In this study we discuss why planting non-Bacillus thuringiensis (non-Bt) cotton as a refuge crop in China (and other developing countries) may not be economically optimal. To show this, we develop a bioeconomic model to run simulations that will help find the optimal strategies for managing the...

There is still no evidence that new farming structures created in the process of land reform have achieved higher productivity than traditional farms. The most striking achievements of reform include a sharp reduction in state ownership of land and a substantial increase in the share of...

Land reform in former socialist countries is proceeding along the dual track of restitution to former owners and distribution to users. Privatisation of land is accompanied by restructuring of large-scale farm enterprises, where all the production assets and facilities accumulated during the...

The countries of East Central Europe and the former Soviet Union have achieved considerable progress with land reform and farm restructuring since 1991. Yet the achievements fall short of original expectations, both it scope and in character. So far, agricultural transformation has not produced...

This paper gives an overview of the recent developments in the field of the political economy and its applications to agricultural policies. It highlights the interaction between economic and political markets, political preferences, the influence of lobbying groups, voters and politicians, and...

Endogenous policy theory is used to explain developments in agricultural and trade policies in Central Europe (CE). There have been three phases since 1989. After the initial liberalisation, ad hoc interventions emerged to protect consumers and producers against the negative real income effects...

Few years ago, the widely shared view was that low food prices were a curse to developing countries. The dramatic increase in food prices in 2006-2008 appears to have fundamentally altered this view. The vast majority of analyses and reports in 2008 and 2009 state that high food prices have a...

This paper aims to provide empirical evidence relating to the importance of contract enforcement for development. Survey data on Hungarian farms are used to estimate the impact of contract hold-ups on investment. We find that investment is affected by a variety of factors. Contract breaches in...

There is no consensus about how globalisation – trade and foreign investments – affects poverty reduction. Using household survey data, this study contributes to the empirical literature on globalisation and poverty by analysing the household-level implications of increased foreign...

We develop a formal model of EU decision-making on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The model is used to evaluate under what conditions CAP reform occurs and what the influence of the European Commission (Commission) is on CAP reform. We find that the voting and amendment rules in the...