Institut für Agrarpolitik und Landwirtschaftliche Marktlehre

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A 2014 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Uzbekistan with a focus on the agricultural sector
(2021) Wieck, Christine; Bozorov, Abdurashid; Feuerbacher, Arndt
Social accounting matrices (SAMs) are the core underlying data for economy-wide simulation models such as computable general equilibrium models. This paper reports the development of a SAM for Uzbekistan for the year 2014. The last SAM developed for Uzbekistan is based on the year 2001 (Müller, 2006) and Uzbekistan is listed among the top ten countries by GDP and population by the Global Trade and Analysis Project for which a recent input-output is missing. The SAM documented in this technical paper is characterized by a detailed representation of the agricultural sector. Generally, data availability in Uzbekistan is a challenge and the development process had to rely on myriad data sources. The final SAM values are estimated using an information-theoretic, cross-entropy approach. Using a Bayesian perspective, the degree of uncertainty of cell entries’ prior values reflected the availability and quality of data sources. In total, this SAM consists of 88 accounts. There are 31 commodity accounts and 31 accounts describe economic activities of which 17 activities are part of the agricultural sector. The factor accounts comprise five types of labor, capital, and main natural resources: land and water. There are three household accounts, one government, and five tax accounts. The authors hope that this SAM will allow researchers to investigate research questions that are of high priority for Uzbekistan’s future economic development, particularly those related to the future role of agriculture and water.
Achieving goals of ethical consumption
assessment of target criteria for the comparison of organic and locally purchased products with a modified scoring model
(2015) Derksen, Dirtje Marie
The increasing importance of ethical consumption is reflected through the rising numbers of consumers of ethically certified products. In this context the purchasing of organic products is widely regarded as major approach to consume in line with ethical criteria. However, also local purchasing gains importance for consumers. This study consequently intends to identify ethical consumption goals as related to organic and local purchasing, to reveal differences and commonalities between the two options and to assess the types of relationships that exist between the respective ethical criteria. Therefore, an integrated research review is conducted that aims on the development of a hierarchical framework of ethical consumption goals. The gathered information is furthermore analysed for its applicability in a modified scoring model that assesses the alignment of products and ethical consumption motives of individual consumers. It is revealed that even though consumers perceive a stronger linkage of certain ethical values with either local or organic purchasing, the consumption goals generally overlap and can thus be applied in a common model. However, the purchasing concepts appear to be unclear to consumers and linkages with social and non-ethical criteria increase the confusion and insecurity. Additionally, it is found that relationships between single ethical target criteria are not perceived as relevant and can thus be neglected in the model. Based on these results it is argued that the development of a model that supports purchasing decisions guided by ethical criteria is a viable approach, if it reflects all possible ethical consumption goals and provides sufficient transparency.
Akzeptanz und Erfolg kleinräumiger Systeme der Lebensmittelversorgung im urbanen Umfeld am Beispiel Stuttgart
empirische Untersuchungen von Verbrauchern und Unternehmen
(2012) Gebhardt, Beate
The working paper analyzes the acceptance of short-chain food supply systems by consumers and companies in Stuttgart, the provincial capital of Baden-Württemberg, based on theoretical considerations and empirical studies carried out by the Chair of Agricultural Markets and Marketing at the University of Hohenheim. The key questions of the empirical studies focus on the following points: How does the city population reflect the importance of regional foods? What are the attitudes and purchase behavior of urban consumers in regard to regional food or self production and what importance can the subjects gain in the future? Of which importance is regional food to local merchants? assortment in Stuttgart and which future developments can we derive?
Alte und neue Wege des Gemeinschaftsmarketings für Agrarprodukte und Lebensmittel
(2007) Rügge, Matthias; Kliebisch, Christoph
Gemeinschaftsmarketing für Agrarprodukte und Lebensmittel ist spätestens seit der Ein-führung des Absatzfondsgesetzes im Jahr 1969 das zentrale Instrument zur Absatzförde-rung in der Agrar- und Ernährungswirtschaft. Institutionalisiert in der Centralen Marketing-Gesellschaft der Deutschen Agrarwirtschaft (CMA) ist das Gemeinschaftsmarketing jedoch vor allem in der jüngeren Vergangenheit zunehmender Kritik ausgesetzt. Mit dem vorlie-genden Beitrag soll daher neben einem historischen Abriss zum Gemeinschaftsmarketing für Agrarprodukte und Lebensmittel und dem derzeitigen Organisationsaufbau ein Blick auf andere Organisationsformen des Gemeinschaftsmarketing gelenkt werden. Exemplarisch geschieht dies anhand des Modells der ?Levy Boards? in Großbritannien. Letztlich wird hierbei der Frage nachgegangen, ob bzw. welche Elemente dieses Modells für das bundesdeutsche Gemeinschaftsmarketing Vorbildcharakter haben.
An empirical analysis of the Swiss generalized system of preferences
(2018) Ritzel, Christian; Grethe, Harald
The progressively introduced DFQFMA for LDCs has a positive effect on the size of LDCs’ preferential exports to Switzerland. Consequently, the DFQFMA has considerably improved market access for the world’s poorest countries. Eliminating tariffs (progressively) causes preferential agro-food and textile exports of LDCs to rise substantially. However, it has to be remarked that the success of the DFQFMA is limited to the agro-food and textile sectors and to a few countries. The descriptive analysis of agro-food exports indicates that trade liberalization is a success story merely for a few LDCs, namely Tanzania, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Malawi, Senegal and Uganda. Those seven countries capture a total share of nearly 80 percent of LDCs’ agro-food exports to Switzerland. In the textile sector we observe an even higher degree of market concentration concerning LDCs’ preferential exports. Here, three countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal, account for 98 percent of LDCs’ preferential textile exports. It also can be noted that the GSP is a useful supplement to ‘duty-free tariffs’ (duty-free market access) under the WTO regime. For instance, 100 percent of LDCs’ agro-food exports from 2002 to 2011 entered Switzerland under reduced or duty-free tariffs. However, the share of preferential exports under the GSP was on average only 36 percent. In this context, the preference margin, which represents the main incentive to export under preferential conditions, compensates the costs of compliance associated with the GSP and yields an additional benefit for the importer has a consistent and positive effect on the level of the utilization rate. In particular, the application of the Heckman´selection model in article no. 1 makes clear that once trade contracts are established and an exporter has overcome bureaucratic obstacles in the form of proof of origin and proof of direct shipment, the ‘preference margin’ appears as the main incentive to export under preferential conditions granted by the GSP. While the effect of the size of ‘GSP eligible trade’ has a positive and significant effect in the case of the PPML estimations, the effect turned negative when the sample was restricted to positive values of the utilization rate in the case of the outcome equation of the Heckman selection model. This finding encourages our confidence that the ‘preference margin’ acts as the main incentive for exporting under preferential conditions. However, to benefit from these preferential tariffs, the institutional quality of a given DC or LDC is of crucial importance. Additionally, we address the question of whether reciprocal trade preferences are more beneficial for DCs compared to non-reciprocal trade preferences. Because trade preferences under the Swiss GSP are offered to the country group of DCs as a whole, non-reciprocal trade preferences are not tailored to the export structure of a particular DC. Consequently, by switching from non-reciprocal to negotiated reciprocal trade preferences, DCs such as Tunisia expect to negotiate terms which are tailored to their export structure and better conditions than competitors from countries which are still beneficiaries of the GSP. The Tunisian case study reveals that the switch from the GSP to an FTA causes no significant advantage in most of the export sectors. This implies that switching from non-reciprocal to reciprocal trade preferences yields advantages in export sectors where Tunisia has comparative cost advantages. This is especially true for the textile sector and partly so for the agro-food sector.
An integrated computable general equilibrium model including multiple types and uses of water
(2015) Luckmann, Jonas Jens; Grethe, Harald
Water is a scarce resource in many regions of the world and competition for water is an increasing problem. To countervail this trend policies are needed regulating supply and demand for water. As water is used in many economic activities, water related management decisions usually have complex implications. Economic simulation models have been proven useful to ex-ante assess the consequences of policy changes. Specifically, Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are very suitable to analyze the consequences of water-related management decisions, as they consider the interlinkages between different sectors and economic agents within an economy. However, so far there is no CGE model which provides a holistic picture of the water sector including all aspects of provision, demand and management. Against this background, in this thesis a CGE model (STAGE_W) is developed which is especially focused on the water sector and provides a generic, integrated and flexible framework to incorporate various water sources from which several water activities produce water commodities of differing quality. These are consumed by other activities or by households. The applications presented in this thesis are to the best knowledge of the author the first CGE approaches to depict the recycling of wastewater and the provision of brackish groundwater as independent activities. Another novelty of the model is that it is capable to depict cascading water use. Furthermore, the inclusion of several water specific taxation instruments allows for a wide range of water policy simulations. To demonstrate the capabilities of the model, STAGE_W is applied to a Social Accounting Matrix for Israel. Based on this database several case studies are conducted which are presented in three scientific articles. Israel provides an ideal example as the country is strongly affected by water scarcity and is also among the world leaders regarding the development of new water sources and technologies. In the first article, a literature review on previously existing approaches of water depiction in CGE models is provided along with a detailed description of the specifics of STAGE_W. The model is applied to simulate a reduction of freshwater resources. The effects of this shock are analyzed with and without further increasing the desalination capacity. The results show that the economic effects are slightly negative under both scenarios. Counterintuitively, the provision of additional potable water through desalination does not substantively reduce the negative outcomes. This is mainly due to the high costs of desalination, which are currently subsidized in Israel. The second article simulates an abolishment of the discriminatory water pricing system currently established in Israel. Instead, two alternative schemes are introduced: price liberalization, which unifies the prices for all potable water consumers at cost recovery rates, and marginal pricing, lifting the potable water price to the cost of desalination. It is found that both schemes yield a double dividend by simultaneously saving water and increasing economic growth. Thereby, marginal pricing allows for larger water savings while price liberalization results in higher economic growth. In the third article, the model is further refined: the quantity of sewage available for reclamation is linked to the water consumption of economic entities connected to a sewer system. This allows to depict cascading water use and to endogenously estimate the marginal value of unpurified sewage. It is shown that a consideration of this link is crucial, if a high share of potable water is reclaimed and used. In this case, reducing the potable water consumption of municipalities also negatively affects the availability of reclaimed wastewater and thereby reduces its potential as a substitute for potable water. These case studies provide evidence of the validity of the model developed. The model results cannot necessarily be anticipated, as they are the outcome of complex interrelations within the model and none of the previous models has the capacity to capture all the relevant aspects of the water sector which influence these outcomes. Therefore, it is concluded that STAGE_W constitutes a helpful tool to implement a more sustainable management of water resources, allowing policy makers to ex-ante estimate the economy-wide effects of water related decisions. As the whole economy is depicted, a more holistic picture of effects resulting from changes in the water sector can be drawn in comparison to single sector models or cost-benefit analyzes.
An ordinal regression model using dealer satisfaction data
(2007) Staus, Alexander
This article analyses dealer satisfaction data in the agricultural technology market in Germany. The dealers could rate their suppliers in the ?overall satisfaction? and in 38 questions which can be summarized in 8 dimensions. An ordinal regression model which is also known as the proportional odds model is used to analyse the ordinal scaled rating of the dealers. The ordinal regression model is a well examined method in econometric theory, but many authors prefer using a linear regression model due to better interpretation, even the assumptions of a linear regression do not fit the data. Since the estimated coefficients of an ordinal regression model can not be properly interpreted we show other methods for a better insight of the relationship of the dealer satisfaction and the influencing variables. These methods are easy to use and it is recommended to list some of them in empirical papers.
Animal welfare in non-anthropocentric cost-benefit analysis and social welfare functions: A critical review to guide practical application
(2024-10) Dusel, Sara; Wieck, Christine
Cost-benefit analysis and social welfare functions are two closely related methods to evaluate impacts of policies on humans (producers, consumers etc.) and animals. In cost-benefit analysis, the impacts on animals are currently either disclosed as intangible impacts or monetised from the human (anthropocentric) perspective through production costs, revenues and willingness to pay. Social welfare functions are more flexible to aggregate and trade-off impacts on animals, but they are not yet applied in practice. In the literature, advances have been made to monetise policy impacts from the animals’ (non-anthropocentric) perspective and to include animals in social welfare functions. Yet, policy analysts who seek to implement any of these approaches in practice face substantial challenges because the available studies differ considerably in the methodologies and underlying normative assumptions. We conduct a critical review of the scientific and grey literature with the aim to synthesise the available material, to facilitate an informed debate on conflicting normative assumptions, and to eventually guide the practical application of non-anthropocentric cost-benefit analysis and social welfare functions. The results of the critical review are presented in the form of a checklist that allows to better comprehend key steps of the methodologies. Step-by-step, the checklist gives an overview of the alternative options and normative assumptions in the literature, and points to any remaining research gaps. Beside the academic debate, this is relevant for practical policy analysts who need to make methodological choices for their policy questions at hand.
Die Bedeutung von Werten in Genossenschaften und deren Umsetzung
eine empirische Analyse
(2015) Hill, Sebastian; Doluschitz, Reiner
In this dissertation, we aimed to clarify what values are considered as typical for cooperatives in theory and practice, how the values are applied and realized in practice, and what are their functions and potentials. In the first step, a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature on a national and international level was used to identify which values are seen, in theory, as cooperative-specific values. Based on the results of the literature analysis, a questionnaire was developed and the branch, the size and age of the cooperative as well as the status of the respondents were defined as influencing factors. The questionnaire was sent as a digital quantitative survey to one manager in each of the 844 existing cooperatives in the Baden-Württemberg study region. As a second step, a written (postal) survey was conducted, involving a total of 3,552 members and 707 employees from two Cooperative Banks and Raiffeisen Cooperatives and three Commercial Cooperatives. The evaluation results of the database (from primary and secondary data) show that in scientific literature, cooperative values’ core is described as one that includes the values of democracy, self-help, solidarity, self-responsibility, voluntariness, equality and justice. Some of these values were also mentioned in the results of the empirical survey, whereas the cooperative managers tended to list general values such as reliability, sustainability and fairness, as typical for cooperatives. However, it can be shown that the traditional values still have significant and implicit influence on the legal form of registered cooperatives, and that the previously defined influencing factors have a strong effect on the relevant central values. Although differences could be found between the perception and implementation of cooperative values, a conscious and purposeful communication strategy can have a decisive influence here. The hidden functions and potentials of cooperative values are undisputed in practice, such as the functions of identity and foundation of trust, or discrimination against other types. In addition, the survey shows that in the minds of the managers, members and workers, the cooperative values have social and economic potentials as well as potentials for the marketing of the cooperatives. In summary, it can be said, that the cooperative values are a unique instrument for the cooperatives to promote the legal from of registered cooperatives. It is therefore important to recognize and exploit these potentials to gain a sustainable and successful future not just for the cooperative sector, but also for the whole German society.
Beschreibung von 24 Nachhaltigkeitspreisen in Deutschland mit Relevanz für Unternehmen der Ernährungsbranche
(2016) Gebhardt, Beate
Sustainability awards are an exclusive instrument of sustainability communication. They are significant limited - mainly quantitative. Not everyone can get such a price. Often only a few, mostly one, wins a contest.Interest in sustainability prices grows. This interest express companies, the potential winners,and show the donors of awards, the awarding institutions. In the last yearsmore and more sustainability competitions in Germanyare founded.Meanwhile, companies in the food industry can participatein 24 competitions with 82 categories (as of 2013). It is a dynamic market of sustainability awards - with lots of potential, but also some challenges. Independence and transparency of procurement become important elements of awards’ concepts. In this report, 24 sustainability competitions and their categories are featured in factsheets. This include the relevant competitions directlyaimed at companies in the food industry or be open for those.The approach to identify them isdescribed. In addition, the evaluation scheme of transparency of sustainability competitions is explained. Key results are described.
Biokraftstoff-Zertifizierungssysteme ISCC und REDcert
Darstellung, Vergleich und kritische Diskussion
(2011) Bücheler, Gerolf
Seit Jahren wird die Biokraftstoffproduktion weltweit mit ihren beiden Haupttreibstoffen, Bioethanol und Biodiesel, immer bedeutender. In 31 Ländern existieren auf nationaler Ebene Beimischungsverpflichtungen für Biokraftstoffe. Die Situation auf dem Biokraftstoffmarkt wird weltweit durch staatliche Förderung beeinflusst. Dies trifft auch auf die Biokraftstoffpolitik der EU zu. Im Jahre 2009 erfolgte die letzte große Änderung dieser Politik, die seit Januar 2011 unter anderem die Nachhaltigkeitszertifizierung von Biokraftstoffen vorschreibt. Die Berücksichtigung des Nachhaltigkeitsgedankens in Verbindung mit der Entwicklung der EU-Biokraftstoffförderung entstand als Folge der Kritik an den Biokraftstoffen: Biokraftstoffe vernichten Regenwald, seien zur Bekämpfung des Klimawandels ungeeignet und lassen die Bevölkerung in Entwicklungsländern hungern. Nach der Darstellung der relevanten rechtlichen Grundlagen und einem Überblick über die Nachhaltigkeitszertifizierung folgt ein Vergleich der beiden bislang in Deutschland zugelassenen Zertifizierungssysteme für Biokraftstoffe International SustainabilityandCarbonCertification (ISCC) und RenewableEnergyDirectiveCertification (REDcert). Beide Systeme werden auf Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten untersucht. Dabei werden jeweils die rechtliche Grundlage, die Biokraftstoff-Nachhaltigkeitsverordnung (Biokraft-NachV), und die von der für Nachhaltigkeitszertifizierungssysteme zuständigen Behörde, der Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), gemachten Ausführungen zur Biokraft-NachV einbezogen. Anhand der Kritikpunkte, dass Biokraftstoffe klimatisch unsinnig seien, wertvolle Ökosysteme vernichten würden und negative Auswirkungen besonders auf Menschen in Entwicklungsländern hätten, folgt eine kritische Diskussion der Nachhaltigkeitszertifizierungauf Basis der Erneuerbaren Energien Richtlinie (EER), die mögliche Schwächen und Chancen aufzeigt.
Broiler production in Ghana and Senegal
farm economics, international competitiveness and policy considerations
(2023) Chibanda, Craig Chikomborero; Wieck, Christine
Chicken meat consumption has rapidly increased in many West African countries in the last three decades. The increase in consumption has been attributed to several factors, which include population growth, urbanization, rising incomes, and the nutritional importance of chicken meat. However, poultry producers in many West African countries were struggling to meet the rising demand. Consequently, the gap in supply and demand led to an increase in frozen poultry meat imports by many African countries at the end of the 1990s. Most of the imports consisted of chicken meat cuts, which were considerably cheaper than domestically produced chicken meat. Price-wise, domestic chicken meat could not compete with imports, which sparked debate over their importation. In West African nations such as Ghana, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, farm closures, income losses, and a precipitous decline in domestic poultry production are believed to have resulted from the imports' low prices. In the early 2000s, countries in the region reacted differently to the influx of low-priced chicken imports, with some countries instituting protectionist measures that halted the imports while others continued to import the low-priced frozen chicken meat as a means of providing their citizens with a source of affordable animal protein. Although there has been much debate about the various pathways that countries have taken, limited research has been conducted to compare the agronomic and economic status quo of broiler chicken production in countries with different policies. Against this backdrop, the overarching objective of this dissertation is to investigate the economics and international competitiveness of broiler production in two West African countries pursuing different poultry trade policies: Ghana (which is heavily reliant on chicken meat imports) and Senegal (which banned poultry meat imports for almost two decades). Five research gaps in the body of literature on broiler production in Ghana and Senegal are identified in this dissertation. First, existing studies classify broiler production in Ghana and Senegal into broad production systems that are ambiguous. Second, although a number of studies have been conducted on the Ghanaian broiler value chain, there are conflicting arguments regarding the reasons for its lack of development. Third, existing studies do not provide comprehensive analyses of the performance (management), cost structure, and profitability of different broiler farm types in Ghana and Senegal. Fourth, there are no existing studies that compare the international competitiveness of broiler farms in West African countries like Ghana and Senegal with those in key chicken meat exporting countries. Fifth, the current body of literature fails to adequately examine some policy-related concerns. Specifically, little consideration is given to the potential effects of implementing alternative poultry trade policies in Ghana on producers. Based on these research gaps, this dissertation attempts to answer three overarching research questions: i. What is the state of broiler farm economics and broiler value chains in Ghana and Senegal? ii. How does the competitiveness of broiler farms in Ghana and Senegal compare with those in key chicken meat exporting countries in Europe (i.e., Germany and the Netherlands)? iii. What are the potential effects of implementing alternative poultry trade policies in Ghana? As this is a cumulative dissertation, the research questions were addressed in a series of journal articles that are included in this dissertation as chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Chapter 2 characterizes and analyses the economics of broiler production systems in Ghana. The typical farm approach is used for this purpose. This approach entails constructing empirically grounded farm data sets that are called “typical farms” through the use of a multi-stakeholder workshop, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Three broiler production systems in three regions were identified. They include the large-scale integrated production system (> 20,000 birds/year) in the Ashanti (Kumasi) region, the medium-scale system (5,000–20,000 birds/year) in the Brong-Ahafo (Dormaa) region, and the small-scale commercial system (< 5,000 birds/year) in the Greater Accra region. The Technology Impact Policy Impact Calculations (TIPI-CAL) model was then used to determine the performance, costs of production, and profitability of typical farms. TIPI-CAL is a production and accounting model used for farm economic analysis as it allows a detailed examination of farm-level variables and simulations. The findings presented in Chapter 2 show that the typical small-scale farm is performing the least in comparison to the other farm types in the country in terms of feed conversion ratios (FCR) and Broiler farm economy index (BFEI). The low farm performance of the typical small-scale farm is attributed to the use of poor-quality feed, inappropriate husbandry practices, and its long feeding period. Small-scale producers in Ghana attribute the unusually long feeding period (around 63 days) to market competition from low-priced frozen chicken meat imports. The producers explained that instead of selling their chickens in 42 days they had to rear them for up to 63 days because there is no ready market for them. The findings also show that although the typical medium-scale and large-scale integrated farms are generally performing better than the small-scale farm, they are also not performing so well in terms of the expected performance levels. Furthermore, the results show that broiler production in Ghana is typically seasonal. The seasonal production was attributed to the competition from frozen chicken meat imports, which are cheaper and more readily available in cut pieces, making preparation easier than with domestic chickens that are typically sold live. The results of the farm economic analysis also show that feed and day-old chick (DOC) costs are the most significant production cost items for all three typical farms. Despite the relatively high costs of feed and DOCs, broiler production as a seasonal activity is profitable for all typical farms. Chapter 3 studies the performance of Ghana’s poultry value chain and examines the interlinked challenges that actors in the value chain are facing and their underlying causes. The Sustainable Food Value Chain (SFVC) framework is used to assess and develop strategies to sustainably upgrade the Ghanaian broiler value chain. The SFVC concept moves away from the traditional approach of value chain analysis, where well-known constraints are listed along with proposed recommendations. Instead, the concept takes a universal perspective to identify the interlinked foundational causes of why value chain actors fail to take advantage of existing end-market opportunities. Due to the complex nature of studying value chains, both qualitative and quantitative research methods are employed. These include focus groups, semi-structured interviews, desk reviews, and the Delphi method. The results of the study highlight the poor economic, social, and environmental performance of the Ghanaian poultry sector. Although the results of the Delphi study show that poultry experts in Ghana perceive imports and high feed costs as the most significant challenges facing the value chain, a deeper analysis reveals that weak vertical and horizontal coordination among actors in the value chain, coupled with low commitment from supporting stakeholders, emerge as the root causes of the value chain's challenges. To achieve sustainable growth, the Ghanaian poultry value chain requires commitment and support from the government and other stakeholders, as well as coordination between them. The study also explains that effective vertical relationships (e.g., trust and communication) will play a vital role in the process of upgrading the value chain by promoting conditions that encourage investment. Also, effective cooperation in the horizontal linkages, for example, among producer associations (especially for the many small-scale producers), would contribute to reducing their production costs while facilitating their access to buyers and processors. In addition, competitive improvements would result in more value-added domestic chicken products that cater to the growing demands of Ghanaian consumers at lower prices. Chapter 4 studies the state of broiler production in Senegal after nearly two decades of poultry import restrictions. It provides a synopsis of the Senegalese broiler value chain and evaluates the performance and economics of different farm types. A multi-stakeholder workshop and interviews were conducted with key informants to investigate the structure and activities of the Senegalese broiler value chain. Again, the typical farm approach was used to construct and analyze typical farms that represent the most common broiler production systems in Senegal. Small-scale (<10.000 birds/year), medium scale (10,000–100,000 birds/year), and large-scale integrated (> 100,000 birds/year) production systems were identified as the most prevalent broiler production systems. The findings show that the two typical medium-scale broiler farms in Senegal are performing well in terms of FCRs, BFEI, and mortality rates. The good performance is attributed to the use of high-quality inputs (feed and chicks) and good husbandry practices. The results of the value chain analysis suggest that the country has well-developed feed and hatchery industries. Therefore, the development of these industries has ensured that producers have access to domestically produced, high-quality inputs. Nevertheless, the typical small-scale farm is not performing well, and this is attributed to inappropriate poultry husbandry practices. Additionally, the analysis revealed that feed and day-old chick (DOC) costs are the most significant in conventional broiler production in Senegal. Despite the high costs of feed and DOCs, broiler production is profitable for all typical farms. Chapter 5 examines whether differences in the competitiveness of broiler farms in Ghana, Senegal, Germany, and the Netherlands provide insight into why domestically produced chicken meat in West African countries is more expensive than imports from Europe. For this comparison, farm management (none monetary farm performance indicators) and economic performance indicators (costs of production and profitability) of typical broiler farms in the four countries are derived. The study shows that most of the typical broiler farms in Ghana and Senegal are not competitive with farms in Germany and the Netherlands in terms of farm management. More specifically, the findings show that the typical German and Dutch broiler farms are performing better than all typical farms in Ghana and the typical small-scale farm in Senegal in terms of the FCRs, BFEI, mortality rates, and number of production cycles per year. However, the performance of typical medium scale farms in Senegal is almost comparable to that of German and Dutch farms in terms of all the farm management indicators that were analyzed. The good farm management of medium scale farms in Senegal is attributed to good animal husbandry practices and the use of high-quality feed and high-quality DOCs. The findings also show that typical broiler farms in Ghana and Senegal are not competitive with German and Dutch farms in terms of economic performance. The poor economic performance of the Ghanaian and Senegalese farms is attributed to higher production costs. Apparently, the broiler farms in the two countries have higher production costs due to high feed and DOC costs. In Ghana, high feed costs are attributed to high feed prices and feed-use inefficiency (reflected by high FCRs). In the case of Senegal, high feed costs are largely due to high feed prices. Having established that typical broiler farms in Ghana and Senegal are not competitive in terms of farm management and costs of production , the impact of improving farm management (primarily the FCRs) on production costs was then simulated using the TIPI-CAL model. The results of the simulations demonstrate that improving farm management to optimum levels would lead to a reduction in the costs of production for Ghanaian and Senegalese farms. However, the reduction would not be sufficient to make the farms competitive with those in Germany and the Netherlands because high input costs (feed and DOC) are the primary contributors to high production costs. Improving the competitiveness of broiler farms will therefore require a combination of interventions designed to lower input costs and enhance farm management. For decades, Ghanaian policymakers have been pressured to implement protectionist policies to protect the poultry value chain from low-priced imports. Chapter 6 examines the potential impact of implementing these policies. The Modular Applied General Equilibrium Tool (MAGNET) and TIPI-CAL models are used to examine the: (1) potential impact of a hypothetical complete ban of poultry meat imports in Ghana; (2) potential impact of a partial ban of poultry products (banning poultry products originating from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Russia); (3) potential effects of raising the import tariffs on poultry meat in Ghana to 40 percent and 99 percent; and (4) potential effects of abolishing the current 5% import tariff rate on maize imports. The results show that a complete ban on poultry meat imports would have a positive impact on domestic poultry meat production, increasing production by 254%. This increase will be most likely driven by existing farms doubling their production cycles and new producers attracted to a protected broiler sector. The findings also show that a complete ban would increase the importation of maize. Considering the importance of maize for poultry production in Ghana, the effects of abolishing the existing 5% import tariff rate on maize were simulated. The results show that removing the tariff would not lead to a significant increase in poultry production. This is most likely due to the fact that the tariff rate is already very low. In accordance with World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements, Ghana is allowed to increase the tariff rate on poultry meat up to 99% (the maximum level of bound tariff). The findings show that increasing the tariff rate from the current 35% to 99% would result in a 104% increase in domestic poultry meat production. The tariff would offer significant protection to domestic producers and result in a significant reduction in poultry meat imports (around 57% reduction in imports). The typical farm analysis indicates that broiler farms in Ghana are more prevalent in urban and peri-urban areas. Therefore, a boost in domestic poultry meat production would most likely lead to an increase in urban and peri-urban employment. The findings also show that medium- and large-scale farms employ the highest number of people; therefore, such farm types are expected to boost urban and peri-urban employment if they increase production. Also, of importance, an increase in domestic broiler production will most likely have positive knock-on effects on other value chain actors such as slaughterhouses, feed millers, and poultry traders. Although the results indicate that producers will benefit from the implementation of protectionist measures, it is important for policymakers to keep in mind that such measures will most likely also have negative implications. For example, the results show that protectionist measures would lead to a decrease in the Gross domestic product (GDP) as the measures would either reduce or eliminate the imports leading to reduced tariff revenues, which account for a large share of total tariff revenues in Ghana. The dissertation concludes that a comprehensive sector-wide policy-making approach that considers all the challenges facing the different value chain actors (e.g., hatcheries, feed millers, producers, traders, slaughterhouses and consumers) will be more effective in providing a delicate balance that ensures that the broiler value chains in Ghana and Senegal develop and consumers have access to affordable chicken meat. Such an approach would also be useful in addressing the issue of high input prices (mainly feed and day-old chicks), which is at the center of the low competitiveness of broiler farms in the two countries. Additionally, the comprehensive policy-making approach should also consider the need for proper infrastructure and technology to support the growth of broiler value chains. This includes investments in cold storage facilities and slaughterhouses to ensure efficient and cost-effective processing and distribution of chicken meat. By addressing these challenges holistically, policymakers can create an enabling environment for the development of sustainable and competitive broiler value chains in both countries.
Can market fragmentation explain the limited success of political attempts to promote grain legume cultivation in Germany?
(2025) Mittag, Franziska; Hess, Sebastian
Grain legumes, such as field peas, field beans, sweet lupins and soybeans, are known to increase biodiversity within the appropriate crop rotation and are an important source of import-substituting feed protein. National and regional policy schemes have long tried to support the cultivation of grain legumes. Although many regions in Germany offer favourable conditions for grain legumes, previous subsidy schemes have failed to increase the area under cultivation and farmers report a lack of market incentives. Indeed, the available price data exhibit a substantial share of non-random missing values in weeks when grain legumes were not traded. We analyse these non-price periods using cointegration tests and single-hurdle Tobit models. The results indicate that regional price formation for grain legumes in German regions depends not only on a minimum quantity of the respective legume crop in supply but also on a favourable supra-regional soybean price: Regional grain legume markets are not integrated and show evidence of a fragmented market structure. This may explain why local grain legume value chains have failed to emerge in Germany, despite decades of policy attempts to support these crops.
Carbon taxation in Russia
prospects for a double dividend and improved energy efficiency
(2013) Orlov, Anton; Grethe, Harald
Russia is not only one of the world?s major sources of carbon based energy ? coal, oil and gas ? but is also one the most intensive users of energy. Furthermore, Russia accounts for a disproportionately large share of global carbon dioxide emissions ? some 5% to 6% of global carbon dioxide emissions (EIA, 2011a). It has been estimated (World Bank, 2008) that Russia could reduce its use of primary energy use by 45% with consequent economic and environmental benefits. High energy and carbon intensity of the Russia economy is, inter alia, explained by low energy prices due to high export taxes as well as administrative regulation of domestic prices of gas and electricity and low environmental taxes. Carbon taxes are one such Pigouvian tax and they would address concerns on several fronts simultaneously. In the short to medium term they would, inter alia, lead to lower GHG emissions and encourage the diffusion of more energy efficient technologies. In the longer term, the increased cost of energy inputs is expected to induce technological progress. In this analysis, the macroeconomic and sectoral effects of carbon taxes on the Russia economy are examined. This analysis addresses the following objectives: i) to test the double dividend hypothesis under perfect and imperfect competition in output markets, to analyse ii) the incidence of carbon taxes, iii) impacts on sectoral competitiveness, iv) effects on income equity, and v) interactions of carbon taxes with other taxes. A computable single-country multi-sector comparative static CGE model is employed.
Cartographie du commerce agricole au sein de la CEDEAO
structure et flux des produits agricoles, obstacles au commerce, lacunes en matière de financement et options politiques. Un projet de recherche en coopération avec la GIZ pour le compte du BMZ
(2021) Wieck, Christine; Kareem, Olayinka Idowu; Ejima, Joseph; Mahe, Rukayya; Alaba, Dare; Traoré, Sékou Amadou; Fynn, Mark Kofi
This study reviews the structure and flow of formal and informal agri-food trade within ECOWAS and evaluate the trade barriers, financial and quality infrastructure gaps. A mixed-method approach – qualitative and quantitative methods – is adopted which comprises an extensive literature review, analysis of available statistical data on formal and informal trade and trade barriers, a field survey, expert interviews and workshops. The intra-ECOWAS agri-food trade is still at the low level with most of the traded agri-food commodities largely without value addition and characterised by inadequate diversification of the export base. A preponderance of informal agri-food trade along both the formal and informal trade corridors are detected. Livestock, oilseeds, cottonseed, nuts, cocoa beans, cereal, cassava, fisheries, fruits and vegetables were the most traded agri-food commodities, which were not given any concession of passage or facilitated across the borders despite the perishability of the commodities. Agri-food trade flows in the ECOWAS are largely hampered by the heterogeneous trade policy measures across the Member states. This is often a barrier to trade and tend to increase trade costs and commodities prices, thereby constraining the regional trade benefits to the people while also making the trading countries uncompetitive. Women agri-food traders were often exploited and harassed by the different borders’ officials. More so, the low intra-ECOWAS trade in agricultural and food products is due to the low production capacities, which among others are due to the inadequate finance, poor quality infrastructure – soft (trained inspectors, customs procedures digitalisation, certification, etc) and hard (metrology facilities, roads, ports’ facilities, testing and inspection laboratories, etc.). Agricultural trade finance has been identified as one of the key challenges inhibiting trade in agricultural commodities in this subregion. Strategic policy options to promote agri-food trade within ECOWAS are provided
Chances and limitations of European soybean production
market potential analysis
(2016) Berschneider, Jana
Overseas imports of soybeans from Brazil, the US and Argentina to Europe are increasing every year. Simultaneously, GMO farming in these countries is being expanded ever further. European farming of protein crops especially soybeans is being pushed by organizations and protein initiatives for economical and ecological reasons. In 2015 soybean acreages expanded drastically due to the additional Greening political measures which came into force. Therefore it is worth asking about the potential of a European non-GMO soybean market. The aim of this thesis was to work out the principal chances and limitations of a European soybean market under the current agricultural political conditions. Moreover, it should be discussed how many of the imported soybean commodities, of which more than 85% are from overseas, could be replaced by soybeans planted in Europe. In order to get to the bottom of the interests in this market from the perspective of the market actors, ten interviews were carried out. The result made it clear. European soybeans cannot yet compete with the overseas soybeans in terms of quantity (homogenous commodity lot sizes), price and even quality (mainly protein content). Thats why European non-GMO soybeans are not yet of high importance on the most important consumer market, which is the feed market, as large processors favor homogeneous lots and a reliably supply of commodities as to avoid volatile qualities in production. The greatest constraint comes from the limited availability of arable land in Europe as well as from a lack of early maturing soybeans that are well adapted to the European growing conditions. The restricted availability of arable land lead to a competitive situation with other cash crops such as corn, but according to the results of this thesis, soybean growing’s result in lower revenues and are therefore economical less competitive than corn. Thus, output (income) optimizing farmers under today’s conditions decide not to replace corn by soybeans. Furthermore, a limited practice experience in less experienced relatively new soybean growing regions slow down the development of a competitive European soybean market. Moreover, an insufficiently established non-GMO soybean industry hinder the market development due to difficulties of coexisting GMO and non-GMO commodities. Separated product flows in non-GMO processing plants, wholesale and collection points, are segments within the value chain which need to be further promoted for this market development. The zero tolerance regarding GMO traces in seed has been analyzed as a market barrier especially in the plant breeding industry. Thus, the thesis argued to establish a feasible GMO threshold value for seed as is already legal for food and feed.This is mentioned as a political constraint primarily, as well as too little effort towards specifically promoting a regional protein strategy, if more independence from overseas imports will be achieved. On the other hand, chances for the European soybean market are expected, as long as added value can be generated through special marketing programs, particularly trademarks. This means marketing products at higher prices according to regionality and non-GMO labelling. Therewith, a distribution of additional costs for testing and separation along the value chain could be achieved. Especially the Danube Soya Association is being described as a driving force. They mobilize market agents along the value-added chain, help to create uniform standards, test and monitors soybean commodities to be non-GMO and are finally labeled as such. In this way the non-GMO separation needs to be extended by European regulation to simplify the process to reach a European non-GMO soybean market. The consumers demand for local or organic products is constantly increasing. Consequently, non-GMO soybean components are being asked for in animal feed. A significant market opportunity for soybeans is that they are not really replaceable (in terms of quality) by any other protein crop without needing to reduce the economic efficiency of animal production. Therefore, the potential for demand is there principally. The analysis of the application of non-GMO feed shows that this is only of importance in smaller amounts in a few countries within Europe. Significant animal producing countries such as the Netherlands and Spain have no interest in non-GMO products. Thus, the intentions behind the European non-GMO soybean market, such as more independence from overseas imports, are likewise limited to specific regions of Europe. The European soybean production possibilities are economical and geographical limited and would not be able to do much more than satisfy certain consumer niches who are willing to pay the added value for non-GMO products.
Die CMA auf dem Prüfstand
(2006) Becker, Tilman
Der Beitrag möchte gern als Aufforderung zu einer wissenschaftlichen Diskussion über die Aufgabenschwerpunkte, nicht nur der CMA, sondern auch der ZMP und des Absatzfonds, verstanden werden. Es wird ausführlich auf den europa- und verfasungsrechtlichen Rahmen eingegangen, in dem die CMA sich als eine staatliche Institution bewgen muß. Die Aufgabenbereiche der CMA werden vorgestellt und untersucht, wobei insbesondere auf die Werbung ausführlich eingegangen wird. Als Schlussfolgerung ergibt sich, dass auf Grund des Absatzfondsgesetzes, des EU-Beihilfenrechts und insbesondere des Urteils des Europäischen Gerichtshofs zum CMA-Gütezeichen die Werbemöglichkeiten der CMA so weit begrenzt sind, dass jede Produktwerbung unwirksam sein muß. Andernfalls ist diese staatliche Werbung nicht vereinbar mit dem EG-Vertrag.
Comparing hops and malt price transmission in the beer value chain: evidence from Germany
(2025) Hess, Sebastian; Bublik, Nikolas
The German beer value chain has received limited attention so far, despite the country’s central role in global beer production. This study investigates the price dynamics of its two key inputs—hops and malt—using monthly price data from 2015 to 2024 based on a unique dataset from a German hops cooperative. While contract farming is common for both raw materials, malt is traded via private firms, whereas hops are marketed almost exclusively through farmer-owned cooperatives. A vector error correction model (VECM) is estimated, incorporating structural break dummies identified through Bai–Perron tests, followed by forecast error variance decomposition (FEVD) and impulse response function (IRF) analysis. The results show that hop prices are largely self-driven and adjust more quickly to deviations from equilibrium than malt or beer prices. While malt and beer exhibit stronger interdependencies, the hop sector displays greater price stability. The findings further reveal that the malting sector responded significantly to the recent energy price crisis in Germany, whereas the hop sector did not.
A concept of a decentral server infrastructure to connect farms, secure data, and increase the resilience of digital farming
(2025) Bökle, Sebastian; Gscheidle, Michael; Weis, Martin; Paraforos, Dimitrios S.; Griepentrog, Hans W.
With the intensified use and integration of digital technologies in agriculture, dependencies and constraints occurred which weakened the adoption and reduced effectiveness of innovative technology due to lacking interoperability and resilience. As awareness of these problems increased concepts have been developed to meet this issue with decentralized IT- infrastructures. With the proposed concept the authors aim to refine these existing infrastructures with concrete suggestions for server infrastructures. Off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software, enable cheap access to digital technologies yet provide sufficient support by choosing open-source tools with big or active communities. With the involvement of the machinery rings the economic advantages scale up because of the interfarm use of expensive technology. The farmservers on the farmside are the edge nodes of a regional network. The local machinery ring is the next node which is supposed to offer remote services for the farmers, who have a trustful partner in the machinery rings. The concept orients on revised requirements enriched by the results of a survey, conducted by the authors, adding the focus on interfarm cooperations. The concept meets the main constraints farmers face in digitalization: Data sovereignty, resilience, interoperability, high costs, and trust.
Dairy farmers’ market choice, food safety and production efficiency in rural Bangladesh
(2025) Happy, Fardous Ara; Hess, Sebastian
The dairy sector in Bangladesh is a cornerstone of rural livelihoods, functioning not only as a vital source of food and nutritional security but also as a powerful vehicle for poverty reduction through the productive engagement of surplus family labor and the generation of household income from milk product sales. As the most economically pivotal component of the agricultural sector, the dairy value chain (encompassing production, processing, marketing, and food safety) relies fundamentally on the contributions of smallholder dairy farmers. These producers, primarily resource-constrained and operating small-scale enterprises with limited access to improved cattle breeds, are predominantly situated in geographically isolated regions. Such structural limitations hinder their market connection. Consequently, farmers typically earn less than half of the final consumer price, while national milk production remains insufficient to meet the rising demand for safe, nutritious, and high-quality dairy products. Understanding the existing farming conditions and market dynamics is therefore essential for designing effective policy interventions and management advice that could improve the dairy sector in rural Bangladesh regarding production, productivity, food safety, and market access. As a starting point for this, a systematic literature review examines the market attributes of the dairy value chain in Bangladesh and compares them to the dairy sector in India. Despite rising demand for dairy products, particularly in urban and high-income areas, the traditional dairy markets (TDM) continue to dominate in both countries, accounting for about 80 percent of milk production. The weak linkage of milk producers to the commercial dairy market (CDM) is driven by the combined influence of CDM limitations and the continued appeal of the TDM. CDM lacks adequate promotional services to attract producers, while TDM systems offer proximity and familiarity with rural producers. Nevertheless, TDM supplies dairy products of inferior quality that are primarily consumed locally. These products have limited value addition and a shorter shelf life. Additionally, perceived unfair pricing and bargaining pressure within TDM often lead to malpractices, including adulteration. In contrast, CDM - especially through cooperative and private sector contractual models - offers better market access, value-added product diversification, and wider geographic distribution which tends to benefit both producers and consumers. Beyond this systematic review, a stratified survey was conducted in 2023 in three different agro-climatic milk-producing regions of rural Bangladesh. Data were collected through farm visits, interviewing N=511 milk producers using a structured questionnaire. Respondents in the sample were active sellers of milk either in commercial dairy markets (CDM) or traditional dairy markets (TDM). According to the results, market structures at dairy villages determine dairy farmers’ self-selection into different markets. Access to commercial markets (CDM) is influenced by physical infrastructure, particularly the availability of paved roads. Where such infrastructure exists, farmers are more likely to choose cooperative or private processors over the available local market (TDM). Interestingly, despite offering better prices, the nominal value of raw milk appeared to have limited explanatory power in farmers' market choice decisions. Instead, household-specific factors such as the shadow value of milk play a more influential role. Even more notably, a distinct subgroup of farmers who adhere to high food safety and hygiene practices prefer selling in local or informal markets, despite having access to commercial alternatives. As food safety practices are important for farm sustainability and safe milk sales, the key drivers influencing the adoption of food safety practices (FSPs) at small-scale dairy farms have also been analyzed based on the survey data: Farmers' knowledge and attitude towards food safety management has a strong influence on the adoption of FSPs. However, farm-level high compliance costs for FSPs, limited market incentives at the milk collection stage, and shortcomings in milk pricing policies significantly hinder the adoption of FSPs. These effects are particularly pronounced among untrained farmers, as they are less likely to show a positive attitude of farmers towards food safety implementation. Furthermore, the presence of these barriers has a negative impact on resource utilisation and farm inspections—eventually slowing progress towards safer dairy practices. Regarding productivity, results show that variations in milk production are largely explained by the number of lactating cows per farm. The mean technical efficiency (TE) peaks in the river zone, but is mostly uniform across market types. Intra-household milk consumption increases TE in coastal and dry regions. Moreover, the distance to food markets is inversely correlated with TE. The relatively high TE among cooperative-linked farms is facilitated by the provision of training and extension services. In general, household education, consumption of home-produced milk, diversified income sources and experience in dairy production serve as significant factors in driving the TE of dairy farms in Bangladesh. Although food safety practices are empirically correlated with lower TE, they remain essential for long-term farm sustainability and consumer health. Therefore, promoting a synergy between the efficiency of the CDM and the accessibility of TDM for producers should be a central goal of dairy sector interventions, enabling the transformation of rural dairy markets into high-value, CDM-like systems. This transition supports the growth of smallholder farming and therefore requires the development of strong producer associations and the provision of improved training, extension services and rural infrastructure. CDM frameworks also need to incorporate more effective price incentives for milk from farms with high food safety standards. In combination, these measures will strengthen the CDM by enhancing productivity, farm safety, income stability, and the delivery of safe milk to consumers. It is vital that implementation of such policies will be adapted to region- and market-specific contexts.

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