Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the post-harvest loss experience of several Asia-Pacific economies to analyse the potential impacts of reduction of such losses using a range of remedial measures. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework has been developed and then applied to a case study based on several Asia-Pacific economies to provide an empirical basis for the analysis in the paper. Findings Limited access to vital farm inputs and credit, poor infrastructure and lack of technical and market information are some of the critical challenges confronting many small farmers in developing economies including those in the selected case-study countries. The estimated “food savings” are considerable if Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s pledge to reduce food losses and waste by 10 per cent by 2020, relative to the 2011-2012 levels is realised in the case-study economies. Research limitations/implications Further work is urgently required to collect more up-to-date data on food losses along the food supply chain, including post-harvest losses, in many economies across the world, including the Asia-Pacific region. Originality/value The analysis of post-harvest losses is underpinned by a conceptual framework that has been developed and applied to several Asia-Pacific economies.
Recent analysis of Blockchain use has highlighted considerable potential productivity gains arising from lower transaction costs between buyers and sellers of goods. This has been shown by recent examples of Blockchain use in the Australian grains sector. In this paper, we have further developed and quantified this concept of productivity gain by undertaking several illustrative scenarios using a general equilibrium model of the global economy. Our analysis indicates that an assumed modest growth (five per cent) in productivity due to Blockchain use in the grains sector could raise output by eight per cent over the medium term. If this is accompanied by Blockchain use in the Australian finance sector, grains output could reach ten per cent. This reflects the effect of reduction in transaction costs due to the use of Blockchain technology as a "distributed ledger technology" in grain trading. Further, it is anticipated that the wider effects of Blockchain-driven productivity enhancement of the Australian finance sector could contribute to approximately 2.5 per cent increase in GDP in the medium term, relative to what would otherwise be.
Abstract:The increased levels of Greenhouse Gasses (GHGs) in the atmosphere will result in increased near-surface air temperature and absolute humidity. These two factors increasingly pose a risk of heat stress to humans. The Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is a widely used and validated index for assessing the environmental heat stress. Using the output from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) simulations of the four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), we calculated the global and regional changes in WBGT. Globally, the WBGT is projected to increase by 0.6-1.7 • C for RCP 2.6 and 2.37-4.4 • C for RCP 8.5. At the regional scale, our analysis suggests a disproportionate increase in the WBGT over northern India, China, northern Australia, Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia. An increase in WBGT has consequences not only on human health but also on social and economic factors. These consequences may be exacerbated in developing economies, which are less able to adapt to the changing environmental conditions.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the key issues surrounding foreign direct investment (FDI) in agriculture, and examine the potential impacts of FDI in African agriculture. Design/methodology/approach – The dynamic Global Trade Analysis Project model (GDyn) is used to analyse the potential impacts of improvements in land productivity and FDI in Africa. Findings – The results illustrate that combined efforts to improve land productivity and growth in FDI could potentially increase Africa’s share in global agricultural output and exports, particularly with respect to oil seeds, sugar, and cotton. Originality/value – The authors employ a global economy-wide modelling framework to simulate the effects of growth in FDI in African agriculture.
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