Food competition in world markets: Some evidence from a panel data analysis of top exporting countries

This paper investigates the relevance of relative prices and world income as determinants of food exports for the top trading countries in the period 1992-2012 using a panel data framework. A distinction between processed and unprocessed goods is drawn and, within this last category, a specific focus on commodities is made. We find that price elasticities generally take lower values for processed goods, and the opposite holds for income elasticities. Processed goods are also characterized by an inverse relationship between price elasticities and average unit values. The overall analysis leads to the conclusion that both emerging and advanced countries should increase their export specialization in processed goods. Furthermore, developed economies could face the fierce competition from emerging countries by enhancing the quality content of their processed goods exports.