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Biofuels and Vertical Price Transmission: The Case of the U.S. Corn, Ethanol, and Food Markets

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  • Dusan Drabik
  • Pavel Ciaian
  • Jan Pokrivcak

Abstract

This is the first paper to analyze the impact of biofuels on the price transmission along the food chain. We analyze the U.S. corn sector and its vertical links with food and ethanol (energy) markets. We find that biofuels affect the price transmission elasticity in the food chain compared to a no biofuel production situation but the effect depends on the source of the market shock and the policy regime: the price transmission elasticity declines under a binding blender’s tax credit and a food market shock. Our results also indicate that the response of corn and food prices to shocks in the corn and/or food markets is lower in the presence of biofuels. Finally, the sensitivity analyses indicate that our results are robust to different assumptions about the model parameters.

Suggested Citation

  • Dusan Drabik & Pavel Ciaian & Jan Pokrivcak, 2014. "Biofuels and Vertical Price Transmission: The Case of the U.S. Corn, Ethanol, and Food Markets," LICOS Discussion Papers 35114, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    • Handle: RePEc:lic:licosd:35114
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    Cited by:

    1. Ladislav Kristoufek & Karel Janda & David Zilberman, 2015. "Co-movements of Ethanol Related Prices: Evidence from Brazil and the USA," CAMA Working Papers 2015-11, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
    2. Drabik, Dušan & Ciaian, Pavel & Pokrivčák, Ján, 2016. "The effect of ethanol policies on the vertical price transmission in corn and food markets," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 189-199.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    price transmission; food chain; biofuels; prices;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q21 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

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