Improving Food Markets in APEC Economies: Can the Cost of Food be Lowered? September 2009

The aim in this report and the research that supports it is to make a policy contribution to the development of secure and sustainable food production systems in the APEC region through efficient regulatory arrangements, public nfrastructure as well as efficient production, distribution logistics and marketing arrangements.

This work is available for further use under creative commons licensing.
 

Executive Summary
Part 1: Motivation and Analytical Approach
1. Introduction

2. APEC Food Markets: Recent Developments and Policy Context
A. Growth in Developing Economy Population and Urbanisation
B. Water Scarcity and Vulnerability To Climate Change
C. increased Production and Use Of Biofuels
D. Doubts Surround Future Growth in Agricultural Productivity
E. Diverse Food Systems and Policy Priorities

3. Conceptual Approach To The Issues
A. introduction: Flexibility, Resilience and Substitutability
B. The Double-Edged Effect Of Food Price increases
C. The Demand Side: Substitution and income Effects
D. The Supply Side: Costs and Cost Wedges
E. Vertical integration, Coordination and Market Concentration
G. Key Messages

Part 2: The Agrifood System
4. Primary Production
A. Primary Production in APEC Economies
B. Productivity
C. Markets For inputs
D. Markets For Outputs
E. Key Messages

5. Food Processing
A. Food Processing Across The APEC Region
B. Productivity
C. Markets For inputs
D. Markets For Outputs
E. Key Messages

6. Retail and Wholesale Food Distribution
A. Wholesaling, Wholesale Markets and Retailing in APEC Economies
B. Improving The Efficiency Of Food Distribution
C. Markets For inputs – increasing The Efficiency Of Procurement
D. Markets For Outputs and inputs – Workable and Other Models Of Imperfect Competition
E. Key Messages - Policy Settings For Food Distribution

7. Transport and Storage
A. Food Transport
B. Food Storage
C. Transport and Transport infrastructure
D. Storage

Part 3: The Agrifood System Within The Broader Economy
8. Systemic Issues and Economy-Wide Policies
A. Food Safety Issues
B. Broad Based Structural Reform

9. Concluding Remarks – A Taxonomy

Appendix A- Technical Appendix