nash equilibrium configuration of labeling regimes in countries that have adopted the GM technology depends on (i) the distribution of consumer preferences and the level of consumer aversion to GM products; (ii) the size of the segregation and labeling costs in these countries; (iii) the relative productive efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the GM technology; (iv) the market power of the life science companies; and (v) the strength of intellectual property rights in these countries

Strategic Labeling and Trade of GMOs

The emergence of agricultural biotechnology and the subsequent introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the food system have been among the most controversial issues surrounding the increasingly scrutinized agri-food system. They have received considerable attention in the economics literature with the main focus being on the optimal regulatory response to products of biotechnology. This paper builds on the literature on the regulation of products of biotechnology by placing the analysis of labeling decisions in a multi-country context. Specifically, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of the strategic interdependence between countries on their regulatory responses to products of biotechnology. The paper analyzes the strategic effects of national regulatory decisions on labeling of GM products and identifies the determinants of the non-cooperative Nash equilibrium labeling regimes in a small number of producing countries that supply the world market of an agricultural product. Analytical results show that the Nash equilibrium configuration of labeling regimes in countries that have adopted the GM technology depends on (i) the distribution of consumer preferences and the level of consumer aversion to GM products; (ii) the size of the segregation and labeling costs in these countries; (iii) the relative productive efficiency and the cost effectiveness of the GM technology; (iv) the market power of the life science companies; and (v) the strength of intellectual property rights in these countries

Regulation and Trade of Genetically Modified Products

The emergence of agricultural biotechnology and the subsequent introduction of genetically modified (GM) products into the food system have been among the most controversial issues surrounding the increasingly scrutinized agri-food system. While agricultural producers have responded to the agronomic benefits associated with the producer-oriented, first generation of GM products and have been adopting GM crops in increasing numbers, consumers around the world have expressed an aversion to food products containing GM ingredients. Consumer opposition to GM products varies significantly both between and within countries and is founded on health, environmental, ethical and/or philosophical concerns about agricultural biotechnology

Best Response to GMOs in Developing Countries

This article examines the dilemma of a large exporting Country for an agricultural product having to determine its domestic agricultural policy as well as its level of IPRs enforcement. The analysis explicitly considers the possibility of two frauds by farmers: mislabeling of GM products as conventional and smuggling of illegal GM seeds. In doing so this paper makes two points: the approval decision of the products of the biotechnology is specic to the labeling regime and a large country has always an incentive to enforce its IPR regime