The science, funding and organisation of plant breeding in Australia has changed greatly since the 1980s. This paper explores the institutional change in plant variety provision in Australia. The roles of key economic and political agents are emphasized, along with the impact of changes in...

In emerging markets for high-value food products in developing countries, processing companies search for efficient ways to source raw material of consistent quality. One widely embraced approach is contract farming. But relatively little is known about the appropriate design of contracts,...

In emerging markets for high-value food products in developing countries, processing companies search for efficient ways to source raw material of consistent quality. One widely embraced approach is contract farming. But relatively little is known about the appropriate design of contracts,...

The introduction of a centralized institution for trading production rights in quota-regulated agricultural sectors can dramatically improve the flow of information among market participants and increase efficiency. On the other hand, prevailing conditions in these small markets can provide...

This paper examines two models of interaction between private and public institutions in respectto the process of innovation. While private firms adopt proactive strategies and public institutionsfollow it is considered that, under certain conditions, public institutions are theinnovator and...

The understanding of how allocation decisions can maximise the economic returns to the community from water for irrigation has received little attention, but is a significant issue for regional councils, those interested in water allocation policy development, and for irrigated farmers. There is...

Market extension for organic products is restricted due to three types of organizational problems: (1) problems on resourcing (limited supply), (2) deficits in market structure and (3) problems of safeguarding special (pioneer) investment against opportunism. The market of organic products is...

Price premiums are recognized as a central barrier for the diffusion of organic food. On average, the consumer has to pay about 50 % more for organic food than for comparable products. This is also true for large retailers although considerable economies of scale could be expected. Against this...

“Growing awareness among consumers about sustainability issues ‐ ranging from recycling to fair wages forworkers ‐ are starting to shape consumer buying patterns” (Partos 2009). Especially for conscious consumersethical and sustainable consumption are becoming mainstream.With regard to...

The volatility of agricultural markets has increased remarkably in recent years. In spite of this, the way in whichsupply chain actors perceive market volatility has only rarely been analyzed. This paper seeks to close thisresearch gap by presenting empirical findings about how the volatility of...