IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/aerirs/29123.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Product differentiation under the WTO; An analysis of labelling and tariff or tax measures concerning farm animal welfare

Author

Listed:
  • Eaton, Derek J.F.
  • Bourgeois, J.
  • Achterbosch, Thom J.

Abstract

This report examines the possibility of giving preferential treatment to imports of meat products that meet improved standards in terms of animal welfare in production. Three specific forms of preferential treatment are considered here as possible measures for increasing levels of animal welfare in meat production in the EU and its exporting partners: labelling of products (either voluntary or compulsory), differentiated import tariffs and differentiated consumer taxes. The likely admissibility of such measures under WTO rules is assessed by means of an analysis of previous decisions by WTO dispute settlement panels. It is concluded that all of the measures analysed have a possibility of being upheld, based on a defence relying on Article XX of the GATT and perhaps also the TBT Agreement. While the incentives offered by labelling could be reinforced with differentiated tariffs or taxes, these financial instruments involve various additional complications. They could best be considered after the possibilities of regulated labelling schemes have been exhausted.

Suggested Citation

  • Eaton, Derek J.F. & Bourgeois, J. & Achterbosch, Thom J., 2005. "Product differentiation under the WTO; An analysis of labelling and tariff or tax measures concerning farm animal welfare," Report Series 29123, Wageningen University and Research Center, Agricultural Economics Research Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aerirs:29123
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.29123
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/29123/files/re050611.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.29123?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reardon, Thomas & Codron, Jean-Marie & Busch, Lawrence & Bingen, R. James & Harris, Craig, 1999. "Global Change In Agrifood Grades And Standards: Agribusiness Strategic Responses In Developing Countries," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 2(3-4), pages 1-15.
    2. Dyck, John H. & Nelson, Kenneth E., 2003. "Structure Of The Global Markets For Meat," Agricultural Information Bulletins 33701, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    3. Reardon, Thomas & Farina, Elizabeth Maria Mercier Querido, 2001. "The Rise Of Private Food Quality And Safety Standards: Illustrations From Brazil," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 4(4), pages 1-9.
    4. Golan, Elise H. & Kuchler, Fred & Mitchell, Lorraine, 2000. "Economics Of Food Labeling," Agricultural Economic Reports 34069, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Peterson, Everett B. & Orden, David, 2005. "Effects of Tariffs and Sanitary Barriers on High- and Low-Value Poultry Trade," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 30(1), pages 1-19, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cocks, Jack & Gow, Hamish R. & Dunn, Daniel J., 2003. "Meeting Private Grades And Standards In Transition Agriculture: Experiences From The Armenian Dairy Industry," 2003 Annual meeting, July 27-30, Montreal, Canada 22144, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    2. Cocks, Jack & Gow, Hamish R. & Dunn, Daniel J., 2003. "Meeting Private Grades And Standards In Transition Agriculture: Experiences From The Armenian Dairy Industry," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 6(1), pages 1-13.
    3. Lemeilleur, Sylvaine, 2013. "Smallholder Compliance with Private Standard Certification: The Case of GlobalGAP Adoption by Mango Producers in Peru," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 16(4), pages 1-22, November.
    4. John Wilkinson, 2004. "The Food Processing Industry, Globalization and Developing Countries," The Electronic Journal of Agricultural and Development Economics, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, vol. 1(2), pages 184-201.
    5. Hatanaka, Maki & Bain, Carmen & Busch, Lawrence, 2005. "Third-party certification in the global agrifood system," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 354-369, June.
    6. Konduru, Srinivasa & Kalaitzandonakes, Nicholas G. & Magnier, Alexandre, 2009. "GMO Testing Strategies and Implications for Trade: A Game Theoretic Approach," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49594, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Houssa, Romain & Verpoorten, Marijke, 2015. "The Unintended Consequence of an Export Ban: Evidence from Benin’s Shrimp Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 138-150.
    8. Miljkovic, Dragan & Jin, Hyun, 2006. "Import Demand for Quality in the Japanese Beef Market," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 276-284, October.
    9. Karen Thome & Birgit Meade & Stacey Rosen & John C. Beghin, 2016. "Assessing Food Security in Ethiopia with USDA ERS's New Food Security Modeling Approach," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 16-wp567, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    10. Cloé Garnache & Scott M. Swinton & Joseph A. Herriges & Frank Lupi & R. Jan Stevenson, 2016. "Solving the Phosphorus Pollution Puzzle: Synthesis and Directions for Future Research," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 98(5), pages 1334-1359.
    11. MacLaren, Donald, 2003. "Consumers’ Preferences, Credence Goods And The Wto Sps Agreement," 2003 Conference (47th), February 12-14, 2003, Fremantle, Australia 57915, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    12. Miet Maertens & Liesbeth Colen & Johan F. M. Swinnen, 2011. "Globalisation and poverty in Senegal: a worst case scenario?," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 38(1), pages 31-54, March.
    13. Bonnet, Céline & Hilger, James & Villas-Boas, Sofia B., 2017. "Reduced Form Evidence on Belief Updating under Asymmetric Information - The Case of Wine Expert Opinions," TSE Working Papers 17-834, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised May 2019.
    14. Riisgaard, Lone, 2009. "Global Value Chains, Labor Organization and Private Social Standards: Lessons from East African Cut Flower Industries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 326-340, February.
    15. Villas-Boas, Sofia B & Taylor, Rebecca & Krovetz, Hannah, 2016. "Willingness to Pay for Low Water Footprint Food Choices During Drought," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt9vh3x180, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    16. Minten, Bart & Singh, K.M. & Sutradhar, Rajib, 2011. "Branding in food retail of high value crops in Asia: Case of Makhana from Bihar (India)," MPRA Paper 54334, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 31 Jan 2011.
    17. Reardon, Thomas & Barrett, Christopher B. & Berdegué, Julio A. & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Agrifood Industry Transformation and Small Farmers in Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1717-1727, November.
    18. GianCarlo Moschini, 2008. "Biotechnology and the development of food markets: retrospect and prospects," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Foundation for the European Review of Agricultural Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 331-355, September.
    19. repec:ilo:ilowps:366545 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Hugh Campbell & Anne Murcott & Angela MacKenzie, 2011. "Kosher in New York City, halal in Aquitaine: challenging the relationship between neoliberalism and food auditing," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(1), pages 67-79, February.
    21. Tessmann, Jannes, 2021. "Strategic responses to food safety standards – The case of the Indian cashew industry," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    International Relations/Trade;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:aerirs:29123. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ledlonl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.