The socio-economic impact of certification schemes in conflict-affected regions: The case of arabica coffee in the Eastern DRC

The paper investigates the benefits of certification of cooperatives in conflict-affected areas. We study whether and how certification may contribute to attenuate the impact of conflicts on the members of coffee cooperatives in the Eastern DRC. We use an inverse probability weighted difference-in-difference approach to study data collected between December 2017 and October 2019 from four NGO-supported cooperatives. Two of these cooperatives got organic certification in 2018, of which one got an additional Small Producers Symbol (SPP) certification in 2018. Certified cooperatives allow Arabica coffee producers to access markets and buffer against drops in market prices. Results indicate that certified cooperatives were better able to resist the international price drop than non-certified cooperatives and the alternative informal markets. The results also suggest that certified cooperative members increased their sales to the cooperative instead of turning to informal side-selling. We find a decrease in reported food deficits by the members of certified cooperatives and an increase in the importance of coffee in their household's income. We conclude that certification is an effective way forward for smallholder coffee producers and cooperatives in unstable regions.     

基于绿色生产的闭环供应链决策及认证标准研究

在考虑绿色生产的基础上，以单一制造商、零售商和回收商组成的闭环供应链为研究对象，构建以制造商为主导的无认证集中决策、分散决策和有认证集中决策Stackelberg博弈模型，研究不同模型下的供应链决策和政府绿色认证标准，并用算例仿真对比分析消费者绿色偏好和企业信誉对各决策的影响。结果表明：在不进行绿色认证的情况下，集中决策闭环供应链利润和污染物减排量大于分散决策；政府总能够制定合理的绿色认证标准，使制造商自愿认证的同时，提高供应链收益和减少碳排放；不同模型下的最优决策均会随着消费者绿色偏好的增加而提高，无认证模型下还会随着企业信誉的增加而提高。     

确权抑制农户宅基地退出意愿了吗 ——来自川豫皖三省的微观调查

研究目的：分析确权对农户宅基地退出意愿的影响并探究禀赋效应的中介作用和社会资本在其中的调节作用，为落实宅基地确权政策提供经验借鉴。研究方法：有序Probit、逐步回归以及基于Bootstrap有调节的中介作用检验方法。研究结果：（1）确权对农户宅基地退出意愿有显著负向影响，在考虑选择性偏误后，结果依然显著。（2）禀赋效应在确权抑制农户宅基地退出意愿中发挥部分中介作用。（3）社会资本能够削弱禀赋效应对宅基地退出意愿的抑制作用。（4）对于户主年龄较大的农户家庭和宅基地距离县区更近的农户而言，确权对宅基地退出意愿的负向影响作用更大。研究结论：细化确权颁证工作内容，通过政策宣传引导农户正确认识确权的目的和意义，同时重视社会资本等非正式制度在宅基地退出中的补充作用，因地因人制定宅基地退出政策，分类保障农户差异性权益需求，充分激发宅基地确权的政策效果。     

The Value of Mandatory Certification: A Real Effects Perspective

We study the real effects of certification to demonstrate the value of mandatory certification over and above mandatory disclosure in enhancing investment efficiency. In our model, a firm's manager selects a project to maximize the firm's short-term stock price, which is a function of her certification and disclosure decisions about the outcome of the project. Although the manager might be either forthcoming or strategic with regard to the disclosure of her private information, she can strategically choose whether to incur a cost or not to certify her disclosure, unless mandated. The manager always selects the first-best project when both certification and disclosure are mandatory. However, when certification is voluntary, project selection is inefficient. In addition, mandating disclosure without mandating certification can lead to lower investment efficiency than mandating neither. In justifying why mandatory certification is beneficial for public firms, our results offer a note of caution regarding the contemplated regulatory moves for increased disclosures by public firms without corresponding certification requirements, for example, the recent SEC proposal requiring extensive climate-related disclosure.     

信用预防性行政诉讼的价值证成与制度构建

为信用执法相对人提供事前、事中、事后相衔接的全方位、多层次权利救济体系是信用法治应有之义。我国现行行政救济制度的事后性弊端使得其对信用执法相对人重大权益的保护十分不利,亟须构建预防性行政诉讼制度。信用预防性行政诉讼具有契合法治理念、满足依法行政要求、弥补行政救济漏洞以及适应法律全球化趋势等多重价值。构建信用预防性行政诉讼制度需要更新行政法相关理论,理性应对行政诉讼制度困境,提升司法适用能力和水平。     

Boosting Foreign Investment: The Role of Certification of Corporate Governance

This paper studies the economic consequences of certification of corporate governance practices. For identification, we exploit a recent cross-country initiative by a coalition of key institutions in Southeast Asia; the periodic publication of a “Top List” of companies in the region selected based on an independent assessment of corporate governance practices. Our results suggest that being included in the list induces an increase in foreign investment and changes in corporate governance practices. The announcement of the Top List elicits a positive stock market response among constituents and is followed by higher accounting performance. Overall, the evidence suggests that the certification of governance practices is a meaningful tool to boost foreign investment.     

Proxy contests and debt contracting behavior: The interplay of managerial,shareholder and creditor incentives

We evaluate how heterogeneity in the strategic interplay among shareholder, creditor and manager incentives influences debt contracting behavior around proxy contests. We find that, after proxy contests, new loan originations have significantly higher spreads and more stringent non-pricing contracting terms. The effect, however, occurs largely in contest firms where Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are provided with risk-taking incentives. Further, creditors’ simultaneous equity holdings and credit default swaps (CDS) trading attenuate the impact of proxy contests on debt contracting costs. Finally, proxy contests that culminate in voting and dissident victory experience the largest increase in loan pricing. Overall, our results suggest an increase in the agency cost of debt occurs after proxy contests, particularly when managerial risk-taking incentives are high, and when creditors do not simultaneously hold target firms’ equity or CDS.     

构建城乡土地自由流动的政策工具——以换地权益书保障土地要素返流的探索

研究目的:探索如何以换地权益书作为土地要素返流的保障手段,以期构建城乡土地自由流动的政策工具.研究方法:政策分析法和规范分析法.研究结果:当前统筹城乡发展中的土地要素流动存在诸多困境,不仅包括土地多重负担造成流动困难,还包括土地单向流动为主、缺乏双向流动的保障,以及土地规模化经营和流动中面临的空间和位置障碍.研究结论:要大胆创设新的政策工具,采用"换地权益书"的形式来构建土地要素自由流动的保障,这在当前既是必要的,也是可行的.