Farmer Participation in Market Authorities of Coffee Exporting Countries

How has commodity market liberalization and the privatization of market regulatory institutions since the 1990s affected the political influence of farmers in directing policy? Examining the case of coffee exporting countries, this paper explores how farmer participation in the coffee authority affects market outcomes for farmers. Using the producer share of the world price for coffee, this analysis tests whether the farmer share of the world price is higher in countries where farmer groups participate in the country’s coffee authority. The results of a robust regression indicate that producer participation in the coffee authority has a positive impact in arabica-producing countries.