NEW GENERATION CO-OPERATIVES (NGC) AS A MODEL FOR VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING IN ALBERTA: APPLICATIONS TO FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF PRICING AND PAYMENT PRACTICES BY TRADITIONAL MARKETING AND NEW GENERATION CO-OPERATIVES

This study examines the factors affecting choice of pricing and payment practices by traditional marketing and new generation co-operatives for commodities delivered by their members. These factors include the demographic variables related to type of co-operative organization, level of competition in commodity market, and risk-return perceptions of members and co-operatives. Data for the analysis were obtained through a mail survey. Questionnaires were send to one hundred and ninety five (195) co-operatives in mid-west states of the U.S.A. and Canada. Altogether 93 co-operatives responded to the survey. Mean score analysis, factor analysis and multinomial logit analysis were done. The results indicate that traditional marketing co-operatives are more likely to choose spot market cash price, while new generation co-operatives are more likely to choose pooling practices. Traditional marketing co-operatives appear to be concerned about the members' cash flow needs and members' uncertainty of return; they are also more responsive to increased competitive level in commodity market. New generation co-operatives are more concerned with avoiding the risk of co-operatives' operating deficits and survival of co-operatives. This has implications for new co-operatives just beginning in business.Agribusiness,

A Nutraceutical Industry: Policy Implications for Future Directions

Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Agriculture in a Water-Scarce World

With a relatively small population and 7% of the world's available freshwater resources, Canada is well placed for a world of water scarcity where the real value of water in its many uses becomes more and more apparent. However, action is necessary to ensure that Canada continues to benefit from the social, economic and environmental goods and services derived from water resources. Experience and analysis suggests that policy and incentives play critical roles in the sustainable exploitation of natural resources. In particular, properly valuing water in all its forms and uses appears to be critical. Analysis abroad has underlined the benefits of clearly delineating the roles of regulators, resource managers, infrastructure operators and service providers. The separation of water property rights and use rights from land title issues has also been found to improve incentives and resource governance. Approaches which build in rewards for non-market benefits and penalties for negative spill-overs have achieved success. To better prepare for the future, Canada' s water governance institutions need to explore means of improving our own water allocation and incentive systems. Experts in the field have already identified several areas where effort is warranted: plant breeding to deal with water scarcity and changing climate in areas of stress; understanding and better protecting natural capital and ecosystems that will become scarcer in future; inter-agency collaboration to ensure coordinated engagement on water with U.S, and; undertaking more comprehensive bio-economic modeling and analysis to better anticipate water stresses at home and abroad.water, governance, scarcity, incentives, sustainability, valuation, accountability, transparency, Environmental Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Relations/Trade, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Variation in grain zinc and iron concentrations, grain yield and associated traits of biofortified bread wheat genotypes in Nepal

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staples in Nepal providing the bulk of food calories and at least 30% of Fe and Zn intake and 20% of dietary energy and protein consumption; thus, it is essential to improve its nutritional quality. To select high-yielding genotypes with elevated grain zinc and iron concentration, the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth HarvestPlus Yield Trials (HPYTs) were conducted across diverse locations in Nepal for four consecutive years: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2018–19, using 47 biofortified and 3 non-biofortified CIMMYT-bred, bread wheat genotypes: Baj#1, Kachu#1, and WK1204 (local check). Genotypic and spatial variations were found in agro-morphological traits; grain yield and its components; and the grain zinc and iron concentration of tested genotypes. Grain zinc concentration was highest in Khumaltar and lowest in Kabre. Likewise, grain iron concentration was highest in Doti and lowest in Surkhet. Most of the biofortified genotypes were superior for grain yield and for grain zinc and iron concentration to the non-biofortified checks. Combined analyses across environments showed moderate to high heritability for both Zn (0.48–0.81) and Fe (0.46–0.79) except a low heritability for Fe observed for 7th HPYT (0.15). Grain yield was positively correlated with the number of tillers per m2, while negatively correlated with days to heading and maturity, grain iron, grain weight per spike, and thousand grain weight. The grain zinc and iron concentration were positively correlated, suggesting that the simultaneous improvement of both micronutrients is possible through wheat breeding. Extensive testing of CIMMYT derived high Zn wheat lines in Nepal led to the release of five biofortified wheat varieties in 2020 with superior yield, better disease resistance, and 30–40% increased grain Zn and adaptable to a range of wheat growing regions in the country – from the hotter lowland, or Terai, regions to the dry mid- and high-elevation areas

India Agricultural Policy Review

With a population of about 1.1 billion, India is expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country by 2030. India's economy ranks as Asia's third largest, after Japan and China, and is now one of the world's fastest growing. While growth has led to significant reductions in poverty, India still ranks among the world's low income countries in terms of income per capita. Nevertheless, economic growth has resulted in a burgeoning middle-class. India's agriculture sector accounts for 18% of GDP, and employs around 60% of the workforce. Rice, wheat, cotton, oilseeds, jute, tea, sugarcane, milk and potatoes are India's major agricultural commodities. With its growing urban middle-class and increasing influence in global affairs, India's policies have important implications not only for its own economic development but also for global agricultural markets and trade. This note first reviews India's macro reforms, followed by discussion of the competitiveness of Indian agriculture. The evolution of India's major agricultural policies is then described, and new policy directions and emerging challenges are discussed. The note closes with some of the prospects for India's agri-food

Japan Agriculture Policy Review

Japan, with a population of about 125 million, is a major importer of agricultural products. Japan's mountainous topography limits the area available for farming, with a total cultivated land area of around 4.8 million hectares. Farm holdings are small, averaging just over 1.5 hectares. Japan has producer support levels among the highest in OECD, driven in part by food security concerns and memories of food shortages during World War II and its aftermath. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has used a combination of border measures, domestic policies including direct budgetary payments, regulation and mandated administrative processes to support domestic production. This policy note first provides an overview of the policies that Japan has traditionally used to support its agricultural sector. Following this, new policy developments that seem to signal a shift towards a more decoupled framework are described. Finally, some possible changes in the structure of Japanese agriculture resulting from demographic drivers are outlined

New Zealand Agriculture Policy Review

In 1984, New Zealand introduced important policy reforms in order to address major macroeconomic and fiscal imbalances. New Zealand's support to agricultural producers rapidly decreased from 30 percent of the value of production to about 2 percent, and has remained the lowest among OECD economies since that time. After a difficult transition, the removal of subsidies resulted in a more diversified and competitive rural economy in New Zealand; total factor productivity growth has been roughly 2.5 percent annually since 1984, compared to roughly 1.5 percent in the prereform period. This Policy Review focuses on agricultural policy today and how New Zealand is supporting the agricultural sector now without resorting to subsidies. It describes the policy New Zealand uses to support farmers dealing with adverse events such as climatic disasters. It also describes New Zealand's strategy for promoting competiveness in world markets

Australia Agriculture Policy Review

Australia is a significant player in world trade for several commodities and agriculture is a vital part of the Australian economy. Around 60% of Australia is devoted to agriculture, with three broad zones in which agricultural activity occurs. These are referred to as the pastoral, wheat–sheep, and high rainfall zones. Australia had only about 130,000 commercial farms in 2005, so average farm size is high. Australia's agriculture is market driven and export-oriented. For some products, aggregations for values of production and for export values are not directly comparable because export values reflect the value of more highly processed products such as sugar and wine. Overall, about 65% of agricultural production is exported, representing about 25% of total merchandise exports. The processed agrifood products share of total merchandise exports has doubled since 1986-88. Between 1986-88 and 2002-04, the support to producers in Australia decreased from 8% to 4% of the total value of agricultural production. Australia has the second lowest level of producer support across OECD members. Productivity has grown at an average annual rate of 2.8% for the past 3 decades (Dolman et al, 2005)

India Agricultural Policy Review

With a population of about 1.1 billion, India is expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country by 2030. India's economy ranks as Asia's third largest, after Japan and China, and is now one of the world's fastest growing. While growth has led to significant reductions in poverty, India still ranks among the world's low income countries in terms of income per capita. Nevertheless, economic growth has resulted in a burgeoning middle-class. India's agriculture sector accounts for 18% of GDP, and employs around 60% of the workforce. Rice, wheat, cotton, oilseeds, jute, tea, sugarcane, milk and potatoes are India's major agricultural commodities. With its growing urban middle-class and increasing influence in global affairs, India's policies have important implications not only for its own economic development but also for global agricultural markets and trade. This note first reviews India's macro reforms, followed by discussion of the competitiveness of Indian agriculture. The evolution of India's major agricultural policies is then described, and new policy directions and emerging challenges are discussed. The note closes with some of the prospects for India's agri-food.India, economic growth, agricultural policy, water scarcity, market regulations, agriculture, water, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Japan Agriculture Policy Review

Japan, with a population of about 125 million, is a major importer of agricultural products. Japan's mountainous topography limits the area available for farming, with a total cultivated land area of around 4.8 million hectares. Farm holdings are small, averaging just over 1.5 hectares. Japan has producer support levels among the highest in OECD, driven in part by food security concerns and memories of food shortages during World War II and its aftermath. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has used a combination of border measures, domestic policies including direct budgetary payments, regulation and mandated administrative processes to support domestic production. This policy note first provides an overview of the policies that Japan has traditionally used to support its agricultural sector. Following this, new policy developments that seem to signal a shift towards a more decoupled framework are described. Finally, some possible changes in the structure of Japanese agriculture resulting from demographic drivers are outlined.Japan, agricultural policy, demographic change, adjustment, food security, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,