Incorporation and Resistance: Analytical Issues in the Conventionalization Debate and Alternative Food Chains

This article examines arguments about the relationship between mainstream agriculture and alternative food chains. It begins with a summary of Guthman's study of organic agriculture in California and her conclusion that it has come to resemble conventional, industrial agriculture in its agrarian structures and its supply chains. The article raises questions about both the evidence that smaller alternative producers have been squeezed out, and the assumptions underlying the analysis of relations between capitalist and non-capitalist forms. The issues are contextualized through a summary of earlier debates about the fate of non-capitalist producers in the 'development' process, and through reference to studies in economic anthropology, including research on household farming strategies in Italy. The article concludes that alternative food chains do not follow a simple linear trajectory, and that we need to include an ethnographic approach to understand both their economic values and political objectives.     

Agriculture,transportation, and the COVID-19 crisis

In this short paper, I assess how COVID-19-related disruptions in transportation services, as well as new demands for transportation services, could impact Canadian agricultural supply chains. The brief analysis reveals that agricultural access to bulk ocean freight, rail movement, and trucking has generally improved in the pandemic, bolstered by the reduced demand for these transportation services by other sectors of the economy. The intermodal containerized movement of grains and food products has seen some disruption from the lack of empty containers in North America. The widespread consumer adoption of physical distancing measures has vastly increased the demand for retail food pickup and delivery services to the point where these services are being rationed by long wait times. From a policy perspective, there is an apparent need for (a) continued supply chain monitoring and industry engagement, (b) the proactive development of strategies to deal with absenteeism and other potential threats to the supply chain, and (c) an assessment of the economic and health merits of providing additional public resources to provide greater access to grocery pickup and delivery services.     

A Market-Forces Policy for the New Farm Economy?

This paper first discusses the changes that are bringing about the New Farm Economy. A wave of consolidation has shifted agricultural production to larger, lower cost producers in almost all sectors of agriculture. At the same time, supply chains represent a new form of ownership and control that is replacing commodity markets as the preferred way to market farm output. Both consolidation and the development of supply chains offer the possibility of producing a greater variety of safer, cheaper food. The paper argues that farm policy, crafted for the agriculture of the 1930s, is no longer necessary to raise or stabilize farm incomes, and is largely ineffective anyway. Moreover, farm policy impedes the market forces driving innovation and efficiency in the farm economy. Letting market forces guide the evolution of the farm economy, unfettered by outdated government programs and unnecessary farm subsidies, is the best way to harness the benefits of the New Farm Economy. Getting rid of government subsidies and control will lead to dramatically fewer farmers in agriculture: a policy to deal explicitly with those who will leave agriculture is needed. A transition policy is described that focuses on helping reduce the number of farmers by offering a buyout to farm producers which subsidizes their exit from farming and prevents reentry.     

Elegy,ode or panegyric? Practising agricultural economics in Australia, 1975–99

Changes are investigated in the Australian agricultural economics profession, 1975–99, using a conventional microeconomics framework of supply and demand for agricultural economists. Aggregate exogenous factors such as changes in the agricultural and tertiary education sectors, and changes in beliefs about the proper role of government, have changed both supply and demand conditions for agricultural economists. The profession has responded by shifting its focus away from narrowly agricultural policy, especially marketing policy, towards areas of market failure such as environmental and natural resource issues.     

西部区域特色农业发展与生产性公共产品供给

发展特色现代农业是西部农业现代化的基本取向,而发展特色现代农业乃至农业现代化,农业基础设施等生产性公共产品是物质基础和基本条件。从西部农业公共产品供给实际出发,以区域特色农业实现规模化、专业化发展为取向,进一步创新农业公共产品供给模式是西部特色现代农业发展的基本要求。     

北京市无公害农产品、绿色食品和 有机农产品的现状分析和发展对策

无公害农产品、绿色食品和有机食品是目前农产品认证的主要类型。近几年,北京市"三品"发展稳步上升,取得了较好的经济、社会和生态效益。但是也面临一些困难,如生产者的积极性、农户的生产组织形式、生态价值的体现以及品牌公信力的提升等问题。因此,该文提出了启动生态补偿,发展专业合作经济组织,增加投入等对策,以推动"三品"健康持续快速发展,使其生产规模在郊区农产品中比例不断提高,从而促进北京农业向品牌化和生态化提升。     

全产业链视角下徐州国家农业科技园产业融合研究

基于全产业链的视角,研究分析徐州国家农业科技园产业融合现存的问题。针对该园区缺少组织链、供给链不完善、销售链纵深不足的问题,提出如何从深挖农民增收潜力和增加价值链链条环扣方面发展价值链、如何塑造并完善组织链、如何利用互联网完善信息链以及如何延长和拓宽销售链的发展建议。即从价值链、组织链、信息链、销售链四个链条入手,促进徐州国家农业科技园产业融合发展,得出要让产业链条形成圈式结构,使生产要素在链条上流动增长、互相返哺的结论。     

Ecuadorian Farmers Facing Coffee and Cocoa Production Quality Labels

Quality labels refer to the adoption of voluntary standards by producers to highlight the quality to consumers and customers. Usually in agrofood, these focus on aspects of production systems and intrinsic characteristics of products. In agricultural production, quality labels focusing on ethical and environmental aspects have a high spectrum globally. The objective of this study was analyzing the farmers’ perceptions toward production with quality labels in cocoa and coffee in Ecuador. The information used comes from the development of two focus group sessions and 157 surveys addressed to producers. According to the results, environmentally friendly production systems represent an advantage and a disadvantage for farmers. When comparing farmers who produce with and without quality labels, it was found that issues related to market access are further motivating farmers to produce superior quality. Finally, from the producers’ point of view, the premium price paid for product certification is debatable.     

THE EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM,AGRICULTURAL CHANGE,AND POLICY OBJECTIVES IN INDUSTRIALLY ADVANCED COUNTRIES

Traditional macroeconomic approaches to the employment problem are insufficient at the stage of development reached in the industrially advanced capitalist economies, and employment policy has to encompass a much wider range of incentives, public expenditure criteria, and investment decisions affecting all sectors of the economy. Implications for the agricultural sector are discussed. Employment and labour use are seen as inter-related with other aspects of agricultural policy, including those concerned with agronomic and ecological problems. Performance criteria often adopted in evaluating agricultural change are called into question, and a reappraisal of cost concepts is found to raise some fundamental issues faced by industrially advanced societies.     

The new economic geography of land use change: Supply chain configurations and land use in the Brazilian Amazon

In this paper we present a framework for understanding regional land use processes by incorporating the concept of agglomeration economies into agricultural frontier theory. We show that agricultural firms can obtain positive externalities from locating in close proximity to other agricultural firms, leading to agglomeration economies. Agglomeration economies lead to high levels of competition and diversity within a local agricultural supply chain and influence local prices, information flows, and private enforcement of environmental institutions. We use the theory of agglomeration economies to understand the development of soybean production in two counties along the Santarém-Cuiaba (BR-163) highway in the Brazilian Amazon: Santarém, Pará and Sorriso, Mato Grosso. We conclude that differences in environmental and land tenure institutions influenced the occurrence of agglomeration economies in these two counties, which in turn affected the total factor productivity of soy in each region. In particular, the supply chain became extremely competitive and diverse in Sorriso where few environmental regulations existed, while environmental restrictions reduced the diversification of the supply chain in Santarém. The presence of a soy agglomeration economy in Sorriso spurred innovation, increased productivity, and led to extremely rapid soy expansion in that county, while the monopolistic supply chain in Santarém reduced producers’ access to land and capital and impeded soy expansion.     

Multinational supermarket chains in developing countries: does local agriculture benefit?

There is no consensus in the empirical literature on how entry of multinational supermarket chains affects farmers in developing countries. Econometric analyses struggle with causality issues and are unclear about the channel of effects. We quantify the dynamic effects of supermarket expansion on agriculture within a structural framework that clarifies the adjustment mechanisms involved. The model specification allows for endogenous interaction between agricultural productivity and supermarkets' choice of suppliers. Based on numerical simulations, two results emerge. First, we offer a possible interpretation of the conflicting evidence in the empirical literature. Whether farmers benefit from supermarkets or get stuck in a low productivity trap depends on the extent of local constraints related to production capacity and market access. Second, supply chain development initiated by supermarkets can help farmers escape the low productivity trap. While supermarkets face a short-run cost to supplier upgrading, they gradually gain from more productive local suppliers.     

Prices,institutions, and determinants of supply in the Malian cotton sector

Cotton, both a source of livelihood for millions of poor rural households and a major source of export revenues, is a vital commodity for the economic and social development of Mali. Inefficiencies in the Malian cotton system at the ginnery and producers’ cooperative levels (e.g., late payment to farmers and poorly functioning credit schemes) have recently led to an important decline in supply, threatening the sustainability of the sector. Using regional data from 1998/1999 to 2008/2009, this study aims to quantitatively assess the contribution of key determinants, such as cotton prices and timely payment, toward the downward trend in cotton area. A dynamic supply model, based on adaptive expectations and partial adjustment, is employed to estimate the effects of prices and institutional factors, such as credit recovery rates and date of payment to farmers, on the Malian cotton supply. Results show that supply responds significantly to cotton prices relative to cereal and fertilizer prices. Date of payment varies across agricultural cycles and late payment negatively influences land devoted to cotton. Low credit repayment rates create disincentives to grow cotton. Therefore, the revitalization of the Malian cotton sector depends upon getting both prices and institutions right.     

An Economic Evaluation of Public Wheat Research and Extension Expenditures in Canada*

The widespread commitment of public funds to agricultural research is being questioned by administrators in governments and by the Canadian public. Questions relating to the level of public expenditure on agricultural research, the efficiency with which the resources are being allocated, and the manner in which the benefits are distributed among members of society art being asked. This study addresses these and related questions as they pertain to publicly funded wheat research activities conducted over the period 1946 to 1979- Two research scenarios were examined - one dealing with the development of new varieties of wheat and the other dealing with all research applicable to the production of wheat. The results revealed that society has indeed benefitted substantially from public investment in wheat research. The level of social benefits averaged $49 and $143 million (measured in 1971 dollars) annually for the wheat breeding and all-wheat research scenarios, respectively. The average annual internal rates of return earned from these public investments ranged between 30 and 39 percent. Furthermore, some evidence was presented that suggests society may, in fact, be underin-vesting in agricultural research in the aggregate. Finally, analyses of the distribution of the benefits showed that both producers and consumers are major beneficiaries.     

Food Consumption Trends in the Pacific Rim

The growing affluence of the Pacific Rim countries has changed food consumption patterns. Diets in the region have become more diverse and well-balanced nutritionally. Western-style foods are becoming increasingly popular and available to people in the region. The rapid growth of fast-food chains and supermarkets present U.S. agricultural exporters with a myriad of opportunities for exporting food products to the Pacific Rim. Food producers who are willing to modify their products to the tastes of Pacific Rim consumers will have the most success. By reformulating food products and developing new packaging technologies more high-value foods can be sold in the Pacific Rim. U.S. food processors must also develop improved methods of processing traditional foods eaten by people in the region into more convenient forms. Finally, it is important for U.S. agricultural exporters to keep a close watch on the changing trends in food consumption in the region in order to stay competitive and increase their opportunities for entering new markets.     

Agriculture and proximity to roads: How should farmers and retailers adapt? Examples from the Ile-de-France region

The present study was carried out in the Ile-de-France region surrounding Paris, which is both the biggest conurbation in France and a large agricultural area. In areas such as these, airborne pollutants from road traffic may adversely affect the quality of the food produced by farms close by. This raises questions about the spatial compatibility of farming and road networks, although there is currently no scientific consensus concerning potential health risks for producers and consumers. Some actors in agricultural supply chains have tried to limit potential risks by producing technical guidelines, including isolation distances between major roads and fields farmed under contract. This paper analyses these “isolation distances”, using approaches from the agricultural and social sciences: surveys on stakeholders in agribusiness and on farmers, and a cartographic simulation submitted to the surveyed farmers for discussion. The results show that isolation distances serve to create market opportunities in a context of market segmentation, or are applied as a precautionary principle. Though not a widespread practice, safety distances could have considerable impacts on farms in terms of both technical management and total farm area, thus calling for further scientific research on this issue.     

加快推进我国农业绿色发展全过程转型对策与措施——深入学习领会党的二十大精神

目的 党的二十大提出要加快建设农业强国、美丽中国,对推进农业绿色发展提出了新的更高的要求。通过分析农业绿色发展理论内涵、思路路径及工作重点,为新时期推进农业绿色发展提供理论支撑。方法 文章利用自然观、系统观、发展观等哲学方法,分析农业绿色发展理论逻辑,提出农业绿色发展思路路径;利用公开报道数据,从水土资源保育、产地环境清洁、粮食和重要农产品供给、农业集约节约发展等方面,分析我国农业绿色发展成效及存在问题。结果 系统提出全面改善农业资源环境,不断增加绿色农产品供给,加快打造绿色低碳产业链,健全完善支撑保障体系。系统开展绿色发展试验示范,推动树立绿色消费观等农业绿色发展重点任务。结论 新时期推进农业绿色发展,要以党的二十大精神为指引,推进农业发展全过程绿色转型,为推动农业高质量发展、建设农业强国提供有力支撑。     

加入合作社对种粮大户农机投资及服务供给行为的影响分析

农业机械化水平是衡量现代农业发展程度的重要指标。以种粮大户、合作社等为代表的新型农业经营主体逐渐成为农机投资和提供农机服务的主力军。基于2018年江苏省686个种粮大户的微观调查数据,本文选用了多重跨栏模型并采用控制函数法实证检验了加入合作社对种粮大户农机投资与提供农机服务的影响。研究发现:相较于未加入合作社的种粮大户,加入合作社的种粮大户购买农机和提供农机作业服务的动机更强,户均农机作业服务供给水平更高。具体而言,加入合作社的种粮大户,其农机投资和提供农机作业服务的概率分别上升10.5和12.5个百分点,户均农机作业服务收益约增加3.382万元。由此,本文提出三点政策建议:一是引导种粮大户兼具生产性和服务性的双重功能,并鼓励合作社将种粮大户组织起来,共同开展农机服务。二是发挥合作社的组织优势,引导种粮大户投资相对短缺的农机装备。三是农机补贴向服务供给短缺的农机品种倾斜。     

Sugar‐Cane and Oil Palm Expansion in Guatemala and its Consequences for the Regional Economy

Corporate‐owned sugar‐cane and oil palm plantations in Guatemala are expanding at the expense of smallholder agriculture. Land control grabs are not only having consequences for local communities and ecosystems, but also for regional economies. The present study compares the value chains of smallholder products with those of sugar and palm oil. Primary data were collected from agricultural producers and their backward and forward sectors in the agricultural regions where the plantations are most prominent. The results show that on a regional level, sugar and palm oil generate fewer jobs in comparison to the products of small‐scale agriculture, which have important forward linkages to small and medium trading and processing sectors. In addition, the wealth created by small‐scale farming remains within the regions, whereas profits from the sugar and palm oil industries are being transferred out of them. Therefore, to achieve inclusive regional development, smallholder agriculture should be strengthened rather than promoting monoculture expansion.     

Food Choice in an Interdisciplinary Context

Reform of agricultural policies, notably the continuing elimination of production‐enhancing subsidies, makes it possible for policies to respond to social issues such as the rural environment and health in future. In this paper, we draw on a Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) research project which is examining the potential for the development of healthy food chains and the implications for human health and the environment. One of the key issues to be addressed is consumers’ willingness to pay for the nutritionally enhanced food products from these new chains, but it is evident that only a partial understanding can be gained from a traditional economics approach. In the paper, we discuss how economists are beginning to incorporate views from other disciplines into their models of consumer choice.     

Global Commodity Chains and African Export Agriculture

The last twenty years or so have seen a new conjuncture in international trade in tropical agricultural products. That conjuncture combines both changes in the organization of the (Northern) manufacturer and consumer segments of the global commodity chains for those products, and in marketing arrangements in their (Southern) countries of origin, associated with structural adjustment and liberalization. This introductory essay provides the context for the case studies that follow, first by introducing some of the key concepts and analytical issues in the global commodity chain (GCC) approach and other recent relevant literature such as the French 'convention' theory. It then sketches an historical framework for examining international trade in tropical agricultural products, with brief illustrations of the specific trajectories of Africa and some African countries within that framework. Finally, it shows how a number of issues are explored in the case studies presented, including how current changes might affect the future prospects of smallholder ('peasant') production of tropical export crops.