In order to acquire an in - depth understanding of potential benefits, constraints and costs of foreign investment in agriculture and of the business models that are more conducive to development, FAO has undertaken research in developing countries. The research aims to provide better knowledge on the trends and impacts of foreign direct investment on host communities and countries, to gather evidence on inclusive business models, to identify good practices...

To illuminate the role of agro-export industry in inclusive growth, this case study on Philippine mango focuses on the role of market structure in the distribution of export benefits. It is based on review of industry trends and related studies, open-ended interviews of key informants, and structured interviews of respondents situated along the value chain. The distribution of trade benefits is hypothesized to depend on both vertical and horizontal market structure....

This paper analyses the size and distribution of the impacts of pineapple export on trading firms and growers in Ghana. It examines the development of the pineapple export and policies in Ghana, and estimates the effects of the trade shock prompted by the varietal shift of pineapple export demand. The paper discusses main policy implications of the findings for the future of Ghana’s production and export of fresh pineapple.

This paper provides a critical review of the economic literature on the relationship between international trade and research-and-development (R&D) spillovers with the aim of exploring ways to estimate the R&D spillover effects of agricultural trade at firm and industry levels.

This paper reviews the theories and evidence on the structure of agricultural trade industry in developing countries. Based on a literature survey, the paper seeks to determine the causes leading to the industry structure and how the structure affects the distribution of trade impacts among firms.

World sugar has experienced a number of trade and policy changes. Their impact on the sugar sector and stakeholders in developing countries has yet to be fully understood. For developing countries such as Ethiopia and the United Republic of Tanzania, which have the potential to expand sugar production and exports, understanding the impact of current and prospective trends in the world sugar market on the income and wages of smallholders...

Food safety standards are gaining importance as trade regulations. These regulations affect exports in three main ways depending on the capacities of exporting countries: trade-impeding effects, neutral effects, and catalyst effects. Although previous studies confirm the trade impeding effect of regulations, recent studies show that strict regulations can stimulate developing countries through the scale effect as in the case of some African exporters. In addition, developing countries can benefit from...

This report is part of an initiative by the Trade and Markets Division of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to analyse patterns of smallholder market participation. It was prepared by El Mamoun Amrouk, in collaboration with Nigel Poole, Nicholas Mudungwe, and Everjoyce Muzvondiwa. Jamie Morrison provided guidance and input for the methodological framework, as well as comments on the initial drafts. Thanks to Grace Musarurwa for the input to the...

Firmer production estimates for 2012 confirm tightening wheat and maize supplies while the outlook for rice remains positive. In spite of a contraction in overall cereal utilization in 2012/13, the world cereal stock-to-use ratio is projected to decline by 2 percentage points from the previous season. International prices of all major cereals, except rice, remain well above last year. For wheat and maize, while prices have stabilized in recent weeks,...