Harvey S. James

Networks, Power and Dependency in the Agrifood Industry

We review research on power, dependency and the concentration of agrifood industries and report updated concentration figures for selected agrifood sectors. We then utilize network exchange theory to identify principles of dependency and network relations and describe network relationships within the broiler, beef and commodity crop sectors. We argue that this study demonstrates that network analysis can inform on the nature, source and extent of differential dependencies and asymmetric power relationships within the agrifood sector.

TIME UNDER AUTOCRATIC RULE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

We investigate how the length of time a countrys regime was autocratic between 1920 and 2000 is correlated with economic growth and per capita income. We find that the longer a country was within an autocracy, the lower is the countrys economic performance, even after controlling for other factors. We also find the length of time a country is not autocratic is positively related to growth and income. We claim this evidence is consistent with the thesis that one reason why some countries have had difficulty adjusting to life after autocracy is that the human and social capital necessary to make markets “work” eroded under autocratic regimes and take time to develop afterward.

Introduction to the Ethics and Economics of Agrifood Competition: Connotations, Complications and Commentary

After briefly explaining the context for questioning whether the agrifood industry suffers from a lack of free and fair competition, this introduction has three objectives. First, to assess the meaning of adequate and fair competition. Second, to summarize the contributed essays published in this volume. Third, to comment about what the analyses tell us about the ethics and economics of agrifood competition.

Agriculture and human values

▶ Offers open discussion of the values that shape and the structures that support food and agricultural systems in industrial and developing countries ▶ Welcomes interdisciplinary research from sociology, anthropology, development, economics, geography, philosophy, environmental studies, health and nutrition science, crop and soil science, and other social and physical sciences that critically examines contemporary and alternative food and agricultural systems ▶ Publishes empirical studies, qualitative research, theoretical discussions, case studies, literature reviews, policy analyses, in-thefield reports, and humanities-based inquiries