Overzicht van buitenlandsche tijdschriften

Jaartal en blz. achter de namen der tijdschriften hebben betrekking op de plaats, waar deze laatstelijk in De Economist zijn bebandeld.     

Impacts of risk aversion on whole-farm management in Syria

This article reports on a study of the impact of risk on farm management practices in northern Syria, focusing particularly on how these are affected by risk aversion and farm size. The study is based on production data from an eight-year field trial and on prices from market surveys. A large linear programming model is built, representing the eight years as observations from a discrete probability distribution. Risk aversion is modelled by inclusion of a utility function with constant relative risk aversion, represented using the DEMP/UEP approach.     

EUROPEAN UNION CEREALS POLICY: AN EVOLUTIONARY INTERPRETATION

Following an introduction explaining the genesis of the paper, section 2 briefly reviews some relevant literature and concepts. On the basis of this review, section 3 develops an outline evolutionary model of policy development. Section 4 interprets the history and present status of the EU policy within this framework (here illustrated by the cereals policy which is taken as archetypal for the CAP as a whole). It characterises the policy history In broad evolutionary terms, emphasising the 'fitness for purpose' of various manifestations of the policy organism. The key conclusion from this section is that the present policy situation cannot be described as 'fit' — there is too much conflict between the present (rather new) policy environment and the character of the existing policy. This conclusion is in distinct contrast to more conventional views about the status of the present policy and to the current view from within the policy-making bureaucracy. Section 5 develops some major implications of this analysis for future development of the CAP. Section 6 offers some broad conclusions.     

SOME DEVELOPMENTS IN SCOTTISH FARMING SINCE THE WAR

The paper takes a panoramic view of Scottish farming since the war and considers in turn developments in the three major sectors, namely of livestock rearing in the hills and uplands and of dairying and arable farming in the lowlands. During this period, hill and upland farming has operated within a consistent long-term policy framework designed to achieve comprehensive rehabilitation of these areas. The reasons why this policy has not so far succeeded are examined. The more recent changes in policy for these areas are referred to, which at one and the same time have enlarged the agricultural role of the hills and uplands and greatly increased the need for adjustment and innovation in their farming practices. Turning to lowland farming, the paper refers particularly to developments in the case of milk and beef production and in arable farming and makes some contrasts of administrative and policy significance with corresponding English farming. The last part of the paper discusses some of the dificulties in achieving a balance between stability and efficiency in agricultural policy.     

Firm-level interactions between exporting and productivity: Industry-specific evidence

This paper investigates interactions between exporting and productivity at the firm level, using a panel of firms in the UK chemical industry. This is both highly technology intensive and the UK’s largest exporting sector. We find exporters are more productive than non-exporters, but are also on average smaller. This superior productivity performance among exporters appears to be caused by both self-selection and learning-by-exporting effects. In contrast to other studies, we find learning effects are significantly positive among new entrants, weaker for more experienced exporters and negative for established exporters. JEL no. F14, D21, L65