Projects / Programmes
Competitiveness of the agri-food sector
January 1, 2009
- December 31, 2013
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.02.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Animal production |
|
| 4.03.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Plant production |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S187 |
Social sciences |
Agricultural economics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 4.01 |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences |
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
agriculture, food processing, agricultural policy, competitiveness, indicators, sectoral models, agricultural household models, Input-Output models, agricultural structures, non-commodity outputs of agriculture, vertical market integrations, EU Common Agricultural Policy, decision-making models.
Researchers (14)
Organisations (3)
Abstract
Research aims of the programme group can be described by different aspects of competitiveness of the agricultural and food sector. The research team intends to create and disseminate new findings, develop and upgrade empirical tools, share its research expertise within the international research community, assist business subjects and policymakers with expertise, incorporate new findings to higher education curricula and develop young experts in the broader field of agricultural economics. By attaining proficiency and research expertise, the group aims towards efficient exchange of knowledge and research findings on the international level.
The research work can be classified in three groups described by the following keywords: indicators, models and instruments for strengthening competitiveness.
Research area dealing with competitiveness of the agro-food sector, estimation of the following indicators of competitiveness is envisaged: i) a network of indicators measuring competitiveness of the agro-food sector; (ii) policy information system; (iii) demand and supply elasticity coefficients for key agricultural products; (iv) socio-economic structure of agriculture; (iv) comparative analysis of legal regulation of agriculture; (v) institutional analysis of agriculture and food industry.
In order to obtain an overall assessment of competitiveness, and in particular the ability to forecast the impacts and consequences of changed economic conditions, the work concentrates to the following sectoral models: (i) development of Economic Account for Agriculture; (ii) internationally comparable partial equilibrium sector model; (iii) general equilibrium model with an emphasis on agro-food sector; (iv) regionalised input/output model for analysis of employment effects; (v) sectoral model based on positive mathematical programming with integrated module for analysis of environmental effects; (vi) analysis of decision-making processes by the farm household model; (vii) models of decision-making in agricultural policy
Special attention is devoted to the relevance and applicability of results for agricultural policy decision makers. In this context, the following instruments for strengthening competition are taken into account: (i) list of competitive products / production technologies; (ii) vertical integrations and models of marketing and traceability; (iii) evaluating feasibility of quality and food safety systems; (iv) evaluation of applicability and possibilities for e-commerce in agriculture; (v) assessment of potentials for supplementary activities of farm households; (vi) proposals for marketing strategy models; (vii) model for improvements in the market of production factors in agriculture; (vii) proposals for rational and efficient decision-making mechanisms in agricultural policy
Significance for science
Systematically and holistically, our programme team handles various agricultural economics issues related to the competitiveness of the agri-food industry. We would especially like to point out following achievements: - Developing and enhancing new, top-notch empirical tools and approaches, among which especially: combined quantitative tools of general and partial equilibrium models for the assessment of rural development policy effects (CAPRI-RD); the DEXI model for evaluating hops varieties; the model for assessing risks in agriculture based on Slovenian agricultural holdings’ subsidy applications; and the tool for assessing agricultural policy measures (APM) - The introduction of new quantitative methods, the analysis of several societal issues and policy effects (spatial econometric models, agent-based modelling) and of the effects on price transmission in the agri-food chain (vector autoregression model) - Developing a new categorisation of municipalities and agricultural holdings (multivariate regression and cluster analysis) - An original political-economic CAP concept and decision-making analysis (based on ontological realism, policy models and discourse analysis) Our team, combining researchers from three research organisations, has established itself as the leading national research group in the field of agricultural and natural resource economics. We would like to point out the high number of EU projects (FP as well as others) per individual team member. For their successful completion, our team is becoming a recognisable player in the international scientific community of agricultural and natural resource economy.
Significance for the country
The team primarily works on matters of public interest. We conduct situation analyses, assess the effects of changes in economic conditions and especially the effects of public policies in the fields of agriculture, food processing, natural resources and rural development on the national an EU levels as well as in individual businesses and local communities. Amongst the results of our research and expert work in the recent period which have had a direct effect on public authorities’ decision making in agriculture, we would like to emphasise the following: - Standing s monitoring of agriculture and agricultural policy, with regular reports to the Government of Republic Slovenia (Ministry of agriculture and environment) parliamentary committee for agriculture, to the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia, and to the Cooperative Union of Slovenia which enable them to assess the situation and policy effects - Assessments of CAP changes in post-2009 reforms which serve as the foundation of the Slovenian negotiating position in the European Council - Assessment of the EU agricultural budget changes which served as the foundation of the Slovenian governmental negotiating position in EU 2014-2020 budget negotiations - Assessment of various measures and issues of the CAP – contracted by the European Parliament (agricultural investments, the situation of small farms) - Assessment and analysis of the agricultural policies of Western Balkans countries (FAO projects) We have also performed modelled economic evaluations of market rents of agricultural and forest land (Farmland and Forest Fund of the Republic of Slovenia), cost assessments of environmentally friendlier production methods (Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment of Slovenia), and model evaluations of standardised agricultural outputs (Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia), all of which have supported government organisations in decision making. Also made were various socio-economic assessments of the effects of changes in the economic and natural environment on agriculture, as well as of the effects of agriculture on natural resources, issued by various public institutions and local communities which also supported the decision making of these institutions. The team actively organises scientific conferences. For the European Association of Agricultural Economists, we organised the seminar on rural development; we are also the key organisers of the Association’s 2014 congress. Scientific conferences are also organised on the national level, for the Slovenian Society of Agricultural Economists (DAES), the most recent one in 2013.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
