Auction experiments at locations in the US and Canada are used to determine consumers' willingness to pay for red-meat traceability and other enhanced food characteristics. Consumers in both countries are found to be willing to pay a positive amount for traceability, but would pay even more if...

Harmonisation of technical standards is often suggested as a means to eliminate technical barriers that reduce the welfare gains available from the International Trade. Organic standards are not currently harmonised internationally. If domestic organic standards reflect consumer tastes, and...

The agri-food chain today is significantly different from that of twenty years ago. Changing consumer demands, knowledge intensive technology, North American integration and globalization have all contributed to the evolution of the different segments of the chain, which include input suppliers,...

This article examines the implications for the international trade environment of public and private standards for food safety and food quality. Public (mandatory) standards are a response to a perceived market failure and include mandatory risk assessment procedures, restrictions on harmful...

Since the seminal work of Adam Smith, markets have been considered an efficient tool for co-ordinating the behaviour of economic agents. The basic characteristic of a market economy is that the complex system of interaction among individuals is not centrally coordinated. Under the assumption of...

Consumers have become more discerning in their food consumption choices. Food safety and food quality issues have moved to the forefront of consumer concerns, industry strategies, and in some cases, government policy. A variety of private sector and public policy traceability initiatives have...