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on Agricultural Economics |
| By: | Ntadumba Henri, Ndahama; Mitima, Kajivunita; KAyeye, Bashombana; N, Polepole; Mushayuma, Bugoma; Ciza, Bishweka; Bisimwa, Hamuli; Mushushu, Mukulumanya; Bahazabule, Riziki; Makungu, Bahwinja |
| Abstract: | This study examines the effects of agricultural practices on aquatic biodiversity in the Nyabarongo River, an important tributary of Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It addresses the growing degradation of freshwater ecosystems associated with the expansion of farming activities in the watershed. The main pressures identified include soil erosion, uncontrolled use of fertilizers and pesticides, and the destruction of riparian vegetation, all of which contribute to declining water quality and ecological imbalance. The study focuses on benthic macroinvertebrates because they are reliable indicators of aquatic ecosystem health. Its objectives are to identify the dominant agricultural practices in the watershed, assess the diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates at sites exposed to different levels of agricultural pressure, compare biological indicators between intensively cultivated and less disturbed areas, and examine the relationship between physicochemical water parameters and macroinvertebrate community structure. The research combines biological, chemical, and social approaches. Macroinvertebrates were collected and identified at several points along the river, while water samples were analyzed for pH, temperature, turbidity, nitrates, and phosphates. Surveys conducted among local farmers provided additional information on land-use patterns, cultivation methods, and the use of agricultural inputs. The results show a strong relationship between intensive farming and the decline of aquatic biodiversity. Heavily cultivated sites had lower species richness and abundance, poorer water quality, and a higher proportion of pollution-tolerant organisms. Sensitive taxa belonging to Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera declined as agricultural pressure increased, whereas tolerant groups, particularly Diptera, became more dominant. High turbidity and elevated nutrient concentrations were also associated with changes in community composition. The study concludes that unsustainable agricultural land use is a major cause of ecological degradation in the Nyabarongo River. It recommends the adoption of agroecological practices, reduced use of chemical inputs, erosion control, restoration of vegetated riparian buffers, and regular monitoring of water quality through aquatic bioindicators. These measures could help protect freshwater biodiversity while maintaining agricultural production. The findings provide a scientific basis for local authorities, farmers, and environmental organizations to develop more sustainable watershed management strategies and to reconcile rural development with the conservation of the Lake Kivu basin. More broadly, the research highlights the need for integrated management involving communities, public institutions, and agricultural stakeholders. Farmer training, environmental awareness, and participatory monitoring are essential to reduce pollution sources, restore river functions, and preserve ecosystem services on which surrounding populations depend for livelihoods, food security, and long-term resilience. |
| Keywords: | Water pollution; Agricultur; Macroinvertebrates; Bioindication; Nyabarongo; Ecological quality |
| JEL: | Q15 Q25 Q52 Q57 |
| Date: | 2026–03–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:130087 |
| By: | Muhammad Faisal Ali (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad); Sobia Rose (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad) |
| Abstract: | The wheat crisis in Pakistan accentuates the complexities and challenges of agricultural market management. That is the reason the wheat crop has always been a subject of serious debate. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy was one of the key factors, as substantial funds from taxpayers' money have been consumed to continue this policy. However, it has neither helped stabilize the market during crises nor protected the consumers and producers, who are assumed to be the primary beneficiaries. Conversely, flour mill owners, large landholders, or middlemen remained the primary recipients of the greatest gains. Consequently, fixing the MSP has led to unintended consequences, raising concerns about the policy's sustainability, market efficiency, and overall effectiveness |
| Keywords: | wheat market deregulation, wheat crisis Pakistan, wheat support price policy, minimum support price Pakistan, wheat market reform, wheat price Pakistan, wheat subsidy Punjab, agriculture policy Pakistan, food security Pakistan, wheat cartel Pakistan, deregulating wheat, wheat procurement issues, circular debt wheat, flour mills Pakistan, wheat farmers Pakistan, MSP policy impact, government wheat withdrawal, wheat market sustainability, strategic wheat reserves, wheat buffer stock policy, wheat production incentives, wheat policy execution, agricultural market management, wheat policy framework, wheat economy Pakistan |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:pviewp:2025:48 |
| By: | Laura Eline Slot (UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Mechthild Donner (UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Isabelle Piot-Lepetit (UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) |
| Abstract: | Digital tools are often used by businesses as communication and connecting technologies. However, it is not well understood how these digital technologies affect the (sustainable) transformation of global value chains. This paper is based on a case study of the coffee value chain in Vietnam. Vietnam is an important producer in the coffee sector, but faces many environmental and social issues. The question is how digitalisation can lead to sustainable transformation. The case study included observations, interviews with value chain actors, and reading grey literature and company websites. The results showed that foreign policies influence digital technology use in coffee production in Vietnam. To follow these policies, large trading companies in the mainstream sector develop digital traceability systems. However, they sometimes seem to bypass the diversity of smaller actors in the value chain. Although small businesses in alternative value chains use similar digital tools, they operate on a smaller scale based on direct contact. Nevertheless, these alternative value chains are in a niche market and struggle with profitability. Our paper has contributed, via an empirical case study, to an understanding of the dynamics between digitalisation and sustainable transformation pathways in global value chains. |
| Keywords: | Agro-ecological value chains, Sustainable business models, Agri-food system, Sustainable transformation, Digitalisation |
| Date: | 2026–06–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05746880 |
| By: | Senan Hogan-Hennessy; Seungmin Lee; Christopher B. Barrett; John Hoddinott; Matthew P. Rabbitt |
| Abstract: | Veterans face multiple hardships after they leave the military. Is food insecurity one of these hardships? This paper examines the long-term effects of military service on food insecurity using new data from the PSID. Military veteran-headed households experienced lower food insecurity than non-veteran-headed households, and participated less in federal nutrition assistance programs. We use the Vietnam-era lottery draft to identify causal effects, and find no evidence that military service adversely affects food insecurity. Our results suggest policies that assist currently enlisted service members, and veterans unlikely to head a traditional household, may most effectively tackle food insecurity among military veterans. |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2609.39932 |
| By: | Owens, Sophie; Mindes, Samuel C.H. |
| Abstract: | Access to adequate and sustainable food is a foundational component of household well-being. Yet for many households, this access remains uncertain. Food insecurity represents a measurable condition shaped by both economic and social factors, reflecting varying degrees of stability in a household’s ability to consistently obtain sufficient food. Examining how food insecurity exists across the population and the factors associated with it is essential for understanding broader patterns of household vulnerability. This analysis uses data from the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development’s NCR-Stat: Housing and Food Security Survey (Mindes et al., 2026) to examine food insecurity across the North Central Region. This snapshot first defines food insecurity and explains how it is observed and measured. It then analyzes how food insecurity varies by household income, identifying patterns in its distribution. Finally, it examines participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food stamps programs within income groups to better understand how food insecurity is experienced across different household conditions. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Security and Poverty |
| Date: | 2026–09–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ncrcrd:413082 |
| By: | Laura Eline Slot (UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Mechthild Donner (UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Isabelle Piot-Lepetit (UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement) |
| Abstract: | Presentation slides of Laura Slot at Academic Symposium IFAMA 2026. |
| Keywords: | Business models, Agri-food SMEs, Agro-ecology, Digital technologies |
| Date: | 2026–06–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05746897 |
| By: | Tarnai, Attila |
| Abstract: | The research examines the role of the state-owned enterprise PIK Belje in the Baranja region during the second half of the 20th century, with particular attention to the 1970s and 1980s. The region has traditionally been characterized by strong agricultural capacities, yet it suffered long-term economic stagnation due to the loss of its natural markets following the Treaty of Trianon. In this context, PIK Belje emerged as a key driver of modernization and local development. The enterprise not only purchased agricultural products from the region-wine, grapes, and cereals-but also created new opportunities for small producers through targeted loans and contractual arrangements. Such support was deliberately tied to technological renewal, such as vineyard modernization and mechanization, thereby enhancing productivity. By guaranteeing demand and integrating local farmers into broader market structures, PIK Belje functioned simultaneously as a stabilizer and a catalyst of regional growth. My research shows that state-owned enterprises can contribute to mitigating market failures and promoting rural development in peripheral regions. |
| Keywords: | Baranja, PIK Belje, state-owned enterprise, rural development, market integration |
| JEL: | N54 R11 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esconf:343413 |
| By: | Jesús Arellano-González; Anna Karina Pérez-Peña; Mauricio Iván Acosta-García; Miriam Juárez-Torres |
| Abstract: | This paper estimates the impact of tropical cyclones on food prices in Mexico using monthly panel data of the price indexes of different food categories and the method of local projections proposed by Jordà (2005). The impact of tropical cyclones is aproximated with estimates of the maximum sustained wind speed they reach as they impact Mexican cities. The results suggest a temporary increase in food prices following the impact of a tropical cyclone, driven primarily by increases in the prices of fresh vegetables and dry legumes. For example, a hurricane reaching a maximum sustained wind speed of 100 km/h is associated with an immediate 3.1% increase in fresh vegetable prices relative to a scenario without a cyclone. The results also suggest that food prices tend to be less sensitive to tropical cyclone impacts in cities with more developed infrastructure. |
| Keywords: | Food prices;Tropical cyclones;Local projections;Panel data |
| JEL: | E31 Q15 Q54 |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdm:wpaper:2026-04 |
| By: | Massimo Guidolin, Manuela Pedio |
| Abstract: | Biodiversity loss is among the most severe environmental externalities facing commodity markets, yet its pricing in futures and spot markets remains poorly understood. Agricultural commodities, timber, and livestock are simultaneously the primary drivers of global habitat destruction and the assets most directly exposed to the ecosystem services they degrade. This double materiality operates more immediately in commodity markets than in the equity and bond markets on which the biodiversity-finance literature has concentrated its attention. This paper provides a critical review and research agenda organized around three pillars. First, we map ecological indicators, footprint-based metrics, and text-based attention proxies. Second, we trace the transmission channels through which ecosystem degradation reaches commodity prices: physical supply disruption, regulatory transition risk, and the financial investor channel, with particular attention to the scale-versus-intensity distinction in regulatory design. Third, we review the theoretical frameworks for commodity biodiversity pricing, explain why equity and bond results cannot be transplanted into commodity markets, and present the first systematic commodity-market evidence, consistent with intensity-based biodiversity risk being priced in spot but not futures returns. Because the commodity-specific pricing literature is nascent, the empirical section combines a review of existing conditional evidence with an original empirical analysis of a commodity return panel data set. We conclude with a structured research agenda centered on causal identification, the spot-futures wedge, climate-biodiversity integration, and data infrastructure. |
| Keywords: | biodiversity risk, commodity futures, theory of storage, species loss intensity, spot-futures wedge, transition risk, ecosystem services. |
| JEL: | G12 G13 Q51 Q57 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:baf:cbafwp:cbafwp26286 |
| By: | Abdelkarim Hssoune (Université Ibn Zohr = Ibn Zohr University [Agadir]); Ahmed Amghar (Université Ibn Zohr = Ibn Zohr University [Agadir]); Najib Bahmani (Université Ibn Zohr = Ibn Zohr University [Agadir]); Rachid El Aarji (Université Ibn Zohr = Ibn Zohr University [Agadir]) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the determinants of crop diversification among small family farms in the province of Chtouka-Aït Baha, located in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco. Based on a field survey conducted between January and August 2022 among 296 farms, a binary crop diversification variable (DIVCULT) was constructed, distinguishing specialized farms (single crop) from diversified farms (two or more crops). The results show that 58.1% of the surveyed farms practice crop diversification. A statistically significant binary Logit model (χ² = 96.808; p < 0.001), with a good fit to the data (Hosmer–Lemeshow test: p = 0.091; Nagelkerke R² = 0.376), was used to identify the main determinants of this practice. The age of the farm head and agricultural income have a significant negative effect on crop diversification, whereas education level, household size, cultivated area, non-agricultural income, and geographical location have positive effects. However, the latter exhibits a statistically significant individual effect only for the commune of Inchaden compared with Sidi Ouassay. These findings highlight the crucial role of human capital, cultivated land area, and family labor availability in shaping crop diversification strategies among small family farms. They also emphasize the need to strengthen public policies aimed at improving agricultural education, enhancing access to productive resources, and supporting income diversification in order to promote more resilient and sustainable farming systems. |
| Abstract: | Cette étude analyse les déterminants de la diversification des cultures au sein des petites exploitations agricoles familiales de la province de Chtouka-Aït Baha, dans la région de Souss-Massa (Maroc). À partir d'une enquête de terrain menée entre janvier et août 2022 auprès de 296 exploitations, une variable binaire de diversification (DIVCULT) a été construite, distinguant les exploitations spécialisées (une seule culture) des exploitations diversifiées (au moins deux cultures). Les résultats montrent que 58, 1 % des exploitations enquêtées pratiquent la diversification des cultures. Un modèle Logit binaire, statistiquement significatif (χ² = 96, 808 ; p < 0, 001) et présentant un bon ajustement aux données (test de Hosmer-Lemeshow : p = 0, 091 ; R² de Nagelkerke = 0, 376), a permis d'identifier les principaux déterminants de cette pratique. L'âge du chef d'exploitation et le revenu agricole exercent un effet négatif significatif sur la diversification, tandis que le niveau d'instruction, la taille du ménage, la superficie cultivée, le revenu non agricole et la localisation géographique l'influencent positivement, cette dernière présentant toutefois un effet individuel significatif uniquement pour la commune d'Inchaden par rapport à Sidi Ouassay. Ces résultats mettent en évidence le rôle déterminant du capital humain, de la superficie cultivée et de la disponibilité de la main-d'oeuvre familiale dans les stratégies de diversification des petites exploitations agricoles. Ils soulignent également l'importance de renforcer les politiques publiques en matière de formation agricole, d'amélioration de l'accès aux ressources productives et de soutien à la diversification des revenus afin de promouvoir des systèmes agricoles plus résilients et durables. |
| Keywords: | crop diversification, Chtouka-Aït Baha, Logit model, small family farms, Morocco, modèle Logit, petites exploitations agricoles familiales, Maroc, diversification des cultures |
| Date: | 2026–08–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05755346 |
| By: | Bernard Korai; Rémy Lambert |
| Abstract: | The adoption and implementation of the 2020-2030 Sustainable Agriculture Plan, called Plan d’agriculture durable (PAD) represent a decisive step toward intensifying and structuring the agri-environmental efforts undertaken by Quebec farmers. However, for these efforts to translate into real gains in sustainability, producers are called upon to adopt practices that often go beyond standard regulatory requirements and involve significant financial, logistical, agronomic, environmental, psychological, and social costs. Are these efforts sufficiently recognized and valued by Quebec citizens? The authors address this question and propose several avenues for reflection that could help stakeholders and decision-makers in the agri-food sector increase public recognition and appreciation of the agricultural profession. L’adoption et la mise en œuvre du Plan d’agriculture durable (PAD 2020-2030) constituent une étape déterminante dans l’intensification et la structuration des efforts agroenvironnementaux déployés par les producteurs agricoles québécois. Toutefois, pour que ces efforts se traduisent par des gains réels en matière de durabilité, les producteurs sont appelés à adopter des pratiques qui dépassent souvent les exigences réglementaires habituelles et qui impliquent des coûts financiers, logistiques, agronomiques, environnementaux, psychologiques et sociaux importants. Ces efforts sont-ils suffisamment connus et valorisés par les citoyens québécois ? Les auteurs répondent à cette question et proposent plusieurs pistes de réflexion susceptibles d’aider les acteurs et décideurs du secteur bioalimentaire à accroître la reconnaissance publique et la valorisation de la profession agricole. |
| Keywords: | Agri-environmental practices, agricultural sustainability, citizens’perceptions and representations, agricultural sector stakeholders, agri-communication, Pratiques agroenvironnementales, durabilité de l’agriculture, perceptions et représentations, acteurs du secteur agricole, communication agricole |
| Date: | 2026–10–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cir:circah:2026pj-15 |
| By: | Rising, James; Watkiss, Paul; Ranger, Nicola; Oropeza Abregu, Yoselin |
| Abstract: | The UK is already experiencing significant economic impacts from climate change, and these will increase further in future decades. Without comprehensive and well-funded adaptation strategies, risks will grow, including from agriculture losses, flooding, impacts of heat on health and reduced labour productivity. This policy brief describes economic risks and adaptation opportunities for the UK in relation to agriculture, flood and coastal management, health and labour productivity. The brief summarises findings from Part A of the PROSPER (Physical-risk & Resilience Outcomes for Spending, Planning & Economic Returns) research project. This part of the project is designed to inform fiscal decision-makers on potential targets for adaptation funding. The damages are reported as the expected annual damages for two climate scenarios, ‘Medium Warming’ and ‘High Warming’. For the 2030s and 2050s, the authors also describe damages associated with extreme value or ‘tail’ events. |
| JEL: | N0 |
| Date: | 2026–09–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:140343 |
| By: | Georges Mavrotas (Institute of Development Policy and Management - Universiteit Antwerpen = University of Antwerp, FERDI - Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International, UNU-CRIS - United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies - UNU - United Nations University, IEDL - International Economics and Development Laboratory - University of Athens) |
| Abstract: | This Policy Brief examines the evolving relationship between food and nutrition security (FNS) and development finance against a backdrop of worsening global FNS trends and the fast-approaching 2030 Agenda deadline. It focuses on key sources of development finance, namely remittances, foreign direct investment, official development assistance, and food aid, and brings together insights from the existing empirical literature. A central message of the Brief is that not all financial flows affect FNS in the same way. The composition of development finance matters, as different types of flows generate different outcomes depending on context. At the same time, governance quality plays a critical role in shaping these outcomes. Recent empirical evidence shows that institutional factors influence both the direction and the strength of the relationship between development finance and FNS, highlighting the importance of considering governance alongside the heterogeneity of financial flows in both research and policy discussions. |
| Keywords: | Development Finance, Food security, Food and nutrition security |
| Date: | 2026–09–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05736905 |
| By: | Brea Martínez-Collado, Samuel |
| Abstract: | Structural change in European agriculture is widely contested, yet we know little about how people understand its consequences. Using survey data from Germany (N = 1, 642), this conference paper examines how respondents expect agriculture to change when profit, technology, or small-scale farming is prioritised, and how desirable they find each model. Latent profile analysis identifies five distinct profiles of expected consequences, across which respondents’ desirability ratings are then compared. Most respondents hold weakly differentiated expectations but favour small-scale farming, while only a small minority supports profit-oriented agriculture. Technology appears as a comparatively less polarizing dimension. |
| Keywords: | latent profile analysis, normative preferences, agricultural transformation |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esconf:343651 |
| By: | Nisar Ali (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad) |
| Abstract: | Pakistan holds the world's second-largest salt reserves overall and is the only country with a Himalayan Pink salt reserve. The global market for Himalayan Pink Salt is valued at $500 million - $1.2 billion, spanning food and culinary, wellness, decorative, and other consumer uses. The global market for food and the culinary segment alone was estimated at approximately $500 million in 2026, growing at a CAGR of 3.6%. Despite having huge salt reserves, Pakistan's overall salt export revenue was only $76.7 million in 2024, which is a small fraction of the global Himalayan Salt market value. The reason behind such low revenue is the lack of value addition. Pakistan exports most of its salt in raw form, worth $0.15 to $0.30 per kg, without proper processing and packaging. The same salt, after proper processing, branding, and packaging abroad, is sold for $8 to $15 per kg in the global market. The opportunity lies in the value gap. This study has presented different value capture scenarios along the Himalayan Pink Salt value chain. Through proper processing, packaging, branding, and by targeting high-value product categories such as wellness and decorative segments and premium products, Pakistan can increase the value realization many times over. The real opportunity lies in capturing this value gap. Pakistan needs immediate actions to capture high value through improved infrastructure, building a Pakistani brand, securing a GI tag, targeting high-value products, improving product competitiveness, and prioritizing regional markets. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:pviewp:2026:69 |
| By: | Colin Aitken; Michael K. Tippett; Pedram Hassanzadeh; Katherine Kowal; Rendani Mbuvha; John H. Marsham; Shruti Nath; Ousmane Ndiaye; Douglas J. Parker; Caroline M Wainwright; Michael Kremer; William R. Boos |
| Abstract: | Artificial-intelligence weather prediction (AIWP) models have made it possible to produce high-quality tailored forecasts with limited computational resources. This advance has the potential to benefit hundreds of millions of farmers in low- and middle-income countries who lack access to forecasts of critical weather phenomena. However, it can be difficult for key stakeholders to evaluate forecast quality, risking a "race to the bottom" as cheap but low-quality forecasts crowd out forecasts that would benefit farmers. We propose a set of principles and protocols for evaluating agriculturally-relevant forecasts as a starting point for standards that would let forecasters credibly convey their forecasts' quality. |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2610.00782 |
| By: | Grillitsch, Markus (CIRCLE, Lund University); Friedrich, Jonathan (CIRCLE, Lund University); Nilsson, Fredrik (CIRCLE, Lund University); Schwaag-Serger, Sylvia (CIRCLE, Lund University); Souza, Vitor (CIRCLE, Lund University); Stihl, Linda (CIRCLE, Lund University) |
| Abstract: | The sustainability imperative calls for a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and virgin materials use. This requires the transformation of currently unsustainable global and linear value chains (GVCs) to regenerative and circular supply chains (CSCs). To deal with the complexities of such a shift, this paper suggests Arenas of Change as a theoretical perspective and methodological approach, capturing interaction spaces of actors who engage in changing how goods are produced, distributed and consumed, and how waste is recovered and reduced. Actors are conceptualised as being embedded in multi-scalar network, institutional and governance structures, which can enable or hinder change processes. We argue that the possibility of Arenas of Change to effectuate and accelerate shifts from GVCs towards CSCs depends on the realisation of synergies in four domains: i) business logics, models, and innovation; ii) consumption and user practices, iii) modes of governance, and iv) policies and discourses. Arenas of Change are thus a prism through which the interdependencies between domains, multiple scales and levels, and actors' strategies can be analysed. Thereby, Arenas of Change can contribute to theory-building about transformations from global and linear to regenerative and circular supply chains, and conditions that enable, accelerate or hinder such systemic change. Furthermore, by enhancing analytical leverage to comprehensively capture the complexity of such transformations, we propose Arenas of Change as an approach to design impactful interventions, and to evaluate their effects. |
| Keywords: | Circular economy; Global value chains; Business models; Innovation; Consumer practices; Governance; Innovation policy |
| JEL: | L21 O33 Q56 |
| Date: | 2026–09–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:lucirc:2025_009 |
| By: | Isaac Cheah; Ethan Pancer; Jianping Huang; Aimee Pink; Béatrice Parguel (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Fong Keng-Highberger |
| Abstract: | Research examining artificial intelligence's (AI) role in food choice largely asks whether AI helps people make better decisions, treating it as an information source that improves the accuracy or personalization of recommendations. We suggest that this framing captures one point on a broader continuum of how AI impacts food decisions. AI can act, often simultaneously, as an advisor consulted for information, a decision partner that actively shares in constructing the choice, or an ambient influence that shapes what appears desirable and available before deliberate choice begins. As AI becomes more conversational and more embedded across the food environment, this continuum is increasingly populated in less visible regions, yet the field remains concentrated on the advisor role. We focus on the decision-partner role, where AI participates in value construction, goal clarification, attribute weighting, and choice justification, raising questions about agency, responsibility, and delegation. We articulate four mechanisms that describe this participation, namely preference offloading, responsibility reallocation, confidence calibration, and food-decision skill erosion. Because food choice is frequent, often habitual, and commonly involves trade-offs among hedonic and utilitarian goals, it is an ideal domain in which these process-level effects can compound. We draw on evidence from consumer psychology, automation research, and cognitive science, noting where boundary conditions remain untested in food contexts, and close with a research agenda organized around agency, reliance, responsibility, confidence, and cognitive effort. When AI shares in constructing a food choice, the values being optimized may no longer be entirely the consumer's own. |
| Keywords: | Artificial intelligence, Food choice, Decision-making, Consumer psychology, Algorithm reliance |
| Date: | 2027–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05752256 |
| By: | Disch, Wendy (Central Bank of Ireland) |
| Abstract: | Widespread insurance coverage makes both society and the economy more resilient to climate-related risks. As properties with high flood risk exposure struggle to access insurance coverage, the insurance “protection gap†widens. We explore insurance uptake by homeowners as well as their perceptions on various climate-related risks. Using survey data of Irish homeowners, we find that the majority of homeowners (73%) are concerned about climate change, yet worries about specific natural disasters are less pronounced. We also find that 46% would support a 1-3% increase on their home insurance premium in order to help provide insurance coverage to vulnerable homes. Acceptance of a premium increase is sensitive to cost and is strongly associated with perceived flood risk, demographic characteristics, climate change attitudes and trust in government and insurers. |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbi:stafin:14/si/26 |
| By: | Katsutoshi Nohara |
| Abstract: | This study applies a partial proportional-odds model to examine whether people’s psychological distance from climate change changed during a period encompassing the unprecedented heat experienced in Japan in 2023 and 2024. It also investigates how psychological distance and environmental knowledge are associated with willingness to pay for climate change mitigation measures. The study draws on two repeated cross-sectional surveys using identical questionnaires administered to different respondents in 2022 and 2025. Propensity scores and overlap weighting were used to improve the comparability of the two survey samples by balancing observed differences in age, gender, and prefecture of residence. After this adjustment, respondents in 2025 were more likely than comparable respondents in 2022 to perceive climate change as psychologically proximate. Specifically, the predicted probability of reporting a high level of psychological proximity was approximately 13 percentage points higher in 2025. Although this difference cannot be attributed exclusively to the record-breaking heat experienced in 2023 and 2024, the findings suggest that the unprecedented heat may have contributed to making climate change appear more immediate and personally relevant. Furthermore, the contingent valuation analysis shows that the positive association between environmental knowledge and willingness to pay depends on psychological distance: greater environmental knowledge is associated with higher willingness to pay, particularly among individuals who perceive climate change as psychologically close. These findings provide important insights into the design and communication of climate policies. |
| Date: | 2026–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:toh:tupdaa:89 |
| By: | OECD |
| Abstract: | Mobilising finance at scale is essential to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of global biodiversity finance from all sources – public and private, domestic and international – drawing on currently available data. The paper also identifies persistent gaps in the consistency, international comparability, coverage and transparency of biodiversity finance data reported by countries to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It presents options to improve reporting by aligning it with international statistical standards, enhancing transparency in methodologies and strengthening measurement of private finance, while reducing duplication and reporting burdens. |
| Keywords: | Biodiversity finance, environmental expenditure, environmental-economic accounting, finance tracking, KMGBF Target 19, public expenditure |
| JEL: | Q57 Q58 H50 |
| Date: | 2026–10–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:envaac:51-en |
| By: | Bhattarai, Keshav; Adhikari, Ambika P. (Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), Kathmandu, Nepal) |
| Abstract: | Nepal’s catastrophic 26 August 2026 Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood should be understood not only as a humanitarian tragedy but also as a potentially major turning point in updating national settlement and reconstruction policy. Engineers and scientists have described the floods as a glacier–bedrock collapse that triggered an ice-rock avalanche and debris flow. As per the live updates on September 7, 2026, the total death toll was 1, 355, and 4, 996 people were missing (The Hindu, 2026). Indian and Nepali rescuers worked urgently to locate and rescue people buried under hydropower tunnels, buildings, mud, and landslide debris. UN News reported on September 3, 2026, that more than 22, 000 children in the flood-affected region lacked safe drinking water (UN News, 2026). UNICEF also estimated that at least 19 schools had been damaged and that more than 10, 000 school-age children urgently needed safe learning spaces (UN News, 2026). Coming just one year after the July 2025 flood in the same transboundary Lhende–Rasuwagadhi river system, this disaster underscores the risks of rebuilding vulnerable settlements and infrastructure in repeatedly exposed corridors. In the aftermath of this disaster, this article proposes Smart Settlement Guidelines for Nepal, informed by evidence on cryosphere-related hazards and disaster risks that resilient infrastructure, managed relocation, and disaster-resilient building practices can mitigate. Smart settlements should also account for Nepal’s remittance-dependent economy, local and imported food systems, and governance arrangements across local, provincial, and federal levels. Rather than advocating wholesale relocation of affected populations, the article advances a risk-differentiated approach: prohibiting new settlements in scientifically identified high-risk (red) zones, retrofitting viable communities, expanding river and slope buffers, and facilitating voluntary, rights-based relocation where residual risks remain unacceptable. Recognizing that disaster-related destruction does not extinguish property rights, relocation should be underpinned by fair compensation, land swaps, transferable development rights, and livelihood restoration. |
| Date: | 2026–09–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:5z826_v1 |
| By: | Farah Naz (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad); Anjeela Khurram (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad) |
| Abstract: | Introduction The Pak-Afghan trade corridor has long served as a critical channel for the exchange of perishable commodities, linking producers, traders, and consumers across both economies. In recent years, however, recurring border closures driven by security concerns and geopolitical tensions have increasingly disrupted this flow, particularly affecting time-sensitive goods such as fruits and vegetables (Rlung, 2024). Given the highly perishable nature of these commodities, even short delays lead to significant spoilage, income losses, and market distortions. These disruptions not only affect bilateral trade volumes but also create price volatility, supply-demand imbalances, and uncertainty across domestic markets (Qasim, 2025). Moreover, the economic costs extend beyond the immediate losses, influencing the production decisions, trade relationships, and food security outcomes over time (Herbert and Idris, 2024). PIDE's recent research on Pak-Afghan bilateral and transit trade has clearly mentioned the decline in trade and the need for confidence building to reverse it (Khan and Iqbal, 2025). This policy viewpoint is built on the extant work by particularly focusing on border closure from October 2025 onwards. It marked the objective of the study as to see how this border closure affects the trade and value chain of perishable commodities between two countries and to identify the practical yet policy pathways that can help this trade to remain continue in future episodes of geopolitical conflict. The analysis stands on trade statistics, media reporting, and a consultation with senior custom official. This study is also based on the institutional study on trade relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, provided by Khan and Iqbal (2025), according to which regular border management, confidence-building measures and institutional coordination are vital in maintaining bilateral trade under political uncertainty. The current Policy Viewpoint expands upon this conversation by specifically discussing the influence of border closures on the trade of perishable commodities. The analysis is merely an indicative preliminary study, pointing out the need for additional research to validate the figures provided above. In addition, the analysis does not assume that all market-related processes are attributed to border closures alone. It explores how the border disruptions have influenced other macro-economic factors affecting bilateral trade. |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pid:pviewp:2026:71 |
| By: | Koski, Heli; Kuikkaniemi, Kai |
| Abstract: | Abstract We studied whether personalized nutritional feedback on past grocery purchases shifts subsequent consumer choices. In September 2020, Finland’s largest grocery retailer added a Nutrition Calculator to its digital purchase-history service. The calculator summarizes the nutritional profile of customers’ purchases, evaluates it against national nutrition recommendations, and presents feedback using green, yellow, and red indicators. Using retailer transaction data, we estimate a difference-in-differences event study. Our primary specification compares 9, 743 consumers who had used the service for at least six months before the launch of the calculator with a matched control group that had not activated the service. The clearest effect is for sugar-intensive purchases, whose budget share falls by 0.25 percentage points on average and by up to 0.43 percentage points at the peak. The budget share of salt-intensive purchases also declines, although some of this movement predates the launch, making the evidence less conclusive. We found no systematic changes in the budget share of fat-intensive purchases. The effects are most pronounced among women and consumers under the age of 55. |
| Keywords: | Consumer choice, Food purchases, Behavioral economics, Bounded rationality, Salience, Digital feedback, Grocery shopping |
| JEL: | D12 D83 D9 I12 L86 O33 |
| Date: | 2026–09–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:wpaper:147 |
| By: | Tamkin Nuriyev (Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic); Aygun Garayeva (Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic); Gulzar Tahirova (Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic) |
| Abstract: | Using 800, 000 transaction-level customs records from January 2018 to February 2026, the paper constructs a trade-weighted Imported Food Price Index (IFPI), covering 34 items from the consumer basket with significant import dependence. The index is developed using the Fisher ideal methodology to provide a timely measure of external food price pressures. The results indicate that the IFPI leads official food Consumer Price Index (CPI) by approximately two months, with a maximum correlation of 0.81, highlighting its potential usefulness as an early indicator of domestic food inflation. Building on this, the paper develops a forecasting framework for the IFPI by combining non-parametric Binary Segmentation and Hidden Markov Models with a regularized machine-learning ensemble. The model employs an ensemble approach that combines Histogram-based Gradient Boosting Regression Tree, Random Forest, and Extreme Gradient Boosting, alongside rigorous time-series cross-validation. The optimized ensemble achieves a 58% out-of-sample R² relative to a random walk benchmark, vastly outperforming traditional linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) (13.60%) and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Variables (ARIMAX) (0.18%) baselines. The forecast results are intended to be incorporated into broader inflation forecasting models to improve short-term projections. |
| Keywords: | Import price index; Fisher Ideal index; Food price inflation; Machine learning forecasting; Hidden Markov models. |
| JEL: | C43 C53 C55 E31 F14 |
| Date: | 2026–01–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aze:wpaper:2601 |
| By: | Christopher Hoy (Institute for Fiscal Studies); Matias Strehl-Pessina (UC Santa Barbara); Ruggero Doino (World Bank); Darian Naidoo (World Bank); Kingtau Mambon (University of Papua New Guinea); Bobby Kunda (University of Papua New Guinea) |
| Date: | 2026–09–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:26/55 |