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on Transition Economics |
| By: | Banat, Maliek |
| Abstract: | Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) is the oversight body for sanctioned assets that have been seized in the war due to alleged criminal links to the Russian regime, its economy or support for its war of aggression in Ukraine. As such, it represents a key civilian institution in the war effort, as it aims to manage sanctioned assets for the benefit of the Ukrainian people and its democratic institutions. This report highlights, however, the problem that ARMA has repeatedly failed to convert these assets into sources of economic revenue for the Ukrainian state. This report is a first cut analysis of some of the challenges that Ukraine faces as it seeks to reform its public institutions – protecting them against capture by private and vested interests – while continuing to prosecute the war of national survival against Russia’s invasion. Resource constraints have meant that we have not been able to combine this analysis of public sources with qualitative interviews, which would have allowed us to develop a fuller and more granular picture. This means that the analysis presented necessarily has a provisional character. The report analyses some of the issues facing Ukraine in the governance field and makes some initial recommendations for how they might be overcome through further public interest reform. |
| JEL: | N0 |
| Date: | 2026–08–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:140685 |
| By: | Do, Thi Thanh Duong; Nguyen, Thi Thiem; Luu, Van Duy; Nguyen, Thanh Phong |
| Abstract: | Macadamia has recently emerged as a high-value tree nut crop in tropical and subtropical mountain regions, particularly in the Northwest of Vietnam (including Dien Bien, Son La and Lai Chau province). In Dien Bien province, where agriculture is dominated by smallholder and ethnic minority farming systems, macadamia development is increasingly promoted as a pathway for income diversification, ecological restoration, and climate resilience. However, the rapid expansion of this crop also raises critical sustainability concerns that require systematic assessment. This study evaluates the opportunities and risks associated with sustainable macadamia production in mountain food systems, using a comprehensive analytical framework that integrates environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The research draws on field surveys, stakeholder interviews, and secondary data to assess production performance, livelihood impacts, and ecological implications in Dien Bien province. Key indicators include income generation, land-use efficiency, soil conservation capacity, market integration, and institutional support mechanisms. The findings indicate that macadamia cultivation offers significant opportunities for improving household incomes, particularly when integrated with agroforestry systems. It contributes to soil protection, enhances carbon sequestration potential, and supports the transition toward more climate-resilient farming systems. In addition, the development of value chains and market linkages has begun to create new economic opportunities for local communities. Nevertheless, the study also identifies several major risks. These include market price volatility, limited technical knowledge among farmers, insufficient access to quality planting materials, and weak extension services. Social challenges such as land tenure insecurity and unequal benefit distribution may further constrain sustainable outcomes. From an environmental perspective, inappropriate land conversion and monocropping practices could undermine biodiversity and long-term ecosystem stability. The paper concludes that achieving sustainable macadamia production in mountainous Northwest Vietnam requires integrated policy interventions, strengthened cooperative models, and the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Enhancing technical capacity, improving market governance, and ensuring inclusive participation of ethnic minority communities are essential to balance economic benefits with environmental integrity and social equity in the region’s evolving mountain food systems. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:nccc26:409070 |
| By: | Cristina Cattaneo; Daniela Grieco; Nicola Lacetera; Mario Macis |
| Abstract: | We conducted a survey experiment with over 8, 000 participants in Germany, Hungary, and Italy to examine how information about the economic impact of immigration affects the support for more open immigration policies. Respondents who received projections showing higher future incomes under more open immigration policies reported greater support for these policies. The treatment also partly changed how prior attitudes affected policy preferences. Structural estimates suggest that majority support for immigration above current levels would require annual per-capita income gains of about 1.2% in Italy and 1.7% in Germany, and still larger or unattainable gains in Hungary. These increases are large relative to recent historical growth rates, suggesting that economic benefits alone are unlikely to generate vast support for more open immigration policies. |
| JEL: | C99 D02 D64 D91 F22 J15 P16 |
| Date: | 2026–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35509 |
| By: | Pham, Dung Van; Napasintuwong, Orachos |
| Abstract: | Southeast Asia faces increasing food security challenges arising from rapid urbanization, rising food prices, and low productivity growth. While Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies are widely promoted as a cornerstone for transforming agrifood systems, inadequate evidence of how specific STI interventions translate into measurable food security outcomes explains uneven impacts and raises concerns about inefficient resource allocation. This paper aims to comparatively assess the achievements of food security outcomes under the agri-food STI policy implementation across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. Data were collected from international and national available sources and analyzed based on a framework of impact assessment. The findings reveal substantial heterogeneity in STI capacities and their effectiveness in improving food security. Malaysia and Vietnam emerged as the strongest performers overall, supported by relatively robust innovation systems, higher food access, and improved utilization outcomes. Vietnam, in particular, demonstrated the most effective transformation of agri-food STI inputs into outcomes, achieving the highest agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) growth and gains in food production and nutrition indicators. Indonesia showed large-scale agricultural output and innovation activity but exhibited fragmentation and underutilization of its research capacity. Thailand maintained stable production and affordability; however, the country faced persistent challenges in nutrition and food utilization. The Philippines had low growth due to limited agri-food STI investment, weaker human capital, and higher vulnerability to external shocks. Across all countries, food stability and nutrition-related outcomes remain the weakest dimensions, highlighting the limitations of production-oriented STI approaches. The results suggest that agri-food STI policies contribute most effectively to food security if they are well-coordinated, adequately funded, and aligned with inclusive objectives. Strengthening governance, enhancing human capital, and rebalancing STI strategies toward resilience and equity are critical for achieving sustainable food security in ASEAN. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:nccc26:409062 |
| By: | Nguyen, Mau Nhat Nam; Nguyen, Phuong Le |
| Abstract: | This study examines relationships of RTC food consumption and gender division in meal preparation in urban families in Vietnam. Against the backdrop of increasing female labor force participation and time constraints in modern households, RTC foods have emerged as a convenient solution that may influence both consumption behavior and intra-family dynamics. Using primary data collected from 152 respondents in Hanoi through semi-structured face-to-face interviews, the descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression are employed to analyze patterns of RTC consumption and their determinants. The findings reveal a high level of RTC food adoption, with over 88% of respondents reporting usage, primarily motivated by time-saving benefits. RTC foods are generally used as a complement rather than a substitute for traditional home cooking. Empirical results indicate that gender remains a significant factor in shaping consumption behavior, particularly through women’s dominant role in food purchasing decisions. At the same time, the use of RTC foods contributes to reducing meal preparation time, thereby alleviating domestic burdens, especially for women. Evidence also suggests modest shifts in gender roles, with increased male participation in certain household activities, although disparities persist. The regression analysis further highlights the importance of demographic and behavioral factors, including age, education, and perceived time savings, in influencing RTC consumption frequency. Younger individuals and those experiencing greater time constraints are more likely to adopt RTC foods. |
| Keywords: | Consumer/Household Economics |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:nccc26:409071 |
| By: | Hong Lee (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade) |
| Abstract: | This study analyzes the paradoxical mechanism by which one country’s protectionist industrial policy unintentionally redirects the path of technological innovation in its trading partners, often to the supplying country’s own disadvantage. Historical episodes, including the OPEC oil shock, the Soviet Union’s threats to natural gas supplies to the West, China’s rare earth embargo against Japan, and US semiconductor export controls against China, share a common pattern.<p> First, the supplying country restricts exports of the resources and technologies it holds, or manipulates their prices, inflicting a supply shock on the importing country. The relative price of the resource then surges, dramatically raising the incentives of firms and researchers in the importing country to develop substitute and workaround technologies. Private R&D combines with the government’s directed industrial policy (R&D subsidies, public procurement, and regulatory reform) to bring substitute technologies quickly to market.<p> Over the long run, the importing country’s dependence on the resource declines, and the supplying country’s bargaining power and market position erode. This study argues that a supply restriction strategy raises short-term bargaining power but can carry a self-defeating quality, eating away the supplier’s own market base. For the importing country, by contrast, a supply shock can become the occasion for a technological leap, and here the government’s directed industrial policies, R&D subsidies among them, act as complements that accelerate private innovation. |
| Keywords: | rare earths; rare earth elements; REEs; directed technological change; DTC; protectionism; industrial policy; supply chain security; resource weaponization; economic security |
| JEL: | F13 F52 L52 O33 |
| Date: | 2026–07–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:kietrp:023560 |
| By: | Grigoriadis, Theocharis |
| Abstract: | Why does industrialization in some cases generate social consolidation and in other cases political conflict? This paper argues that the answer depends on how industrial finance is allocated. I develop a dynamic political-economy model in which the government channels external liquidity into industry under either centralized or decentralized finance. Under decentralization, adverse shocks harden budget constraints and permit replacement of inefficient incumbents by new entrepreneurs. Under centralization, by contrast, the government is more likely to refinance inefficient incumbents, soften budget constraints, and block entry. Industrialization then generates concentrated rents and a higher risk of conflict. I interpret late imperial Russia as a historically revealing case of this mechanism. Rather than treating Russia as the sole object of interest, the paper uses it to motivate a general theory of industrialization under monopoly. |
| Keywords: | industrialization, soft budget constraints, centralized finance, incumbent protection, political conflict |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:342461 |
| By: | Susan Athey; Bruno Fava; Dean Karlan; Adam Osman; Jonathan Zinman |
| Abstract: | The canonical approach to corporate governance posits a tradeoff between maximizing shareholder profits and maximizing other aspects of shareholder welfare such as social impact. Advances in machine learning that enhance the firm's ability to target specific customers may exacerbate or ameliorate this tradeoff. We estimate these tradeoffs using data from randomized microcredit approvals in South Africa, the Philippines, and Bosnia. We examine social impact on two dimensions: credit access (i.e., reaching disadvantaged groups that typically have less access to financial markets) and impact (i.e., treatment effects on household income). Two of the three lenders could have increased average loan profit margin by 7–9 percentage points through machine learning-based targeting. However, such targeting pushes against social impact goals vis-à-vis credit access; specifically, women and lower-income households would have been more excluded (the implied impact on borrowers' income, also central to the dual goal of social impact, is too imprecisely estimated to draw an inference). To gauge the magnitude of the first tradeoff, we examine how profits would change if the lenders altered whom they lent to within each quintile of baseline borrower income, thus holding the distribution broadly similar but fine-tuning the targeting within income bands. Such a constraint would lower the profit gains of targeting by about half. These findings highlight the importance of quantifying tradeoffs and complementarities when deciding what to maximize. |
| JEL: | G20 G3 O12 |
| Date: | 2026–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35521 |