Global Welfare and Trade-Related Regulations of GM Food: Biosafety, Markets, and Politics

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/22/10.Genetically modified food, international trade, regulations, political economics., Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, Political Economy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Q17, Q18, F50,

Marketing Underutilized Plant Species for the Poor

Underutilized plant species are defined as agricultural or non-timber forest species that are locally abundant in developing countries but globally rare. Scientific information about them is scant and their use is currently limited relative to their economic potential. Some are potentially high-value crops and they all contribute to agricultural biodiversity and the livelihood of the poor. Despite a growing body of scientific literature on underutilized species, to our knowledge, agricultural economics literature has contributed little to the understanding of how to commercialize these crops of plant products successfully. In this paper we first define what economic factors characterize underutilized plant species. Our classification of species is based on: 1) the relationship of the observed to the potential economic value of the species; 2) the presence or absence of an output market; and 3) the presence of market imperfections and 4) the presence of particular market failures. With this economic characterization, we exclude species for which developing markets is in or of itself irrelevant. We then identify three necessary conditions to the successful commercialization of underutilized plant species for the poor: demand expansion, increase efficiency of supply and supply control mechanism. The purpose of developing this simple conceptual framework is to provide a basis for the design of an empirical investigation of marketing solutions for underutilized plant species among the rural poor in developing economies.agricultural marketing, agricultural biodiversity, economic development, Crop Production/Industries, Q13, O13, Q56,

Genetically Modified Rice, International Trade, and First-Mover Advantage: The Case of India and China

Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,

From “May Contain” to “Does Contain”: The price and trade effects of strict information requirements for GM maize under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/22/10.Genetically modified food, International Trade, Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety., Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, International Relations/Trade, Political Economy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Q17, Q18, F18,

Collective action and marketing of underutilized plant species: The case of minor millets in Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu, India

"Minor millets are examples of underutilized plant species, being locally important but rarely traded internationally with an unexploited economic potential. In the Kolli hills of Tamil Nadu, India, a genetically diverse pool of minor millet varieties are grown by the tribal farming communities to meet their subsistence food needs. Most of these minor crops were not traded outside the farming community. Despite a consumption preference among the farming communities for minor millets, in the recent past the acreage under minor millet crops have declined considerably due to the availability of substitute cash crops. As a response, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) based in Chennai has led targeted conservation cum commercialization intervention programs over the last 7-9 years in the Kolli Hills. In this paper we provide a first evaluation of the success of marketing development for minor millets in the Kolli Hills with a specific focus on collective action and group initiatives undertaken by the women and men self-help groups organized by the concerned non-governmental organization. We analyze the key collective actions that are taking place in the minor millet marketing chain through a series of field visits and focus group discussions with the stakeholders involved. We then compare the role of collective action in this new market with the case of marketing chains for cassava and organic pineapples, two cash crops with an expanding production in Kolli Hills. Our analysis shows the critical role of collective action and group initiative as a necessary but not sufficient condition for the successful commercialization of underutilized plant species for the benefit of the poor and the conservation of agrobiodiversity." authors' abstractCollective action, Underutilized species, Agricultural marketing, Agrobiodiversity, Markets, Small farmers,

EXPLAINING INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD LABELING REGULATIONS

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/13/04.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Measuring the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to India's cotton yields leap

While a number of empirical studies have demonstrated the role of Bt cotton adoption in increasing Indian cotton productivity at the farm level, there has been questioning around the overall contribution of Bt cotton to the average cotton yield increase observed these last ten years in India. This study examines the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to long- term average cotton yields in India using a panel data analysis of production variables in nine Indian cotton-producing states from 1975 to 2009. The results show that Bt cotton contributed 19 percent of total yield growth over time, or between 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent per percentage adoption every year since its introduction. Besides Bt cotton, the use of fertilizer and the increased adoption of hybrid seeds appear to have contributed to the yield increase over time. However, if official Bt cotton adoption contributed to increased yield after 2005, unofficial Bt cotton might also have been part of the observed increase of yields starting in 2002, the year of its official introduction in India.Non-PRIFPRI1; GRP31EPT

Implications of Import Regulations and Information Requirements under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety for GM Commodities in Kenya

This study investigates the implications of implementing information requirements under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety's Article 18.2.a in Kenya. It also assesses the challenges associated with the upcoming introduction of import regulations for genetically modified (GM) food in a country that largely imports and transports grain in East Africa. The analysis shows that Kenya has been importing GM grains for the past few years and that border control under pending regulation will be difficult and costly. While the Protocol's information requirement's "may contain" option does not require too much effort, implementing the strict "does contain" option will significantly increase the cost of trade and potentially the price of grains in Kenya. These results suggest that a regional approach to import control is necessary, and that Kenya should reconsider its support to the "does contain" option of the Protocol

Mandatory Versus Voluntary Labeling of Genetically Modified Food, Consumer Choice, and Autonomy : Reply

A rebuttal of and response to the commentary "Choice Versus Autonomy in the GM Food Labeling Debate" by philosophers Robert Streiffer and Alan Rubel who had argued that the authors' previous article on genetically modified food labeling uses improper terminology.Includes bibliographical reference

An analysis of trade related international regulations of genetically modified food and their effects on developing countries

This paper reviews current trade-related regulations of genetically modified (GM) food and discusses their effects on developing countries. There is a large heterogeneity in current import approval and marketing policies of GM food worldwide. At the international level, the harmonization efforts are led by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the World Trade Organization. While internationally harmonized guidelines for safety approval have been finalized, we show that there is no clear consensus on labeling regulations for GM food, and there is an increasing risk of conflicts among international agreements. We analyze the GM food regulations of two large rich importers, Japan and the European Union (EU) and discuss their differences and their potential impact on international trade. We also show that the effects of international and domestic trade related regulations critically depend on the type of traded products and their intended use: food and unprocessed products are subject to more stringent regulations than animal feed and processed products. Finally, we identify the main spillover effects of national and international regulations on developing countries’ policy making, and suggest four policy arrangements on GM food to enable developing countries to satisfy production, consumption, international trade, and risk management objectives simultaneously while complying with their international obligations