Selim Çağatay

From Value Chain Analysis to Global Value Chain Analysis: Fresh Orange Export Sector in Mediterranean Partner Countries

Preceding chapters outlined some of the challenges facing Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPCs), from stubborn rural poverty to a crisis in its rapidly changing demographics. The region is facing a predicament over agricultural policy and competitiveness in its agri-food sector. MPCs and the wider region of the Middle East and North African (MENA) are failing to meet the challenge of averting heavy rural-urban migration and the current policy strategy has not brought the economic growth to the region that it desperately needs (Baldacci et al. in World Dev 36:1317–1341, 2008).

The Determinants of Migrants’ Remittance Inflows in the MENA Region: A Macroeconomic Approach

Macroeconomic studies on the determinants of remittance flows have traditionally reviewed the role that economic conditions of host and home countries of migrants play in this process. New contributions have enlarged that setting by dealing with socio-political (demographics, institutions) and individual (education) dimensions influencing migrants’ behaviour when they remit money back home. In this investigation, we test for the role of all these variables in a general framework when analysing the case of the MENA (Middle East and North of Africa) region. Results indicate that the state of the business cycle, the characteristics of households (fertility, income per capita), and those of the migrants themselves (mainly education endowments) are the leading factors influencing the volume of such capital entrances. Institutional factors appear to play a secondary, although significant, role. The empirical results suggest altruism, insurance, and investment as the key motives driving remitters’ behaviour in the case of the MENA region.

Analysing the impact of targeted bio-ethanol blending ratio in Turkey

In Turkey, a legal requirement of blending bio-ethanol with conventional fuels has been imposed, and this is likely to increase in the future. The blending target policy is multi-dimensional as it has direct and indirect impacts on agricultural and factor markets, trade and budget deficit, income distribution, food security and on environment. In this study, policy analyses are carried out to investigate whether the blending target is feasible and sustainable in terms of the economic structure of Turkey. Analyses were carried out by employing an agricultural bilateral trade model and agriculture focused social accounting matrix. Findings suggest that target rate can be feasible and harmless on food security, if the extra required supply is provided through tariff reduction particularly on imports of wheat and maize rather than promoting their production through price premiums. For achieving sustainability of the target blending rate, new supportive policies have to be implemented to create alternative job opportunities in the rural areas and/or to shift farmers for alternative crops.

To What Extent Are Rural Development Policies Compatible with Achieving Sustainable Agriculture in Turkey

This chapter aims to assess the sustainability of the agricultural sector in Turkey by focusing on diagnosed problems and on the relevant policy framework. In the first part of the chapter, descriptive information regarding household livelihoods in rural Turkey is provided to diagnose economic, social and environmental problems that might be crucial in terms of sustainability. We place particular emphasis on five topics including agricultural trade balance, inequalities and rural poverty, natural resources, demographic trends and migrations, and public health concerns. Wherever possible, we focus our attention on developments over the past 2–3 decades while analyses provide statistical information on possible sourcing factors underlying the diagnosed problems.