Agriculture, food and global value chains: issues, methods and challenges

About one-third of trade in food and agriculture takes place within global value chains (GVC). Coffee, palm oil or biofuels production are examples the modern organization agri-food through GVC (de Becker, Miroudot, 2014; Greenville et al., 2016; Baliè 2019). Agricultural raw materials nowadays may cross borders many times before reaching final consumers, as they embedded intermediate processed goods which produced different countries. Agri-food typically characterized by a strong coordination between farmers, processors traders, retailers. Value chain can be initiated downstream buyers, such supermarkets processors, upstream suppliers including farmers farmer cooperatives (Swinnen Maertens, 2007; Reardon al 2007). In number cases, group “lead firms” plays critical role defining terms supply membership whom is added (Scoppola, 2021). 
 The growth raises new issues for agricultural sectors. Participating to expected have several positive effects, both countries technology knowledge spillovers, increased productivity, growth, employment opportunities, ultimately increase farmers’ income. On other hand, market concentration concerns related emergence power (Swinnen, Vandeplas, 2014). Further, there that producing result intensification production, with negative environmental effects deployment natural resources water stress.
 Sound evidence about nature implications relevant policymaker, firms civil society. economic analysis challenges economists respects. complex raise makes it essential use multiple lens (World Bank, 2020). Country-level (macro) approaches needed investigate drivers world-wide fragmentation welfare participating GVC. Recent progresses empirical certainly fundamental understanding Industry level (meso) relationship among various stages Analytical tools from industrial literature used price transmission along GVC, vertical distributions benefits A firm approach (micro) participation farmers. 10th AIEAA Annual Conference contributes this debate, putting together disciplines their economic, social, sustainability. Three keynotes explore these perspectives. Silvia Nenci Ilaria Fusacchia, Anna Giunta, Pierluigi Montalbano Carlo Pietrobelli entitled Mapping positioning (Nenci 2022) reviews key methods data arising country-level analyses They overall conclude improvements measurements mapping currently still severely limited availability. Empirical date mostly uses Input-Output matrices aggregate map measure GVCs; however, sectoral country coverage remains rather weak. further review recent trends using indicator upstreamness (measuring distance sector demand stages) two sectors, “Agriculture” “Food Beverages”. show at level, globally around 30-35 percent beverages; while linkages forward linked, beverages much more middle end chain. Furthermore, that, unsurprisingly, has higher score on respect sector. discussing some faced concerning policies, technological innovation COVID crises. keynote Tim Lloyd “Price imperfect competition industry” aims providing insights how information conveyed means prices consumers producers chains. After presenting basic theory, addresses issue detect degree reviewing theory-consistent models well developed New Industrial Organisation literature. highly detailed retail (‘scanner’) reveals industry (retailing, manufacturing, processing) major source changes also mediates signals originating parts increasingly nuanced ways; author concludes should wary inferring too competitive setting based alone.
 Miet Maertens “A local Africa: Supply sustainability” highlights expansion low- middle-income modernizing rapidly institutional, technical, commercial innovations. While large body focusses development received less attention. assesses potential African countries, sustainability outcomes emphasizes land, labour, water, create Spill-over investment, technical institutional complementarities process development. existence importantly depends type crop structure organisation entail important consequences towards socio-economic