IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/iaae06/25253.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Agriculture in the Age of Globalization

Author

Listed:
  • Romano, Donato

Abstract

This paper aims at analyzing the asymmetries in the process of globalization and its differentiated outcomes on (i) developed and less developed countries, and (ii) on LDC agriculture. The consequences of these asymmetries are reflected in the dramatic changes in world agricultural trade - an unprecedented growth of agricultural trade in real terms and a dramatic change in its composition which is increasingly moving away from bulk commodities towards high-value, processed consumer-ready agricultural goods. The impacts of these changes on LDC agriculture have been quite differentiated, with most countries experiencing a worsening of their agricultural trade balance. This change of the LDC trade position is counterintuitive if we still think of agricultural trade as a comparative-advantage-based trade, i.e. based on cost competition. It seems instead that the change in the composition of agricultural trade is the epiphenomenon of a fundamental change in the rules of the game, which are increasingly based on the reputation of agricultural products and imply a quality-based competition. Unfortunately, the implications for LDC agriculture do not seem encouraging. The intrinsic poverty of these economies, with the implied burden in terms of missing assets to compete under the new rules of the game and some adverse globalization-induced changes in LDCs macro fundamentals, are crucial handicaps that work against the development of LDC agriculture. Furthermore, the underlying forces driving globalization (increasing returns to scale, research, development of new products, etc.) undermine the traditional role of agriculture as engine of growth. The analysis carried out in this paper represents one more piece of evidence that the effects of globalization are asymmetric and that development success requires selective and phased integration with world markets. Without the required investments in terms of infrastructure, institutions, human and social capital, LDC agriculture will hardly be able to claim the expected benefits of globalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Romano, Donato, 2006. "Agriculture in the Age of Globalization," 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia 25253, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae06:25253
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.25253
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/25253/files/cp060492.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.25253?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tyers,Rod & Anderson,Kym, 1992. "Disarray in World Food Markets," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521351058.
    2. David C. Parsley & Shang-Jin Wei, 2001. "Limiting Currency Volatility to Stimulate Goods Market Integration: A Price Based Approach," NBER Working Papers 8468, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Kolleen Rask & Norman Rask, 2004. "Transition Economies and Globalization: Food System Asymmetries on the Path to Free Markets," Working Papers 0410, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    4. Tyers,Rod & Anderson,Kym, 2011. "Disarray in World Food Markets," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521172318.
    5. Thomas W. Hertel & Zhi Wang & Wusheng Yu, 1998. "Understanding the Determinants of Structural Change in World Food Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1051-1061.
    6. Pingali, P. L. & Traxler, G., 2002. "Changing locus of agricultural research: will the poor benefit from biotechnology and privatization trends?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 223-238, June.
    7. Robert C. Feenstra, 1998. "Integration of Trade and Disintegration of Production in the Global Economy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 31-50, Fall.
    8. Dehn,Jan, 2000. "Commodity price uncertainty in developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2426, The World Bank.
    9. Thomas W. Hertel & Zhi Wang & Wusheng Yu, 1998. "Understanding the Determinants of Structural Change in World Food Markets," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1051-1061.
    10. Warren, Tony & Gary Clyde Hufbauer & Erika Wada, 2002. "Benefits of Price Convergence: Speculative Calculations, The," Peterson Institute Press: All Books, Peterson Institute for International Economics, number pa65.
    11. Javier León & Raimundo Soto, 1997. "Structural Breaks And Long-Run Trends In Commodity Prices," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(3), pages 347-366.
    12. Robert C. Feenstra, 1998. "Integration of Trade and Disintegration of Production in the Global Economy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 31-50, Fall.
    13. Jan Dehn, 2000. "Commodity Price Uncertainty in Developing Countries," Economics Series Working Papers WPS/2000-12, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    14. Yotopoulos,Pan A., 1996. "Exchange Rate Parity for Trade and Development," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521482165.
    15. Jan Dehn, 2000. "Commodity price uncertainty in developing countries," CSAE Working Paper Series 2000-12, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    16. Runge, C. Ford & Senauer, Benjamin & Pardey, Philip G. & Rosegrant, Mark W. (ed.), 2003. "Ending hunger in our lifetime: Food security and globalization," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 0-8018-7725-3.
    17. Unknown, 1961. "The Role of Agriculture in Economic Development," International Journal of Agrarian Affairs, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 3(2), pages 1-1, April.
    18. Baier, Scott L. & Bergstrand, Jeffrey H., 2001. "The growth of world trade: tariffs, transport costs, and income similarity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 1-27, February.
    19. Yasuyuki Sawada & Pan A. Yotopoulos, 2006. "Growth and Poverty Reduction Under Globalization: The Systematic Impact of Exchange Rate Misalignment," Discussion Papers 06-014, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Vanzetti, David & Nikolic, Aleksandra, 2011. "Potential Impacts of WTO Accession on the Agribusiness Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114611, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marchant, Mary A. & Kumar, Sanjeev, 2004. "Demand Determinants For U.S. Processed Food Exports By Emerging/Low And Middle-Income Countries," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20276, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    2. Graham, Brett & Tyers, Rodney, 2002. "Global Population Forecast Errors, Economic Performance and Food Demand: Preliminary Simulations," 2002 Conference (46th), February 13-15, 2002, Canberra, Australia 125091, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    3. Akiyama, Takamasa & Baffes, John & Larson, Donald F. & Varangis, Panos, 2003. "Commodity market reform in Africa: some recent experience," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 83-115, March.
    4. Moledina, Amyaz A. & Roe, Terry L. & Shane, Mathew, 2004. "Measuring Commodity Price Volatility And The Welfare Consequences Of Eliminating Volatility," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 19963, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    5. Raúl Serranoa & Vicente Pinilla, 2010. "The Evolution and Changing Geographical Structure of World Agri-food Trade, 1950-2000," Working Papers 10-06, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC).
    6. Terheggen, Anne, 2010. "The new kid in the forest: the impact of China's resource demand on Gabon's tropical timber value chain," MPRA Paper 37982, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Paul J. Burke & Andrew Leigh, 2010. "Do Output Contractions Trigger Democratic Change?," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(4), pages 124-157, October.
    8. Joël Cariolle & Michaël Goujon, 2015. "Measuring Macroeconomic Instability: A Critical Survey Illustrated With Exports Series," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 1-26, February.
    9. Mark McGillivray, 2003. "Aid Effectiveness and Selectivity: Integrating Multiple Objectives into Aid Allocations," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2003-71, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Subhani, Muhammad Imtiaz & Osman, Ms.Amber & Khokhar, Rabbia, 2010. "Determinants and barriers to bilateral trade A study on developing economies," MPRA Paper 26179, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Mayer, Jörg, 2004. "Export Dynamism and Market Access," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 19, pages 289-316.
    12. Cipollina, Maria & Salvatici, Luca, 2007. "EU and developing countries: an analysis of preferential margins on agricultural trade flows," Working Papers 7219, TRADEAG - Agricultural Trade Agreements.
    13. Paul Collier & Benedikt Goderis, 2010. "Does Aid Mitigate External Shocks?," Working Papers id:3216, eSocialSciences.
    14. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2004. "Trade Costs," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 691-751, September.
    15. Mark McGillivray, 2003. "Efficacité de l'aide et sélectivité : vers un concept élargi," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 11(4), pages 43-62.
    16. Benjamin Bridgman, 2008. "Energy Prices and the Expansion of World Trade," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 11(4), pages 904-916, October.
    17. Thad Dunning, 2005. "Resource Dependence, Economic Performance, and Political Stability," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 49(4), pages 451-482, August.
    18. Céline Carrère & Maurice Schiff, 2005. "On the Geography of Trade. Distance is Alive and Well," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 56(6), pages 1249-1274.
    19. Collier, Paul & Goderis, Benedikt, 2008. "Commodity Prices, Growth, and the Natural Resource Curse: Reconciling a Conundrum," MPRA Paper 17315, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Álvaro Aguirre & Mario Giarda, 2015. "The Resource Curse: Does Fiscal Policy Make a Difference?," Working Papers Central Bank of Chile 761, Central Bank of Chile.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    International Relations/Trade;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:iaae06:25253. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iaaeeea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.