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The agro-food industry, public health, and environmental protection: investigating the Porter hypothesis in food regulation

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  • Eric Giraud-Héraud

    (Université de Bordeaux)

  • Jean-Pierre Ponssard

    (Ecole Polytechnique)

  • Bernard Sinclair Desgagné

    (HEC)

  • Louis-Georges Soler

    (Université de Bordeaux)

Abstract

Sustainable food concerns have pushed public authorities to act by means of regulations, standards and other devices, and businesses to innovate in their products and production processes. We argue that the Porter hypothesis—which asserts that properly designed and implemented environmental regulation might be good for society as well as the targeted firms—might well be verified in this context. After reviewing and illustrating the working principles and main criticisms of this hypothesis, we provide a more in-depth discussion of nutritional issues. While the literature generally points to organizational imperfections and market failures to validate the Porter hypothesis, we submit and model another rationale for the agro-food industry, a rationale that is based on consumer behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Giraud-Héraud & Jean-Pierre Ponssard & Bernard Sinclair Desgagné & Louis-Georges Soler, 2016. "The agro-food industry, public health, and environmental protection: investigating the Porter hypothesis in food regulation," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 127-140, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:roafes:v:97:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s41130-016-0011-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s41130-016-0011-8
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sustainable food; Regulation; Innovation; Consumer behavior; Porter hypothesis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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