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The Economics of Oil, Biofuel and Food Commodities

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  • Eric Bahel
  • Walid Marrouch
  • Gerard Gaudet

Abstract

In this paper we study the effects on the food market of the introduction of biofuels as a substitute for fossil fuel in the energy market. We consider a world economy with an oil cartel and a competitive fringe of farmers producing energy in the form of biofuels. Farmers also produce food and sell it on the world food market. We determine the resulting relationship between prices in the energy and food markets and characterize the cartel's extraction path and the price path of energy. We show that the price of food will be growing as long the oil stock is being depleted, whether population is growing or not, and that it will keep growing after the oil stock is exhausted if population is growing.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Bahel & Walid Marrouch & Gerard Gaudet, 2010. "The Economics of Oil, Biofuel and Food Commodities," Working Papers e07-26, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:vpi:wpaper:e07-26
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    File URL: ftp://repec.econ.vt.edu/Papers/Bahel/paper_biofuel.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ngo Van LONG, 2014. "The Green Paradox under Imperfect Substitutability between Clean and Dirty Fuels," Cahiers de recherche 02-2014, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en économie quantitative, CIREQ.
    2. Nachtigall, Daniel & Rübbelke, Dirk, 2016. "The green paradox and learning-by-doing in the renewable energy sector," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 74-92.
    3. Quentin Grafton, R. & Kompas, Tom & Van Long, Ngo, 2012. "Substitution between biofuels and fossil fuels: Is there a green paradox?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(3), pages 328-341.
    4. R. Quentin Grafton & Tom Kompas & Ngo Van Long, 2010. "Biofuels Subsidies and the Green Paradox," CESifo Working Paper Series 2960, CESifo Group Munich.
    5. Jevgenijs Steinbuks & Thomas Hertel, 2016. "Confronting the Food–Energy–Environment Trilemma: Global Land Use in the Long Run," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 63(3), pages 545-570, March.
    6. R. Quentin Grafton & Tom Kompas & Ngo Van Long, 2010. "Do Biofuel Subsidies Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?," International and Development Economics Working Papers idec10-01, International and Development Economics.
    7. Dohnal, Mirko, 2016. "Complex biofuels related scenarios generated by qualitative reasoning under severe information shortages: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 676-684.
    8. Tokic, Damir, 2015. "The 2014 oil bust: Causes and consequences," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 162-169.
    9. repec:eee:eneeco:v:66:y:2017:i:c:p:559-570 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Lotfali Agheli, 2016. "Demand for Natural Gas in Food and Beverage Industries of Iran," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 6(3), pages 588-593.
    11. Hoel, Michael & Sletten, Thea Marcelia, 2016. "Climate and forests: The tradeoff between forests as a source for producing bioenergy and as a carbon sink," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 112-129.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    biofuel; oil depletion; population growth; energy price; food price;

    JEL classification:

    • Q30 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - General
    • Q24 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Land
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources

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