The competitiveness of Spanish tomato export in the European Union

This paper examines the export performance of Spanish tomatoes in the European Union (EU). The origins and destinations of Spanish tomato exports are examined: Almeria is the main exporting province and Germany the biggest client. The performance of Spain’s North African competitors in the tomato market (mainly Morocco) is also examined, and the structural competitiveness of the countries that export tomatoes to the EU is analysed. Spain has the greatest advantage in this respect, and the largest inter-industry trade. An export model is developed. This model shows that the export of tomatoes from Almeria is not much influenced by shipments from Morocco.trade, price, competition, cointegration, Almería, strategy

Factores medioambientales limitantes del desarrollo económico de los cultivos intensivos de Almería

The Almeria agrarian transformation is analyzed, with special focus on the concepts the environment and sustainability. Today, the factors contributing to his success are restrictive. The high technology has been the key factor. However, is necessary a control of pesticides residues. The future is in harmonizing environment with economic development.Este artículo estudia la transformación que ha experimentado la agricultura de Almería, haciendo especial hincapié en los aspectos medioambientales y de sostenibilidad. Los factores que han contribuido al éxito están siendo mal utilizados o mal explotados. Se exponen como factores inductores del crecimiento a las mejoras tecnológicas. Sin embargo es necesario un control sobre los residuos por pesticidas. El futuro está en armonizar medio ambiente con desarrollo económico

Complexity in world trade of pears

En este artículo se analizan los cambios que se están experimentando en el comercio mundial de la pera. Su objetivo es conocer si los procesos de integración entre países están repercutiendo en el comercio internacional de peras y por lo tanto afectando su competitividad. Como metodología se emplea el Índice de Competitividad del Comercio Exterior (ICCE) que analiza la competitividad en un país para un producto en particular con nomenclador arancelario, abarcando sus principales destinos en las exportaciones y observando la evolución y tendencia de la cuota de participación en los principales mercados, y de esa forma evaluar a los competidores. Como resultado se observa cómo la competitividad del comercio mundial de la pera no es global y sí regional, y los países, en general, tienen sus mercados relevantes en territorios cercanos o con acuerdos comerciales. Ante este panorama es necesario la adaptación hacia un nuevo paradigma de mercado.This article describes the changes that are being experienced in the global trade in pears. Its purpose is to know if the processes of integration among countries are affecting their competitiveness in the international trade. Regarding the methodology utilized for this report, the Competitiveness Foreign Trade Index (CFTI) analyzes the competitiveness of a country for a particular product with its tariff nomenclature, covering its main export destinations, monitoring the rate of participation in accordance to the trends markets reflect, and thereby, assessing the competence. The result is seen clearly: The global trade competitiveness in pears is regional rather than global, resulting in being competitive solely on nearby markets subject to commercial agreements. The main solution would be related to an improvement of adapting their markets to a global dimension to increase competitiveness for their trade mark.Fil: De Pablo Valenciano, Jaime. España. Universidad de Almería. Departamento de Economía y Empresa.Fil: Giacinti Battistuzzi, Miguel Angel

Una descripción general del crecimiento económico en el África Subsahariana

Este artículo trata de servir de introducción a la situación de los países del área sub-sahariana que se caracterizan por tener el menor crecimiento económico y la más baja productividad mundial. En este contexto se analizan cuáles son las principales causas del atraso y se esbozan las soluciones más urgentes, que pasan, entre otras, por: i) el aumento de la inversión extranjera que será posible siempre que se mejoren las garantías de funcionamiento de las instituciones; y ii) el aumento del comercio intra-regional. También se realiza un análisis de correlación entre nivel económico, desarrollo humano y pobrezapobreza, crecimiento, comercio, cluster.

Revealed Comparative Advantage and Competitiveness in Pear

This article focuses on the study of the comparative advantages and competitiveness in the global pear market. First, it will outline a clear distinction between these two concepts, followed by analysis. This paper provides a new index of competitiveness developed by our research based on the insights offered by a wide range of studies on this subject. The aim is to achieve a new line of analysis to improve and expand the possibilities of present day studies

Ibero-American Research on Local Development. An Analysis of Its Evolution and New Trends

Local development is a subject that arouses significant interest in the international scientific community in general, and in the Ibero-American one, in particular. The process of globalization has transformed the management of local development, altering the role that is played by local and regional entities, and it is the object of an important follow-up and analysis by academia. This research uses a bibliometric methodology and a fractional counting method, reviewing the 738 articles from the Scopus database in order to understand the state of Ibero-American research on local development, and analyze the scientific literature on the topic. The results show a significant increase in the number of publications in the 21st century, with Spain and Brazil leading the way. In addition, this research provides interesting results regarding the most influential authors on this topic, the most relevant journals, and the most important institutions and funding organizations. There are several areas of knowledge involved since local development is a transversal field, such as Social Science, environment, business, economics, and agriculture. A deep analysis of authors’ keywords identified new trends, linking local development with tourism, education, geotourism, climate change, local sustainable development, social innovation, and creativity, which provides academia with potential new lines of research

Recursos endógenos mineros y desarrollo territorial. El caso de la comarca del Mármol (Almería, España)

La comarca del Mármol, en Almería, posee el mayor yacimiento de España de esta roca ornamental. Gracias a los planes de desarrollo de las últimas décadas del pasado siglo, es de los pocos territorios interiores de Andalucía con una destacada actividad industrial y que ha conseguido fijar la población. El clima empresarial generado ha impulsado la investigación, apostando por la calidad y abriéndose al exterior, y ha introducido en el mercado nuevos productos no basados en el mármol, que son de gran ayuda para la sostenibilidad de la actividad económica. El distrito industrial que conforman estas empresas ha evolucionado, ajustándose a las circunstancias y mostrando una elevada resiliencia. Economic globalisation and the resulting proximity between countries and regions, have not only failed to obliterate local areas, but have indeed highlighted their relevance. In parallel with the evolution of the globalising process, and in numerous cases, the territorial dimension has increased in value, as a necessary pillar for progress and for the benefit of the population, driven by development programmes, in which endogenous resources and sustainability are paramount. One of the bases of this process lies in the rescue by Becattini of the Marshallian industrial district, which explains the success of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is specialised production systems. In the north of the Almería province, in the Filabres mountain range, exist the greatest marble quarries in the whole of the Spanish territory, both in terms of volume and of quality the set of towns and villages located in the area where this natural resource is extracted and processed is known as the Marble Region. The best known variety is Macael white marble, which has been quarried since the first centuries of our era and has been used to beautify a vast number of constructions, among them the Alhambra in Granada and the Monastery of El Escorial. From an analysis of the history and evolution of the marble industry in the area, the following landmarks need to be highlighted. Until the end of the first third of the 19th century, marble was a communally owned asset, which led to the proliferation of a number of very small quarries. The transition to private ownership and therefore to local council management, was unable to stop the surge of smallholds, from which other problems derived, such as the use of poor technical means and the chaos caused by waste/rubble dumps, characteristics that have plagued this sector for almost a century and a half. During the first decades of the second half of the 20th century, extraction was carried out in many quarries with very small fronts, by reticent entrepreneurs who were reluctant to invest, since their rights to open shaft mining had a time limit, established in the permit granted by the local council, which was the owner of the terrain and of the mining concessions. This is one of the reasons which explain why nearly all quarry workers/entrepreneurs were local, with hardly any presence of capital from outside. The marble processing panorama was very similar; small factories and workshops predominated with a reduced capacity for production and dated machinery, unable to supply demands for quality and quantity, and thus with scarce commercial potential. As the decade of the 80s started, the marble industry, weighed down by its own internal problems, worsened due to decreasing demand and to the precarious economic situation in general, had sunk in a deep crisis. In those years, public administration in agreement with agents and local institutions, and counting on their total involvement, set in motion several local development plans that proved to be crucial in modernising the marble industry in Macael. In 1983, an Action Plan was initiated and in 1996 a Strategic Plan. The industrial restructure undertaken changed the entrepreneurial scene completely. In the extraction area, the Plan Director de la Sierra de Macael (Macael Mountain Range Director Plan) introduced “business units” —areas of similar characteristics consisting of several quarries— which by unifying various tasks, allowed for a more rational mechanisation, improved continuity in marble supply, better organised enterprises and increased safety. A vastly improved use of resources, together with lower extraction costs, increased the lifespan of the marble deposits (Carretero, 1995: 345-346). With regard to product transformation, the restructure laid down the foundations for resizing the companies and updating the technology; many microenterprises that produced building materials and were hardly able to compete with any success were re-orientated towards craftsmanship. Besides tackling the problems of the companies and their infrastructure, the plans also considered people, promoting training and so an optimistic atmosphere was created, with expectations that spurred the initiatives of many entrepreneurs and encouraged common initiatives. Thanks to these strategies, local development, which until then had been a crowd of quarries, was transformed into an industrial district with great drive and resilience. When the 20th century gave way to the 21st, other definitely competitive advantages were added to the comparative advantage of possessing a unique natural resource, (research and innovation, qualified and specialised staff, very high quality finished products, marketing channels). The district had ceased to be an extraction centre to become a product processing and transformation centre, both from local and external quarries, which reduced their dependence on local raw materials and acquiring higher value and better offers. In this process, international expansion has played a vital role, based on research and innovation carried out by one of the companies, Cosentino, during the decade of the 80s and that would become a world leading firm for artificial agglomerates, hardly using any local raw materials. Around the middle of the second decade of the 21st century, the composition of the district is very different from what it was 20 years ago. A great dominant enterprise, Cosentino, has made it presence felt, producing an income level from the factory located in the area that represents 90, 8% of the whole district, around 12 small enterprises, of which only 4 employ more than 20 workers and have a relevant external projection, and a pack consisting of scores of microenterprises, which in many cases carry out work for the ones previously mentioned. Although Cosentino carries a lot of weight in the district, around del 95% of its billing is due to artificial agglomerates (Silestone, Dekton…), which places it in a particular situation, since the activity of the other companies revolves around marble extraction, processing and transformation. Besides the employment it generates, Cosentino’s decision to maintain its headquarters and a considerable part of its activities within the district has had a highly positive impact, like the support and collaboration it offers other companies in different areas or its involvement in educational or sociocultural projects, etc. Furthermore, because of its size, it is the main funding entity of professional institutions and associations of which it is a member and has attracted important public investment that has improved services and infrastructure. On the other hand, the firm commitment of the leading companies to offer a first class product, together with their on-site location, and their efforts to increase their presence in outside markets, has developed activities in collaboration with smaller companies, a situation which is yielding very positive results. Recognition of Macael marble, as protected geographical indication (PGI) which is currently being processed and is expected to come through in the near future, will guarantee its high quality, facilitate product differentiation and protect it from dishonest competition. Regardless of the difficulties that this activity has encountered through time, due to the long standing link of the district inhabitants with the marble industry that has spread through centuries, it has a strong socio-territorial component, with an important presence of supporting activities, a highly specialised labour market with firm social and cultural connections. All these occurrences, which remind us of the Marshallian district, where “the mysteries of the trade become no mysteries, but are as it were in the air and children learn many of them unconsciously” Alfred (Marshall, 1890: 198 The Principles of Economics), a theory that can be matched with no difficulty to the properties that Becattini attributes to industrial areas, “socioterritorial entity characterised by the active presence of both a community of people and a population of firms in one naturally and historically bounded area…the community and the firms tend as it were to merge” (Becattini, 1992: 62-63). As it has occurred in other cases, the evolution of the district has led to the surge of a great enterprise in its midst, in this case, a multinational leading company in its products, which at the same time drives the whole set up and hardly uses any local raw material in its preparation process. On the other hand, history reflects the high capability and resilience demonstrated by the district’s population. There are several issues that cannot be disregarded when considering the future of the area and of the socioeconomic development of the Marble Region. These appear to depend on Cosentino’s prestige and relevance. What would happen if it failed? What long-term measures could be taken to minimise the impact of a possible decrease in activity? Due, for example to the relocation of part of its activities? It is important to bear in mind that Cosentino is at present a first generation family business

Determination of the price in the fresh fruit market: case of pears

This document aims to evaluate the determinants of the price of pears in the international fresh fruit market, from an innovative vision in a complex world. The panel data methodology was applied. The variables considered were the different prices (CIF/kg) of pear, apple and stone fruits, their per capita consumptions, real per capita income, consumer price indexes and real exchange rates. Pear consumption responds especially to apple consumption, but also to prices of apples and peaches, real per capita income, consumer price indexes and countries’ exchange rates. This might imply improving commercial efficiency in international trade, effective budgets in price formation, and giving new impetus to studies on the price of fruits and foods with a new vision. Highlights Pears’ price (CIF) is determined by the number of imported pears and apples; also for import prices of other fruits such as apples, peaches and nectarines.  Panel data models is a novelty in this kind of articles. The panel integrates the yearly CIF imported prices (period 1990-2015) from 18 countries, the main world importers in the international demand for fresh pears.  This research changes the paradigm in the fresh pear business, with the disclosure of this article. The paper fills a gap in the literature on international worldwide fruit commerce.This document aims to evaluate the determinants of the price of pears in the international fresh fruit market, from an innovative vision in a complex world. The panel data methodology was applied. The variables considered were the different prices (CIF/kg) of pear, apple and stone fruits, their per capita consumptions, real per capita income, consumer price indexes and real exchange rates. Pear consumption responds especially to apple consumption, but also to prices of apples and peaches, real per capita income, consumer price indexes and countries’ exchange rates. This might imply improving commercial efficiency in international trade, effective budgets in price formation, and giving new impetus to studies on the price of fruits and foods with a new vision. Highlights Pears’ price (CIF) is determined by the number of imported pears and apples; also for import prices of other fruits such as apples, peaches and nectarines.  Panel data models is a novelty in this kind of articles. The panel integrates the yearly CIF imported prices (period 1990-2015) from 18 countries, the main world importers in the international demand for fresh pears.  This research changes the paradigm in the fresh pear business, with the disclosure of this article. The paper fills a gap in the literature on international worldwide fruit commerce

Chile-EU Trade Agreement: What Can We Learn from Trade Statistics?

An Association Agreement concluded between the European Union and Chile in 2002 included a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that entered into force in February 2003. Our purpose is to analyse some of the economic consequences of the agricultural part of this agreement focusing in the fruit and vegetable market. Our finding is that market concentration has significantly decreased since the beginning of previous decade and has been reinforced in both markets. This has been an advantage for both Chilean producers and European consumers of fruits and vegetables

Business and local development: training as a basic factor to guide the entrepreneur

Objeto: El presente artículo es un recorrido que se inicia con el repaso de las principales teorías del desarrollo local para adentrarse en el emprendedor y en el fomento de la cultura emprendedora en ámbitos rurales como medio de impulso del progreso local. También, estudiaremos la influencia de factores personales del emprendedor (experiencia, situación,…) en la constitución de empresas y cómo afecta el nivel formativo (en sentido amplio) en el desarrollo económico y del espíritu emprendedor a través de variables latentes, que se traduce en creación de nuevas empresas. Diseño/metodología: La investigación parte de un análisis y recopilación de la literatura existente en desarrollo local para pasar a un estudio transversal mediante procedimiento de encuesta directa. Para el tratamiento de la información obtenida se ha utilizado el análisis de clases latentes. Resultados: Del análisis de los datos se desprenden dos conclusiones principales: que la formación de partida y continua, la situación personal y el propio entorno, se configuran de una manera directa en el espíritu emprendedor y que programas de desarrollo permiten realizar diseños con garantías de éxito. De estas conclusiones emanan cinco reflexiones. Limitaciones: Encontramos una delimitación geográfica al haber sido entrevistadas empresas de la comunidad andaluza, aunque presumimos que, al centrarnos en localidades de baja densidad de población, son perfectamente extrapolables a otras zonas. Implicaciones prácticas: El estudio es de utilidad a los agentes sociales encargados del diseño de programas de capacitación empresarial y de la organización y control de herramientas potenciadoras de cultura emprendedora en entornos rurales. Implicaciones sociales: Fomento de empresas en entornos rurales que permiten disminuir la despoblación de los pueblos y mitigar la concentración humana en grandes urbes. Asimismo, a través del crecimiento económico de estos lugares, se mejora la calidad de vida de la zona. Valor añadido: El trabajo de investigación tiene como valor añadido el contribuir a asentar la figura del emprendedor en el desarrollo local así como priorizar la formación como clave en el mismo.Purpose: The present article is a report that begins with a review of the main local development theories in order to go into the entrepreneur and entrepreneurial promotion in rural areas as a local progress boost. Also, we study the influence of the entrepreneur personal factors (experience, location…) in companies setting-up, and how the education level (in a broadly definition) affects economic development through a latent variable that we call “entrepreneurial spirit” and results in business creation. Design/methodology/approach: The research starts from an analysis and collection of existing literature on local development to move to a cross-sectional study using a direct survey. To treat the information gained it was used the latent class analysis. Findings and Originality/value: The data analysis suggest two main conclusions: The starting and continuous training, the personal situation and the environment, are configured in a straightforward way in the entrepreneur spirit and what development programs allow designs with guaranteed success. From these conclusions emanates five reflections. Research limitations/implications: We found geographical bounds when we interviewed Andalusians companies, although we assume by focusing on low population density locations, this is not a problem to transfer the study to other areas. Practical implications: The study is useful to social agents responsible for design of corporate training programs, organization and control of enhancing entrepreneurial tools in rural areas. Social implications: Promoting enterprises in rural areas that allow depopulation and reduce the concentration in large cities. Also, through economic growth in these locations, it improved the quality of life in the area. Originality/value: The research aims to contribute the establishment of the entrepreneurial figure in the local development as well as prioritize training as a key of that fact.Peer Reviewe