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Trade Standards and the Political Economy of Genetically Modified Food

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  • Anderson, Kym
  • Damania, Richard
  • Jackson, Lee Ann

Abstract

A common-agency lobbying model is developed to help understand why North America and the European Union have adopted such different policies towards genetically modified food. Our results show that when firms (in this case farmers) lobby policy-makers to influence standards and consumers and environmentalists care about the choice of standard, it is possible that increased competition from abroad can lead to strategic incentives to raise standards, not just lower them as shown in earlier models. This theoretical proposition is supported by numerical results from a global general equilibrium model of GM adoption in America without and with an EU moratorium.

Suggested Citation

  • Anderson, Kym & Damania, Richard & Jackson, Lee Ann, 2004. "Trade Standards and the Political Economy of Genetically Modified Food," CEPR Discussion Papers 4526, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:4526
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    Cited by:

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    2. Masoud Ali Khalid & Narmen M. Ghafor, 2019. "The Impact of NTMs on Trade: Evidence from Developing Countries," International Journal of Finance & Banking Studies, Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 8(1), pages 37-47, January.
    3. Johan F.M. Swinnen & Thijs Vandemoortele, 2008. "The Political Economy of Nutrition and Health Standards in Food Markets," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 30(3), pages 460-468.
    4. Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2017. "Standards, Tariffs And Trade: The Rise And Fall Of The Raisin Trade Between Greece And France In The Late 19th Century And The Definition Of Wine," Working Papers 253853, American Association of Wine Economists.
    5. Johan F.M. Swinnen & Thijs Vandemoortele, 2009. "Trade, Development, and the Political Economy of Public Standards," LICOS Discussion Papers 23609, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    6. Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2013. "The Political Economy of European Wine Regulations," Journal of Wine Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 244-284, December.
    7. Kareem, Fatima Olanike & Martinez-Zarzoso, Inmaculada & Brümmer, Bernhard, 2016. "Protecting Health or Protecting Imports? Evidence from EU Non-Tariff Barriers," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 241267, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    8. Kareem, Fatima Olanike & Martínez-Zarzoso, Inmaculada & Brümmer, Bernhard, 2018. "Protecting health or protecting imports? Evidence from EU non-tariff measures," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 185-202.
    9. Swinnen Johan & Vandeplas Anneleen, 2012. "Rich Consumers and Poor Producers: Quality and Rent Distribution in Global Value Chains," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-30, January.
    10. Meloni, Giulia & Swinnen, Johan, 2018. "Trade and terroir. The political economy of the world’s first geographical indications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-20.
    11. Tao Xiang & Jikun Huang & d’Artis Kancs & Scott Rozelle & Jo Swinnen, 2012. "Food Standards and Welfare: General Equilibrium Effects," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(2), pages 223-244, June.
    12. Annalisa Zezza & Federica Demaria & Maria Rosaria Pupo d'Andrea & Jo Swinnen & Giulia Meloni & Senne Vandevelde & Alessandro Olper & Daniele Curzi & Valentina Raimondi & Sophie Drogue, 2018. "Research for AGRI Committee - Agricultural trade: assessing reciprocity of standards," Working Papers hal-02787948, HAL.
    13. Lili Yan ING & Olivier CADOT, 2017. "Remaking Ad valorem equivalents of non-tariff measures in ASEAN," Working Papers DP-2017-09, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
    14. Ana Santos & Jose Caetano, 2008. "EU regulation concerning genetically modified products: an issue of food security or a measure of disguised protectionism?," CEFAGE-UE Working Papers 2008_10, University of Evora, CEFAGE-UE (Portugal).
    15. Johan F.M. Swinnen & Scott Rozelle & Tao Xiang & Thijs Vandemoortele, 2008. "A Theory of Standards-Driven Rural Development," LICOS Discussion Papers 19908, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
    16. Olivier CADOT & Lili Yan ING, 2017. "Ad-valorem equivalents of NTMs in ASEAN," Working Papers P203, FERDI.
    17. Beverelli, Cosimo & Boffa, Mauro & Keck, Alexander, 2014. "Trade policy substitution: Theory and evidence from Specific Trade Concerns," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2014-18, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    18. Vigani, Mauro & Olper, Alessandro, 2013. "GMO standards, endogenous policy and the market for information," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 32-43.
    19. Johan F.M.Swinnen & Thijs Vandemoortele, 2011. "On Butterflies and Frankenstein: A Dynamic Theory of Regulation," LICOS Discussion Papers 27611, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gmos; Political economy; Regulation of standards; Trade policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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