Siemen Van Berkum - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Siemen Van Berkum
SSRN Electronic Journal
This study proposed a modelling framework which addresses various issues such as decreasing margi... more This study proposed a modelling framework which addresses various issues such as decreasing marginal yield of corn with respect to fertilizer use in biofuel production and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Particularly, the framework considered exogenous changes including oil price development and biofuel policy through market interactions of different inputs and outputs in biofuel production. We applied the modelling framework numerically in an example of corn ethanol production in the United States to illustrate how the economics of fertilizer use could impact the GHG emissions based on both average and marginal emissions. The results show that higher oil prices increase the prices of gasoline, natural gas, ethanol, and corn, which stimulates corn-based ethanol production and increases corn yields by encouraging profit-maximizing farmers to increase their application rate of nitrogen fertilizers slightly. The effect is that, on average, GHG emissions per unit of produced corn ethanol remain almost constant if oil price increases from 60 to 120 $/barrel. However, the marginal emissions per additional unit of ethanol production increase by 2.2% or10%, depending on whether the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit is implemented or not. More important is that the marginal emissions of corn ethanol are much higher than those of conventional gasoline. Although on average there are GHG emission savings of corn ethanol compared to conventional gasoline, the savings are negative when based on the marginal emissions of corn ethanol. An interesting implication is that the effectiveness of biofuel policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions might be questionable.
This report evaluates the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture on EU's ... more This report evaluates the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture on EU's international agricultural trade position. EU's share in trade of total agricultural products has not changed over the period 1993-2003. Yet, the EU lost market shares in trade on cereals, sugar, and dairy and meat products. WTO commitments to reduce export support have contributed to these decreasing market shares. However, for some products demand developments have had greater impact on EU's market position than changes in trade policies due to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture.
reviewed the study proposal and provided very useful comments and suggestions. William Sutton, Ma... more reviewed the study proposal and provided very useful comments and suggestions. William Sutton, Maria Amelina, and Maurizio Guadagni advised on the preparation of the study. Mark Ludwick, Karin Rosskopf, Gail Lee, and Maria Gabitan provided editorial assistance. Benoit Blarel, sector manager, and Laura Tuck, ECSSD director, provided much appreciated encouragement and critical guidance throughout the duration of the study.
The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not... more The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the govern ments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is copyrighted. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or inclusion in any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the World Bank. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission promptly.
This comparative analysis of structures and performances of the dairy supply chain in 20 southeas... more This comparative analysis of structures and performances of the dairy supply chain in 20 southeastern and eastern European countries shows that even after many years of structural change, the sector is still dominated by small-scale and subsistence farming, which results in weak vertical integration in all countries except the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Cyprus and Malta. Industry performances indicate positive tendencies in the Baltic States and Poland, while the sector faces serious difficulties in others. In Romania, Bulgaria and all (potential) candidate countries, the industry has immense problems complying with food quality and safety standards. Vast investments are needed in all parts of the supply chain to increase productivity and improve the quality of products. A major restructuring of the supply chain is expected in upcoming years.
Dit rapport analyseert de gevolgen van het landbouwhandelsakkoord van de Uruguayronde voor de int... more Dit rapport analyseert de gevolgen van het landbouwhandelsakkoord van de Uruguayronde voor de internationale handelspositie van de Europese Unie. Het aandeel van de EU in de totale agrarische wereldhandel is gelijk gebleven in de periode 1993-2003. Wel heeft de Unie aandeel verloren op de markten voor granen, suiker, zuivel- en vleesproducten. Bij dit verlies hebben WTO-verplichtingen ten aanzien van de afbouw van exportrestituties een rol gespeeld. Voor een aantal producten hebben ontwikkelingen in de vraag evenwel een grotere invloed op de internationale marktpositie van de Unie gehad dan de veranderingen in het handelsbeleid die voortvloeiden uit de afspraken in het kader van de Uruguay-ronde. This report evaluates the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture on EU's international agricultural trade position. EU's share in trade of total agricultural products has not changed over the period 1993-2003. Yet, the EU lost market shares in trade on cereals, sugar,...
In this study patterns of agricultural trade and agrifood related foreign direct investment are i... more In this study patterns of agricultural trade and agrifood related foreign direct investment are investigated. An important question is how the interaction between trade and foreign direct investment can be explained. Trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) are two important vehicles for firms to internationalise their activities. Mainstream theories consider the two largely as substitutes. Yet, empirical observations suggest that a complementary relationship exists between trade and FDI rather than a substitutional one. This thesis aims to find explanations for the patterns in agricultural trade and in agrifood related FDI, and for their interaction. Empirical investigations focus on Dutch agricultural trade flows and on Dutch agrifood multinationals. The Dutch agribusiness is an interesting case since it has an important trade position in the world. At the same time, the Netherlands is an important source and destination of FDI in the agrifood sector.
Food Security
Whereas most indicators for food systems performance only focus on outcomes, we explore the prosp... more Whereas most indicators for food systems performance only focus on outcomes, we explore the prospects for a kind of Food Systems Index (FSI) that tries to capture several key components that influence differences in food system performance at country level. We outline the theoretical foundations and methodological approach underlying the FSI framework and illustrate its relevance for understanding major food system characteristics. We therefore focus on major FSI differences between regions and types of countries and compare FSI outcomes across different types of food systems and in relationship to other indicators of change in the rural and economic structure. We explain the potential of the FSI framework for identifying more coherent food system policies but also acknowledge the challenges for its further operationalization.
Post-Communist Economies, 2013
This article investigates Russian non-tariff measures (NTMs) on dairy products and their implicat... more This article investigates Russian non-tariff measures (NTMs) on dairy products and their implications for EU dairy exports. Based on survey results, numerous and detailed Russian standards on imported dairy products are considered by respondents as redundant and unnecessary from a food safety perspective. Conformity assessment procedures are identified as a major problem when exporting to Russia. They are nontransparent, time-consuming and expose exporters to significant risk that their products may be refused entry at the Russian border. Audits by Russian inspectors seem to be subject to arbitrary rules and exporting companies face great uncertainty because of unclear and often changing rules. Both fixed and variable costs may increase due to Russian non-tariff measures, adding an estimated 5-10% of export value to costs. The gravity model estimates indicate that, after controlling for other variables, non-tariff measures are more restrictive on US exports to Russia than on EU exports to Russia, while New Zealand's exports to Russia are least affected by NTMs. Overall, the estimates do not confirm that Russia's NTMs are significantly more restrictive than is the case with other countries' NTMs. Although Russian standards for dairy imports are inhibiting trade they are not more restrictive than those implemented by other countries.
This study reports on the extent to which sustainability initiatives in the cocoa, coffee and soy... more This study reports on the extent to which sustainability initiatives in the cocoa, coffee and soy value chains have been scaled up by companies. We have investigated how the private sector can be further stimulated to engage in, sustain and increase their involvement in actions to increase the sustainability of commodity chains with links to the Netherlands. The report analyses the motives for companies to join sustainability initiatives and their reasons for not engaging. It concludes with several recommendations on how government and value-chain stakeholders could further stimulate the scaling up of sustainability initiatives.
SSRN Electronic Journal
This study proposed a modelling framework which addresses various issues such as decreasing margi... more This study proposed a modelling framework which addresses various issues such as decreasing marginal yield of corn with respect to fertilizer use in biofuel production and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Particularly, the framework considered exogenous changes including oil price development and biofuel policy through market interactions of different inputs and outputs in biofuel production. We applied the modelling framework numerically in an example of corn ethanol production in the United States to illustrate how the economics of fertilizer use could impact the GHG emissions based on both average and marginal emissions. The results show that higher oil prices increase the prices of gasoline, natural gas, ethanol, and corn, which stimulates corn-based ethanol production and increases corn yields by encouraging profit-maximizing farmers to increase their application rate of nitrogen fertilizers slightly. The effect is that, on average, GHG emissions per unit of produced corn ethanol remain almost constant if oil price increases from 60 to 120 $/barrel. However, the marginal emissions per additional unit of ethanol production increase by 2.2% or10%, depending on whether the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit is implemented or not. More important is that the marginal emissions of corn ethanol are much higher than those of conventional gasoline. Although on average there are GHG emission savings of corn ethanol compared to conventional gasoline, the savings are negative when based on the marginal emissions of corn ethanol. An interesting implication is that the effectiveness of biofuel policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions might be questionable.
This report evaluates the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture on EU's ... more This report evaluates the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture on EU's international agricultural trade position. EU's share in trade of total agricultural products has not changed over the period 1993-2003. Yet, the EU lost market shares in trade on cereals, sugar, and dairy and meat products. WTO commitments to reduce export support have contributed to these decreasing market shares. However, for some products demand developments have had greater impact on EU's market position than changes in trade policies due to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture.
reviewed the study proposal and provided very useful comments and suggestions. William Sutton, Ma... more reviewed the study proposal and provided very useful comments and suggestions. William Sutton, Maria Amelina, and Maurizio Guadagni advised on the preparation of the study. Mark Ludwick, Karin Rosskopf, Gail Lee, and Maria Gabitan provided editorial assistance. Benoit Blarel, sector manager, and Laura Tuck, ECSSD director, provided much appreciated encouragement and critical guidance throughout the duration of the study.
The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not... more The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank or the govern ments they represent. The World Bank cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply on the part of the World Bank any judgment of the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is copyrighted. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or inclusion in any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the World Bank. The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission promptly.
This comparative analysis of structures and performances of the dairy supply chain in 20 southeas... more This comparative analysis of structures and performances of the dairy supply chain in 20 southeastern and eastern European countries shows that even after many years of structural change, the sector is still dominated by small-scale and subsistence farming, which results in weak vertical integration in all countries except the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Cyprus and Malta. Industry performances indicate positive tendencies in the Baltic States and Poland, while the sector faces serious difficulties in others. In Romania, Bulgaria and all (potential) candidate countries, the industry has immense problems complying with food quality and safety standards. Vast investments are needed in all parts of the supply chain to increase productivity and improve the quality of products. A major restructuring of the supply chain is expected in upcoming years.
Dit rapport analyseert de gevolgen van het landbouwhandelsakkoord van de Uruguayronde voor de int... more Dit rapport analyseert de gevolgen van het landbouwhandelsakkoord van de Uruguayronde voor de internationale handelspositie van de Europese Unie. Het aandeel van de EU in de totale agrarische wereldhandel is gelijk gebleven in de periode 1993-2003. Wel heeft de Unie aandeel verloren op de markten voor granen, suiker, zuivel- en vleesproducten. Bij dit verlies hebben WTO-verplichtingen ten aanzien van de afbouw van exportrestituties een rol gespeeld. Voor een aantal producten hebben ontwikkelingen in de vraag evenwel een grotere invloed op de internationale marktpositie van de Unie gehad dan de veranderingen in het handelsbeleid die voortvloeiden uit de afspraken in het kader van de Uruguay-ronde. This report evaluates the effects of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture on EU's international agricultural trade position. EU's share in trade of total agricultural products has not changed over the period 1993-2003. Yet, the EU lost market shares in trade on cereals, sugar,...
In this study patterns of agricultural trade and agrifood related foreign direct investment are i... more In this study patterns of agricultural trade and agrifood related foreign direct investment are investigated. An important question is how the interaction between trade and foreign direct investment can be explained. Trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) are two important vehicles for firms to internationalise their activities. Mainstream theories consider the two largely as substitutes. Yet, empirical observations suggest that a complementary relationship exists between trade and FDI rather than a substitutional one. This thesis aims to find explanations for the patterns in agricultural trade and in agrifood related FDI, and for their interaction. Empirical investigations focus on Dutch agricultural trade flows and on Dutch agrifood multinationals. The Dutch agribusiness is an interesting case since it has an important trade position in the world. At the same time, the Netherlands is an important source and destination of FDI in the agrifood sector.
Food Security
Whereas most indicators for food systems performance only focus on outcomes, we explore the prosp... more Whereas most indicators for food systems performance only focus on outcomes, we explore the prospects for a kind of Food Systems Index (FSI) that tries to capture several key components that influence differences in food system performance at country level. We outline the theoretical foundations and methodological approach underlying the FSI framework and illustrate its relevance for understanding major food system characteristics. We therefore focus on major FSI differences between regions and types of countries and compare FSI outcomes across different types of food systems and in relationship to other indicators of change in the rural and economic structure. We explain the potential of the FSI framework for identifying more coherent food system policies but also acknowledge the challenges for its further operationalization.
Post-Communist Economies, 2013
This article investigates Russian non-tariff measures (NTMs) on dairy products and their implicat... more This article investigates Russian non-tariff measures (NTMs) on dairy products and their implications for EU dairy exports. Based on survey results, numerous and detailed Russian standards on imported dairy products are considered by respondents as redundant and unnecessary from a food safety perspective. Conformity assessment procedures are identified as a major problem when exporting to Russia. They are nontransparent, time-consuming and expose exporters to significant risk that their products may be refused entry at the Russian border. Audits by Russian inspectors seem to be subject to arbitrary rules and exporting companies face great uncertainty because of unclear and often changing rules. Both fixed and variable costs may increase due to Russian non-tariff measures, adding an estimated 5-10% of export value to costs. The gravity model estimates indicate that, after controlling for other variables, non-tariff measures are more restrictive on US exports to Russia than on EU exports to Russia, while New Zealand's exports to Russia are least affected by NTMs. Overall, the estimates do not confirm that Russia's NTMs are significantly more restrictive than is the case with other countries' NTMs. Although Russian standards for dairy imports are inhibiting trade they are not more restrictive than those implemented by other countries.
This study reports on the extent to which sustainability initiatives in the cocoa, coffee and soy... more This study reports on the extent to which sustainability initiatives in the cocoa, coffee and soy value chains have been scaled up by companies. We have investigated how the private sector can be further stimulated to engage in, sustain and increase their involvement in actions to increase the sustainability of commodity chains with links to the Netherlands. The report analyses the motives for companies to join sustainability initiatives and their reasons for not engaging. It concludes with several recommendations on how government and value-chain stakeholders could further stimulate the scaling up of sustainability initiatives.