We quantify the emergence of biofuel markets and its impact on U.S. and world agriculturefor the coming decade using the multi-market, multi-commodity international FAPRI (Food andAgricultural Policy Research Institute) model. The model incorporates the trade-offs betweenbiofuel, feed, and food...

This survey paper explores the literature on decoupling of farm programs that has emerged inthe last 10 years. The paper identifies and assesses the various channels of potential coupling ofdecoupled farm payments and provides a taxonomy of coupling mechanisms found in theoreticaland empirical...

We propose a simple but effective estimation procedure to extract the level and the volatilitydynamics of a latent macroeconomic factor from a panel of observable indicators. Our approachis based on a multivariate conditionally heteroskedastic exact factor model that cantake into account the...

This paper is an exercise in dating the Euro area business cycle on a monthly basis. Using a quite flexible interpolation routine, we construct several monthly series of Euro area real GDP, and then apply the Bry-Boschan (1971) procedure. To account for the asymmetry in growth regimes and...

This paper presents a harmonized data set over the period 1972-2002, containing two-yearly data on the number of non-agricultural business owners and the size of the labour force for 23 OECD countries, as well as the quotient of these two variables which is called the business ownership rate of...

Renewed interest in economic growth has encouraged studies of how different sectors have contributed to convergence trends. Comparing productivity levels across countries is notoriously tricky, but one attractive approach has been to deflate sector value added by the PPP exchange rate for GDP....

In the last years more and more consumers evince increasing interest in fair traded products. This trade conceptis designed to help mainly producers of agricultural products to keep some basic social producing criteria. Thedifferent Fair-Trade-Organisations try to implement better work- and life...

In this article we discuss the determinants of international agricultural market prices andpresent the results of a partial equilibrium model of international agricultural trade withinterconnected markets. The results of the model suggest that the long term trend of decliningreal agricultural...