Ag econ angst crisis revisited

The present paper was inspired by and is a response to the Rola-Rubzen, Hardaker and Dillon paper 'Agricultural economists and world poverty: progress and prospects' (Rola-Rubzen et al. 2001). It is agreed that the position of agricultural economists in foreign aid and poverty programs has declined over recent decades. Such a feeling of guilt and remorse expressed by the above authors does indeed create considerable 'angst'. A major reason for this state of affairs lies in 'the flavour of the month' approach of the development agencies. These include women in development, gender-based farming systems research, household nutrition and food security, people participation, and targeting the poorest of the poor. These fads have driven disciplinary considerations to the wall and the more widely-defined objectives have reduced the drive for economic efficiency. We argue there is still a place for better designed and delivered assistance programs within the wider framework of assistance that has become fashionable. Greater application of institutional principles in both the political processes associated with assistance and the implementation agencies would improve the outcomes of many projects. Particular attention would need to be given to the interface between the development agencies and recipient governments. The present paper picks up on the market failure aspects of agriculture's rather poor contribution to development, and develops a wider perspective in terms of the new institutional economics and a continuing role for the agricultural economist.     

Spatial determinants of Japanese FDI in China

Research on foreign direct investment in China has spawned an increasingly large literature. Whilst regional cleavages with respect to the distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) are acknowledged, empirical research on the spatial determinants of FDI in China has been limited. Furthermore, research on the spatial determinants of home country FDI in China has thus far been neglected due to difficulties in accessing the appropriate data. The objective of this paper is to examine the spatial determinants of Japanese direct investment in China by using an econometric model. To that purpose, a dataset is created from the Toyo Keizai directory on the overseas activities of Japanese companies. The results show that tertiary education, inland waterways, as well as coastal location are positive and significant determinants of Japanese investment in China.     

ISSUES IN INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Abstract: The risk management and insurance discipline faces a number of challenges. The author poses some questions which focus on those challenges.     

Supermarkets and suppliers in the United Kingdom: System integration, information and control

This paper raises the issue of control in new organizational configurations where information and communication technology is the critical enabler of business integration. It is organized around two guiding questions; how and why major U.K. supermarkets have taken control and dominance of the food market, and the role of information technology and accounting information in replacing market relationships. The study illustrates the way in which markets can be structured and controlled by strategic reconfiguration of supply sources and customer outlets.     

Optimal detection strategies for an established invasive pest

We model optimal detection of sub-populations of invasive species that establish ahead of an advancing front. For many invaders, eradication of the main population is an untenable goal, yet it may be possible to treat and eradicate emerging sub-populations once these sub-populations are detected. We embed a dynamically optimal post-detection management plan of sub-populations into a model of optimal detection effort determination and find that optimal detection effort depends, in part, on the distance from the main front: locations closer to the front with shorter management horizons enjoy lower reductions in overall cost from intervention. The uninfested landscape is divided into two zones, characterized by different dynamically optimal management plans: a suppression zone and an eradication zone. In the suppression zone, optimal detection effort increases with distance from the front. At the distance where the suppression zone yields to the eradication zone, optimal detection effort plateaus at its maximum level.