Agricultural Marketing in Spain

The paper deals with the analysis of marketing in the Spanish agrofood sector. The methodology follows the industrial organization paradigm: structure, conduct and performance. It gives a first analysis of market environment, monetary fiscal policies, and consumer's demand. Market structure shows a dominance of minifundia at farmer and retail level. A concentration process is going on at wholesale and industrial level. Conduct and performance of agrofood marketing are being studied, with special attention to competitiveness and rice evolution. Finally some observations are made on marketing characteristics in some of the traditional food sectors.     

Performance Measurement of the Agricultural Marketing Cooperatives: The Gap between Theory and Practice

The performance of agricultural cooperatives depends on their business objectives, which are defined in different ways in the literature. We review the theoretical literature on the performance of agricultural marketing cooperatives. Studies can be divided into two classes, those that assume a single objective and those that assume multiple objectives. This classification integrates three views of the cooperatives: ( a ) vertical integration of firms, ( b ) independent enterprise, and ( c ) coalition of firms. Empirical studies on the financial performance of cooperatives are classified into two categories, studies based on the economic theory of the firm and studies that emphasize accounting techniques. Empirical studies have failed to address the cooperatives' objectives as represented by the theoretical literature on cooperative performance.     

Drivers of Trust: Some Experiences from Hungarian Agricultural Cooperatives

This article examines the drivers of trust in the machinery-sharing cooperation arrangements of Hungarian field crops farms. Our research has focused on the role of 2 factors on the basis of the widely referred trust model: faith in loyalty and capability. The empirical results clearly confirm the hypothesis of the theoretical model, namely, partners will trust each other if their faith is high both in loyalty and in competence. Our research has also pointed out that the level of trust between partners is determined differently by the 2 examined factors: it is statistically proven that the impact of faith in loyalty is higher.     

意大利特伦蒂诺省的农村合作社

从各国的经验看 ,由于农民所从事的生产活动和所生产的产品的特性 ,在市场经济下一般总是处于不利的地位。作为有多年市场经济历史的欧洲在引导农民进入市场方面有很多成功的经验和有效的方法。就笔者比较了解的意大利农村合作经济来看 ,它似乎对中国农村的发展有着直接的借鉴意义 ,因为它产生于当地农民对改变落后与贫穷命运的企望 ,而其 10 0多年的历史证明了它在改善农民收入和发展当地农业经济中的重要作用。目前 ,意大利共有 4.3万多家合作社 ,社员人数约 85 0万 ,被称作意大利的第三种经济力量 ① 。意大利北部的特伦蒂诺省的合作社发…     

依托型农村专业合作社制度创新分析

以供销社为依托的农村专业合作社和现存的供销合作社相比 ,具有制度创新的特征。依托型专业合作社“依托”供销社 ,存在着对供销社的“路径依赖”现象 ,由此引发了一系列内在矛盾。依托型专业合作社制度再生产必须以成本—收益分析为基础 ,由政府选准制度创新的可行区域 ,推行合作教育 ,转变“初级行动团体” ,真正实现社员自主选择制度。     

On the Reform of Rural Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in China

As a bridge between city and countryside, industry and agriculture, producer and consumer, Rural Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (RSMCs) play a key role in distributing commodities and purchasing rural products for some 800 million people in China. While overall national economic reform started in 1978, the reform of RSMCs began 4 years later in 1982 with greater emphasis on recovery rather than reform. This paper reviews the development of RSMCs, describes their operation and appraises the reform underway since 1982. It concludes with some policy suggestions relative to further reform of the RSMC system.     

Agricultural Marketing in France

French production is based on a large agricultural area with a large number of farmers. They work with co-operatives which are very near to them and collect their product. Protectionism has led to a disequilibrium with the economic system in this sector. Actual CAP's orientations and the increase in competition, has forced farmers and co-operatives to concentrate and restructure. The number of farmers has decreased while many co-operatives have started to process raw production materials. One goal of the food industry is to become more international. French food industry made a lot of acquisitions abroad but the increasing place of Italians in French companies also has to be noticed. Distribution plays an important role in agricultural marketing where 66% of food products are sold through about ten companies. This market structure allows them to have a favored position. However, it's a very dynamic sector which now faces some difficulties.     

Agricultural Marketing in Belgium and the Netherlands

Agriculture in Belgium and the Netherlands has a strong export tradition and has been market oriented for a long time. In this article agricultural markeling in Belgium and the Netherlands is analyzed on the basis of the concepts structure, conduct and performance. In our review of market structure attention is paid to the structure of agriculture, the food consumer, food retailing, government policies, competition and marketing channels. Afterwards market conduct with respect to product, price, promotion and distribution is discussed. Finally some qualitative observations are made on marketing performance. It is concluded that agricultural marketing policies in Belgium and the NeIherlands are increasingly focusing on value added to the agricultural product. As a result vertical marketing systems/food chain and marketing management become familiar concepts to agicultural marketing.     

供销社改革目标模式的几点思考

供销社经过21年的改革，与办成真正农民的合作经济组织还有很大距离。主要原因是在改革目标设计上混淆了长远目标与近期目标的关系。1999年以来，供销社改革转向以扭亏增盈为重点，以“企业化”为核心，截止2002年底连续三年扭亏为盈，改革与发展已经站在新的起点上。今后要努力构建以企业化的供销社为基础，以连锁经营为纽带，沟通城乡，联系国际，覆盖全国的现代流通网络，以专业合作社为载体 的经营性服务体系和以农产品行业协会为载体的协调性服务体系。     

丹麦与中国农业合作社之比较研究

本文通过对丹麦农业合作社的发展历程、特点、内部制度安排、合作社发展动力等方面与中国农民专业合作社进行比较,分析了中国农民专业合作社与丹麦农业合作社的具体差别,认为合作理念、社员自治、人才培养是目前中国从丹麦合作社发展中可以汲取的重要经验.     

日本农协面临的改革难题及对中国的启示

日本综合农协在增加农民收入、缩小城乡差距方面有效地发挥作用主要是在二战后到20世纪80年代之间。其原因之一是农协是政府粮食管理制度的实施者，即农协的经营业务有了保障；原因之二是农协将有利润的金融、生命财产保险、生产资料购销等业务全部集中于一体。但是，上世纪90年代以后，随着金融领域竞争的加剧、粮食管理制度的取消等，综合农协有效发挥作用的环境发生了根本变化。日本农协改革对中国的启示是，综合农协的模式不符合目前中国的国情，中国需要扶持经营型的农民专业合作组织。     

An Overview of the Evolution of Agricultural Cooperatives in Québec

Two agricultural cooperatives dominate in Québec, Coopérative fédérée and Agropur, with sales of 2.4 billion and 1.9 billion, respectively. Although they share similar traits, their evolution over the years has resulted in different business models. In turn, their business models have important implications in terms of their relationship with farmers' union, their sensitivity to policy changes and their approach to capital access problems. Nevertheless, the outlook for agricultural cooperatives in Quebec appears to be good, given the support that the Québec government intends to give them in appreciation of their stability and capability to promote regional development.     

Agricultural and Food Marketing in the United Kingdom

Given the diversity of agrifood marketing in the U.K., in terms of the range of agricultural commodities and value-added products produced, the many and varied marketing structures used, and the numerous legislative and policy instruments involved, it is not possible in this paper to provide a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the system. The approach has been rather to provide the volume's international readership with a selective view of the U.K. agrifood marketing system, concentrating on some topical issues. This approach has the benefit of allowing more in-deplh consideration of important issues, and a focus on topics where the U.K. exhibits a degree of uniqueness amongst its E.C. partners. The paper therefore presents an international readership with an analysis of truly "U.K. issues."     

Setting Efficient Incentives for Agricultural Research: Lessons from Principal-Agent Theory

A conceptual analysis of important issues in the organization and management of academic research is presented. Principal-agent theory is applied to derive optimal compensation schemes for scientists when they differ in ability, risk aversion, cost of effort, and reservation utility, and to show the optimal trade-off between institutional risk and scientists' abilities. Implications for an efficient organization of research are derived, including how scientists' incentives should be structured to elicit optimal research efforts and direction, whether research direction should be centralized or decentralized, and whether the organization of research should be through external competitive grants or program and institutional funding.     

Productivity and Environmental Performance in Marketing Cooperatives: An Analysis of the Spanish Horticultural Sector

The paper analyses the productivity of marketing cooperatives incorporating environmental inputs/outputs. In the European agriculture, expectations for attaining sustainable and competitive agriculture rely to a great extent on the cooperative sector's ability to adapt to new market conditions. These challenges have led marketing cooperatives in the fruit and vegetables sector to consider improvements in productivity and sound environmental performance. The study analyses the total factor productivity related to environmental variables in this sector using a parametric‐stochastic approach and panel data on Spanish cooperatives over the period 1994–2002. Additionally, the determinants of environmental productivity are examined econometrically. The estimates obtained show an increase in efficiency for the period under study and a relationship between productivity changes and management factors, such as labour quality, capital intensity and environmental spillover.     

菲律宾的农业市场信息系统建设及其对我国的启示

一、菲律宾的农业市场信息系统建设　　菲律宾政府高度重视农业市场化问题 ,其建设农业信息系统的主要目的是 :通过提供及时有效的市场信息服务 ,不断提高独立的市场经营个体的市场观察判断能力和市场销售技能 ,积累市场知识和经验 ,从而构造并加强初级农产品生产者与农业市场之间的有机联系。按我们的说法 ,实际上就是帮助农业生产经营者成功地进入市场。下面 ,从五个侧面介绍菲律宾农业市场信息系统建设的大体情况 :(一 )领导机构的设置及其主要职责　全国顾问指导委员会是菲律宾农业市场信息系统建设的最高权力机构 ,由国家贸易及工业委…