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The effect of ethanol policies on the vertical price transmission in corn and food markets

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  • Drabik, Dušan
  • Ciaian, Pavel
  • Pokrivčák, Ján

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of ethanol policies on price transmission along the food supply chain. We consider the US corn sector and its vertical links with food and ethanol (energy) markets. We find that ethanol is a source of imperfect price transmission in the food supply chain. Ethanol, however, alters price transmission only under a binding blender's tax credit and only from food to corn (not vice versa). Our results indicate that ethanol weakens the response of corn and food prices in terms of their level changes to shocks occurring in agricultural (corn and food) markets. The results are robust to different assumptions on the model parameters. Although market power has previously been identified as a source of imperfect price transmission in the food supply chain, our findings show that in the presence of ethanol, the imperfect price transmission may occur even if markets are perfectly competitive. This warrants careful evaluation of markets before any policy intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Drabik, Dušan & Ciaian, Pavel & Pokrivčák, Ján, 2016. "The effect of ethanol policies on the vertical price transmission in corn and food markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 189-199.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:55:y:2016:i:c:p:189-199
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2016.02.010
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    5. Szenderak, J. & Jambor, A. & Potori, N., 2018. "Apples versus oranges: does interdependence between the European Union juice concentrate markets exist?," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277511, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Karel Janda & Ladislav Kristoufek, 2019. "The relationship between fuel and food prices: Methods, outcomes, and lessons for commodity price risk management," CAMA Working Papers 2019-20, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    7. Filip, Ondrej & Janda, Karel & Kristoufek, Ladislav & Zilberman, David, 2019. "Food versus fuel: An updated and expanded evidence," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 152-166.
    8. Wang, Xin & Lim, Michael K. & Ouyang, Yanfeng, 2017. "Food-energy-environment trilemma: Policy impacts on farmland use and biofuel industry development," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 35-48.
    9. Karel Janda & Ladislav Krištoufek & Barbora Schererová & David Zilberman, 2021. "Price transmission in biofuel-related global agricultural networks," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 67(10), pages 399-408.
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    12. Eissa, Mohamad Abdelaziz & Al Refai, Hisham, 2019. "Modelling the symmetric and asymmetric relationships between oil prices and those of corn, barley, and rapeseed oil," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    13. Aguilar Candelas, Oscar J. & Arana Coronado, Jaime & Trejo-Pech, Carlos O. & Martínez Damián, Miguel Ángel, 2017. "Price Transmission along the Supply Chain of Strawberries in Mexico," 2017 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2017, Mobile, Alabama 252680, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
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    16. Swanson, Andrew C., 2022. "Corn, Carbon, and Competition: The Low Carbon Fuel Standard's Effects on Imperfectly Competitive Corn Markets," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322442, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Price transmission; Food supply chain; Biofuels; Policies; Mandate; Tax credit; Prices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q21 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

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