雷斯法案修正案对我国林产品企业影响及对策分析

中国是美国林产品市场最大的生产国与供应国之一,美国雷斯法案修正案植物条款的实施,使中国林产品企业面临前所未有的困难和挑战。中国企业只有认真了解该法案,才能找到应对的办法。介绍了雷斯法案出台背景基础法案以及其中修正和新增的有关条款,分析了这些条款将对中国林产品出口企业产生的影响,并提出了中国林产品出口企业应对雷斯法案的策略。     

美国农业经济学科变迁及对中国的启示

本文对美国农业经济学科不同发展阶段进行了总结,描述了美国农业经济学科如何从传统农业经济学逐渐拓展到资源与环境经济学、农村社区管理和AgribusinesS的过程,美国农业产业变迁、就业市场变动和产业外部环境变化是导致美国农业经济学科变迁的根本原因。最后,结合当前中国农业经济学科的现状,提出了相关学科发展的建议。     

U.S. Farm Safety Nets and the 2000 Agricultural Risk Protection Act

Although crop insurance programs have been an important part of U.S. agricultural policy since the 1930s, the safety net matra has taken on new relevance and importance in recent policy deliberations and rhetoric. This paper contains a non technical review of issues underlying the safety net concept in U.S. agricultural policy. We outline recent changes in U.S. crop insurance programs and review provisions of the 2000 Agricultural Risk Protection Act (ARPA), which had a significant impact on U.S. risk management programs by expanding crop and revenue insurance subsidies and stimulating new product development. A simple empirical analysis of how these changes may have affected program participation is considered. We then outline points relevant to 2002 Farm Bill deliberations. As is pointed out, the safety net concept seems pervasive to all policy discussions. Countercylical payments, even when provided on an ad hoc basis, may distort production and trade conditions.     

Competitive Behavior in the U.S. Food Retailing Industry

We develop a model to examine competitive conditions in the U.S. food retailing industry for the years 1967 to 1992 and the effect of financial leverage on industry cost conditions. Changes in total current liabilities contributed to increases in costs while increases in long-term debt were associated with lower costs. The impacts of key technological and market developments on shifts in the competitive index are assessed. The estimated index of market power was low, although significantly different from the perfect competition benchmark of zero from 1983 to 1992. The slight decline in competitive conditions was associated with mergers and acquisitions activity in food retailing.
Nous avons élaboré un modèle mathématique pour examiner: 1) les conditions de concurrentialité agissant dans le marché au détail des aliments aux États-Unis durant la période s'étendant de 1967 à 1992 et 2) l'effet du poids financier sur les conditions de cout du secteur. Les modifications de I'endettement total courant contribuent a accroître les coûts, tandis que les accroissements de I'endettement à long terme auraient plutôt I'effet inverse. Nous examinons I'impact des développements dans les domaines de la technologie et du marché sur les fluctuations de I'indice concurrentiel. L'indice estimatif de pouvoir sur le marchéétait has bien que signiflcativement différent de la marque repére de zéro (situation de concurrence parfaite) pour les années 1983–1992. La légére baisse des conditions de compétitivité est expliquée par les nombreuses fusions et acquisitions survenues dans le marché au détail des aliments durant cette période.     

A continuing evolution in U.S. agricultural and food policy - The 1990 Act

This paper reports the results of a study of the economic content and the decision-making process of the recently adopted U.S. 1990 agricultural and food policy. It is the most comprehensive policy of its type. It represents the broadest participation of private individuals and interests groups, and will affect the economy of not only the United States, but also the ***economies of trading countries around the world. The study examines the economic conditions leading up to the policy, a theoretical foundation of public policy determinants, the role of economic analysis in that policy development, the provisions of the Act compared with the previous policy, and its extensive economic implications. Results of the study support features of a conceptual framework for economic policy of a participatory government. The study also reveals the unique policy process of the United States and the provisions of its price and income policy for the food and agricultural sector. Finally, this article identifies the interrelations between the 1990 policy and on-going GATT negotiations, the emerging importance of environmental and food quality issues in agricultural and food policy, and sources for further study of this Act.     

Analyzing Factors Affecting U.S. Food Price Inflation

Since the summer of 2007, U.S. food price inflation has increased dramatically. Given public anxiety over fast-rising food prices, this study attempts to analyze the effects of market factors—prices of energy and agricultural commodities and exchange rate—on U.S. food prices using a cointegration analysis. Results show that the agricultural commodity price and exchange rate play the key roles in determining the short- and long-run movement of U.S. food prices. It is also found that in recent years, energy price has been a significant factor affecting U.S. food prices in the long run, but has little effect in the short run. This implies the strong linkage between energy and agricultural markets in the long run over the recent years. Depuis l’été 2007, l’inflation des prix des aliments aux États-Unis a augmenté considérablement. En raison de l’anxiété que la hausse rapide des prix des aliments suscite au sein de la population, nous avons tenté d’évaluer, à l’aide d’une analyse de co-intégration, les répercussions de certains facteurs de marché– le prix de l’énergie, le prix des produits agricoles primaires et le taux change – sur les prix des aliments aux États-Unis. Les résultats ont montré que les prix des produits agricoles primaires et le taux de change jouent un rôle important dans la détermination des tendances à court et à long terme des prix des aliments aux États-Unis. Nous avons également constaté que, au cours des dernières années, le prix de l’énergie a eu une forte influence sur les prix des aliments aux États-Unis à long terme, mais peu d’influence à court terme. Cette observation montre l’étroit lien à long terme des marchés de l’énergie et des produits agricoles au cours des dernières années.     

Investment and Productivity in Canadian and U.S. Food Manufacturing

A restricted cost function model of Canadian and US. food manufacturing shows that productivity growth rates in Canada have remained well below those in the United States for the past decade and a half_: At mean factor prices, output, and capital quantities, processing costs would be 22% lower in the U.S. than in Canada. Technical change in both countries has been labor-saving and material-using, although slightly more so in the US. than in Canada. The labor-saving bias of technical improvements puts Canada at a disadvantage to its southern neighbor, since food manufacturing wages in Canada tend to be lower and material prices higher than in the United States. Enhancing its competitiveness will require that Canada reduce raw food and packaging costs or invest more in research and development .
L'estimation d'une function constraint de coût démontre que le taux de productivité du secteur de la transformation des aliments et boissons au Canada est demeuré inférieur à celui des Etats-Unis depuis une quinzaine d'années. En effet, à la moyenne du prix des intrants, du stock de capital et de la quantité produite, le coût de production américain est de 22 % inférieur à celui du Canada. Dans les deux pays, le changement technologique a permis de substituer le matériel à la main-d'oeuvre, et ceci de façon plus prononcée aux Etats-Unis. En bout de ligne, ceci désavantage le secteur canadien des aliments et boissons puisque les salaires sont généralement inférieurs au Canada alors que le matériet est plus coûteux. Le Canada pourrait améliorer sa compétitivité face aux Etats-Unis en réduisant le prix des denrées et des entrées intermédiaires ou en augmentant l'investissement dans la recherche et le développement .     

Price Variability and Industrial Concentration in U.S. Food Industries

This paper focuses on the sources of intra‐industry price variability in US food industries during a period of increasing concentration, while accounting for the impact of variations in prices of primary agricultural products. Results suggest that intra‐industry price variability in food industries increases with their respective mean rate of inflation and product heterogeneity. However, industrial concentration lowers the sensitivity of relative prices to changes in the mean rate of inflation. Hence, static welfare losses to consumers from increasing concentration in food industries, a subject of recent and intensive investigation, can partly be offset by gains such as reduced price variability.     

The Nested PIGLOG Model: An Application to U.S. Food Demand

A new demand system is introduced, the Nested PIGLOG model, nesting thirteen other demand systems including five that are also new. This new model and its nested special cases are applied to models of U.S. food demand that include food-at-home (FAH), food-away-from-home (FAFH), and alcoholic beverages. Although nested tests and out-of-sample forecasting performance favor generalizing models to a certain degree, statistically insignificant improvements to in-sample-fit and even poorer out-of-sample forecast accuracy undermine further generalizations. Based on a subset of preferred models, FAFH is found to be price and income elastic compared to FAH which is price and income inelastic.     

粮食安全背景下的生态安全与食品安全

新中国建国以来粮食安全、生态安全与食品安全的关系大致分为两个阶段:从新中国成立到改革开放前属于粮食供应短缺与生态环境压力增大时期;改革开放以来,化肥、农药、动植物激素等生产要素的大量引入,促使粮食供需达到紧张平衡,短期内粮食安全问题得到缓解,长期来看,农业面源污染加剧,土壤毒化、地下水超采、土地荒漠化与水土流失继续恶化,粮食供给不可持续,同时,粮食安全问题逐渐以食品安全的形式表现出来。面对粮食安全、生态安全与食品安全的三重压力,中国应适时调整农业发展战略,逐步摆脱石油农业,实现农业的可持续发展。     

依法履行行业职责 全面贯彻实施《食品安全法》

"国以民为本,民以食为天,食以安为先."食品安全关系到人民群众的身体健康和生命安全,关系到国家经济健康发展和社会和谐稳定,食品安全问题已日益成为人们强烈关注的焦点,食品安全事件屡屡引发社会公众对食品安全的心理恐慌,对国家和社会的稳定以及经济的良性发展造成巨大冲击.     

Alternative U.S. and EU Sugar Trade Liberalization Policies and Their Implications

This study analyzes the impacts of alternative trade liberalization policies in the United States and the European Union (EU) on the U.S. sugar industry. A global sugar policy simulation model was used for this analysis. The study results indicate that the U.S. sugar industry may be able to survive if both the United States and the EU liberalize their sugar trade. However, if only the United States eliminates its sugar programs, all U.S. sugar-producing regions would be threatened.     

U.S. National Economic Contribution of Generic Food and Agricultural Product Advertising

Agricultural promotion groups (APGs) promote the economic welfare of agricultural producers by financing generic advertising and promotion activities intended to expand demand for their commodities in hopes that the benefits will more than cover the cost. A review of the most recent evaluations of 27 major U.S. APG generic advertising and promotion programs conducted by many different researchers using widely different techniques concludes that that those programs have effectively enhanced the profits of their respective stakeholders and generated high rates of returns to the dollars invested in those programs. Importantly, this study finds that the success of those programs in supporting and growing their respective sectors of agriculture has spilled over to the general economy. The programs have created an important multiplier effect through the economy. In the process, jobs have been created; income has been generated; and economic growth has occurred.     

Productivity Growth and Environmental Regulation in Mexican and U.S. Food Manufacturing

Many argued during the NAFTA debate that trade liberalization would favor Mexican over U.S. food processors, especially because of lax environmental laws south of the border. We find through an examination of profit functions that productivity growth in Mexico has outstripped that in the United States, suggesting free trade indeed will benefit Mexican suppliers. U.S. pollution regulations have had no impact on the profitability or productivity of U.S. food manufacturing. In contrast, Mexico's swiftly rising environmental standards have enhanced food processors' productivity growth, corroborating the Porter hypothesis. Pollution law, therefore, has favored Mexican over U.S. food processing, but for reasons few had anticipated.     

Does Food Safety Information Impact U.S. Meat Demand?

A theoretical model of consumer response to publicized food safety information on meat demand is developed with an empirical application to U.S. meat consumption. Evidence is found for the existence of pre-committed levels of consumption, seasonal factors, time trends, and contemporaneous own- and cross-commodity food safety concerns. The average demand response to food safety concerns is small, especially in comparison to price effects, and to previous estimates of health related issues. This small average effect masks periods of significantly larger responses corresponding with prominent food safety events, but these larger impacts are short-lived with no apparent food safety lagged effects on demand.     

Factors Affecting the Allocation of Trade Promotions in the U.S. Food Distribution System

Although many have proposed theories explaining trade promotion (TP) behavior by manufacturers, lack of data has prevented empirical assessment. We employ survey data to explore the effect of manufacturer and retailer bargaining power on the allocation of TPs in the U.S. food sector. The survey respondents consist of retailers controlling 40% of retail sales in U.S. supermarkets. Retailer bargaining power increases the allocation of funds to off-invoice TPs through higher share of private label and retailer size. Manufacturer bargaining power decreases the allocation of funds to off-invoice TPs by establishing formal policies of negotiation.     

Community Attributes Influencing Local Food Processing Growth in the U.S. Corn Belt

This paper examines local and regional attributes associated with growth in the food processing industry. The paper uses industrial location studies to develop a model of food processing plants'growth. Ordinary least squares (OLS) models are estimated to analyze which local, regional and state attributes are associated with county level growth, measured by a change in the number of establishments. The results suggest that food processing growth is associated with factors similar to those influencing the location of footloose manufacturing plants. However, growth in food processing sectors is associated with different local attributes depending on a firm's industry type (demand-oriented, supply-oriented, footloose).     

发达国家确保粮食安全的对策及对我国的借鉴意义

本文在分析了主要发达国家确保粮食安全的措施的基础上,结合我国的现实情况,从切实保护和稳定提高粮食综合生产能力和供给能力、完善国家粮食储备制度和积极利用国际粮食市场等方面提出了保证我国粮食安全的政策建议。