Structural changes in the demand for food in Asia: empirical evidence from Taiwan

Many Asian countries are expected to undergo structural transformations in their economies and rapid urbanization over the next 25 years. The changes in tastes and lifestyles engendered by urban living are likely to have significant influences on food demand. Changes in marketing systems and occupational changes, closely linked with increasing GNP per capita, also may influence the demand for food. In this paper, estimates presented for Taiwan demonstrate that structural changes in food demand (as distinguished from changes due to income and price effects) have been significant factors driving the rapid changes in dietary patterns seen in East Asia over the past three decades. Because most previous demand studies have ignored the possible influence of structural shifts which are highly correlated with increases in per capita income over time, the effects of income on food demand have been overestimated.     

欧美及东亚地区耕地轮作休耕制度实践：对比与启示

研究目的:归纳和分析欧美规模农业经济体和东亚小规模农业经济体轮作休耕的制度实践,为中国大陆地区建立和实行耕地轮作休耕制度提供借鉴。研究方法:文献研究法和分析比较法。研究结果:欧美国家和东亚地区均基于私有产权的体系框架,但实行轮作休耕的背景条件有所差异,制度目标也各有所侧重;轮作休耕政策较有弹性,其组织实施及管理与农业生产方式相适应;欧美国家主要依据土地生产率、租金、农业补贴等市场要素制定补偿标准,东亚地区则主要依据耕地等级和后继具体用途等资源要素制定补偿标准;欧美国家多有后期监管,东亚地区相对缺乏。研究结论:(1)中国大陆地区应基于粮食安全和生态文明建设要求合理确定轮作休耕的规模与布局;(2)结合区域农业资源禀赋和生态环境特点,设计差异化的区域休耕模式;(3)轮作休耕制度应与农地基本制度和改革要求相适应,充分尊重农户的主体地位;(4)立足平衡土地利用方式改变导致的收益损失等建立和完善补偿标准;(5)建立健全轮作休耕监管监测评价体系,保障轮作休耕制度有效实施。     

On the origins of tourist urbanisation in Greece: Land speculation and property market (in)efficiency

This paper places issues of land speculation and property market efficiency within the limited geographical context of a tourist-agglomeration development process in the island of Rhodes, Greece. The study is based mainly on the elaboration of diachronic cadastral data, covering the period from the very beginning of the tourism development in what as of a formerly an agricultural area, until its establishment as an international mass tourist destination. The economic and financial dimensions of land speculation on market efficiency are explored, through a socio-economic perspective. Land property ownership structures, state policies and bank financing practices have produced synergies that encouraged land speculation, with ambivalent effects on space, property markets and tourist activities. Finally, it is argued that land speculation may be regarded as a socially embedded rational action, which leads to an overall inefficient land market.     

Introduction to the special issue on the role of nonfarm income in poverty reduction: evidence from Asia and East Africa

In this special issue, we present seven studies that collectively attempt to investigate the role of non‐farm income in long‐term and short‐term poverty reduction in Asia and Africa. The first four studies out of the seven use long‐term panel data over two decades in the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, and India. These studies show drastic increases in non‐farm income shares and corresponding declines in poverty levels over time, especially in the Philippines and Thailand. Education levels of household members and returns to education also increased significantly in these countries. The remaining three studies use cross‐sectional and short‐term panel data from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. These African studies show high proportions of poor households and low shares of non‐farm income that are somewhat comparable to the situation in the 1980s described in the Asian studies. Without the Green Revolution that provided stable farm income and potential financial resources to invest in children' education in Asia, it is not clear if African farm households can follow the Asian examples.     

Manufactured regional crises: The Middle East and North Africa under global food regimes

The current agrarian and food crisis in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been interpreted through a number of tropes. Within the dominant mainstream discourse, the MENA region is often depicted as a homogenous geographical area characterized by dryness, infertile lands and poor water resources. How did imperialism, colonialism and the Cold War influence the MENA food systems? What were the effects of trade liberalization and neoliberalism on the agricultural systems in the region? These are some questions that this paper will try to answer using a geographical and historical-comparative analysis, through a food regimes lens. Understanding contemporary social relations dynamics cannot be limited to the recent period. Agriculture and food in the MENA region are anchored in the history of power relations ruled by flows of capital and the shaping of ecological transformations during the longue durée of capitalism and its corresponding modes of control and regulation.     

Energy and urban form. The growth of European cities on the basis of night-time brightness

The European urban system has experienced significant transformations over the last two decades, affecting both the system’s articulation and hierarchy, and the morphology of urban areas. The sources of information on land use, although increasingly precise and exhaustive, present some limitations when it comes to identifying and quantifying this development, particularly due to their sporadic nature. In this context, the advances in the availability, precision, territorial coverage and recurrence of night-time satellite images offer new opportunities to assess the transformation of land uses. Under the assumption that there is a direct relationship between light emissions and the level of urbanisation, the present study identifies the development of the European urban system between 1992 and 2012. In this respect, the level of brightness suggests that the extension of urban land uses has been much greater than those calculated by using other sources, such as aerial photography or planning regulations. The contrast with these sources demonstrates that, even though night-time images are subject to significant limitations, their use can have advantages in the explanation of new patterns of land use. Thus, brightness could contribute to a more complex picture of the urbanization process, measuring not only the artificialisation of land but also the spread and intensity of urban uses of space.     

The effects of China's growth on the food prices and the food exports of other developing countries

This article explores the impacts of China's growth in the international markets of agricultural products along two dimensions: food price inflation and export growth in other developing countries. China's food imports of vegetable oils have grown dramatically over the last decade, linking China's economic growth to the recent increases in global food prices. If China is a source of global food price inflation, exporting countries will benefit whether they sell directly to China or not. These direct and indirect linkages are explored using a short‐run, partial‐equilibrium model of international trade in agricultural products in which consumer prices and trade costs are derived from bilateral trade flows. China's effects on food prices and exports are estimated by reducing Chinese food expenditures in 2007 by half, roughly China's level of expenditures in 1995. Results indicate that food prices as measured by CES price indexes in developing Asia, Africa, and Latin America would have been reduced by 1.27%, 0.32%, and 0.22%, respectively. China has been an important source of growth for exporters selling directly to China. There is no evidence of export growth due to an overall increase in food prices caused by China's growth.     

东部7省水产品出口对渔业经济发展的影响研究

本文选取了我国东部地区的辽宁、江苏、浙江、福建、山东、广东和海南这7个渔业大省作为研究对象,以2002—2007年的水产品出口额、固定资产投资额、渔业劳动力和渔业经济产值数据为样本,采用出口扩展型生产函数模型,运用面板数据进行实证分析并测算各省水产品出口的贡献率。结果得出这7个省水产品出口都对渔业经济增长有正向的拉动作用,且各省拉动作用的趋势。最后,根据结论提出相关的政策建议。     

The roles of public sector versus private sector in R&D and technology generation: the case of maize in Asia

This paper reports the findings of a study whose objectives were to compare and contrast the public and private sectors in Asia in terms of their (1) estimated level of investment in maize breeding research; (2) germplasm outputs; and (3) nature and extent of roles played in the maize seed industry. Since the 1960s, yield gains, rather than area expansion, have fuelled increases in maize production in Asia. Yield gains, in turn, have been due to the shift in maize cultivation from mostly open‐pollinated varieties (OPVs) to mostly hybrids. This transition also shifted the locus of modern maize breeding research from government research organisations to private national and multinational seed companies. In countries where both the public and private sectors participated in maize research, private sector research investment far exceeded that of the public sector. With more aggressive marketing programmes, the private sector captured 89% of the Asian maize seed market in the late 1990s. National public seed research agencies (including universities and cooperatives) developed and produced more maize OPVs than hybrids, mass‐produced and distributed seed cheaply, addressed location‐specific production problems, and provided agricultural extension services. The private seed companies developed, produced, sold and promoted their own proprietary hybrids. The reluctance of the private sector, however, to address the needs of marginal maize farmers should encourage the public sector to continue playing an active role in maize research and development (R&D), seed production and modern maize technology dissemination, especially with adequate support from appropriate government policies.     

Using participatory rural appraisal and participatory research and extension in a post-independence environment: a case from East Timor

A participatory rural appraisal (PRA) conducted in East Timor in 2004 as part of an agricultural development project provided the basis for a number of community-based participatory extension initiatives. The PRA involved several communities throughout a watershed and also served as a training exercise for local agriculture ministry staff. Despite the poverty of many of the communities involved, and in contrast to published literature on the local agricultural situation, farmers clearly expressed their need for more marketable crops and alternative sources of livelihoods. Their desires contrasted with the project's initial assumption that the major need was for increased production of staple crops to alleviate food scarcity. The project consequently branched out from concentrating on basic agronomy of staple crops into developing marketable crops, improving livestock production and facilitating development of a local business. Farmers' groups were set up to allow farmers to develop their own agricultural enterprises. Some ministry staff who participated in the project welcomed the opportunity to move from the traditional authoritarian extension system set up under Indonesian colonial rule to a more collegial and educational system. The breakdown of institutions and lines of authority following independence may create new opportunities for participatory development in newly independent states.     

Changing food consumption patterns in rural and urban Vietnam: Implications for a future food supply system

Rapid income growth and urbanisation could significantly change the composition of the food basket in many emerging economies. This study estimates a demand system, including 15 major food items in Vietnam, with multiyear household survey data. We find a large variation in the estimated price elasticities (–0.05 to –0.88) and expenditure elasticities (–0.16 to 2.56). Food types, urban status and income groups can explain this variation. We also find that the staple food, rice, is already an inferior good for rich urban households in Vietnam. Moreover, food preferences are evolving away from rice but towards animal proteins (fish, pork, chicken, eggs and milk), fruits and vegetables, irrespective of urban status and income groups. As the Vietnam economy continues to grow with a doubling of gross domestic product (GDP) in the next decade, per capita rice consumption in both urban and rural areas and across different income groups will continue to decline, whereas demand for other high‐value products will rise. Thus, government policy should focus on encouraging demand‐oriented food production. In addition, crop diversification at the farm level needs to improve substantially to meet the rising demand for these food products due to income growth and urbanisation.     

The effects of food sales taxes on household food spending: An application of a censored cluster model

This study proposes a model of household food spending that accounts for zero censoring and can be applied to data collected through a clustered survey design to investigate the impact of food sales taxes on three groups: households who are eligible for and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), households who are eligible but do not participate in the program, and households who are not eligible for the program. We find that SNAP participating households are largely insensitive to grocery taxes and respond to restaurant taxes by shifting more of their food dollars towards at-home foods. Among households who are eligible for SNAP but do not participate in the program, grocery taxes reduce spending on foods purchased for at-home consumption, and thereby increase the amount of the total food budget allocated to away from home foods. This is concerning from a nutrition and health standpoint since away from home foods tend to be more calorie dense and nutritionally poorer than at home foods.     

Social protection for people with disabilities in Africa and Asia: a review of programmes for low- and middle-income countries

Despite a greater need for social protection among people with disabilities, there is limited evidence of their inclusion into social protection programmes in low- and middle-income countries. This paper presents the findings from a review of regional and global data sources for Asia-Pacific and Africa to identify social protection programmes that aim to include people with disabilities. It finds a substantial number of programmes in both regions, although there is considerable variation in the quantity and types of programmes within and between regions and countries, as well as between low- and middle-income countries. Further, the quality of data is not sufficient to assess the degree to which these programmes are genuinely inclusive of people with disabilities. As such, it highlights important limitations in the way data is currently being collected that require further attention in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitment to ‘Leave No-one Behind’     

海外耕地投资市场竞合关系研究 ——以东南亚为例

研究目的：考察东南亚地区海外耕地投资市场主体之间的竞合关系,为科学规划指导海外耕地投资布局提供政策参考。研究方法：Lotka-Volterra模型。研究结果：（1）海外耕地投资规模的增长符合Logistic规律,2008年以来东南亚7国陆续迎来引资增长拐点,现有耕地投资存量已接近东南亚最大可投资规模。（2）从东南亚引资格局来看,各国捕食关系占据半数而互惠共生关系占比较低,引资关系有待进一步改善。（3）从投资国视角来看,中国和东南亚本地国家在东南亚耕地投资市场上表现为相互促进的互惠关系,与亚洲其他国家和欧美国家形成竞争关系,同时欧美国家、东南亚本地国家、亚洲其他国家之间表现出激烈的捕食关系。研究结论：目前东南亚地区海外耕地投资市场环境复杂,不利于海外耕地投资的持续发展,中国在后续海外耕地投资布局过程中应充分考虑市场竞合关系,为全球粮农治理贡献中国智慧。     

The effects of rising food prices on poverty in Mexico

We evaluate the impact of the rise in food prices during 2006–2008 on the poverty and extreme poverty rates in Mexico. We concentrate on the poor's consumption of staple foods, and analyze the change in their consumption brought about by changed prices. We also allow households receiving income from the farming and livestock sector to benefit from increases in prices of food products. We find a modest increase in poverty using 2006–2007 prices; however, there is a daunting effect on the poor once the 2008 prices are taken into account. After considering the positive effects of public policies announced in 2008, such as reduced taxes and tariffs on food products and greater subsidies to the extremely poor, the poverty rate measured through consumption increases from 25% to 33.5%, and the extreme poverty rate from 10.58% to 15.95%, given the increase in food prices. Further analysis using the theory of optimal taxes suggests policies oriented towards relieving the food price pressure on the Mexican poor should aim at lowering the prices of eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and chicken.     

Advertising and food, drink and tobacco consumption in the United Kingdom: a dynamic demand system

This paper tests for the influence of advertising on the inter‐product distribution of consumer demand for non‐durable goods and services in the UK, 1963–1996. The long‐run demand for seven categories of non‐durable products is modelled through an advertising‐augmented version of the almost ideal demand system (AIDS), which is incorporated into an error‐correction model to allow for short‐run dynamic adjustments to long‐run equilibrium positions. Model estimates confirm that the restrictions of price homogeneity and symmetry appear to be consistent with the data, yield measures of the various types of demand elasticity that are in general plausible, confirm the strong influence of prices on the allocation of consumer expenditure, but find little evidence to support the hypothesis that advertising has the power to effect marked changes in the inter‐product pattern of consumer demand in the UK.     

The influence of immigration and international tourism on the demand for imported food products

The role of immigration and international tourism in food product imports, as two factors which potentially influence the (trans-) formation of tastes in a country, is theoretically and empirically analysed. In using an econometric error-correction specification of an import demand function, the scale of the impact of these two factors is estimated for the case of Germany (annual data from 1967 to 1990). The results show that, while aggregate food import demand from India, Thailand, China and Turkey is inelastic with regard to migration to Germany and international travel activities of Germans to these destinations, the estimated average elasticities for imports of wine, cheese and processed/preserved vegetables from France and Italy are all well above unity, thus suggesting that immigration and international tourism may indeed affect the import demand for certain food products.