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General Equilibrium Measures of Agricultural Policy Bias in Fifteen Developing Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Henning Tarp Jensen

    (Institute of Economics, University of Copenhagen)

  • Sherman Robinson

    (Department of Economics, University of Sussex)

  • Finn Tarp

    (Institute of Economics, University of Copenhagen)

Abstract
A comparative analysis of 15 developing countries shows that, during the 1990s, indirect taxes, tariffs, and exchange rates significantly discriminated against agriculture in only one country (Malawi), was largely neutral in five (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe), provided a moderate subsidy to agriculture in four (Mexico, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Zambia), and strongly favored agriculture in five (Egypt, Korea, Morocco, Mozambique, and Tunisia). In contrast to earlier partial equilibrium results, our general equilibrium analysis indicates that exchange rate changes can lead to anything between strongly increasing and strongly decreasing relative agriculture/non-agriculture incentives, depending on relative trade shares and relative tradability of agricultural and non-agricultural commodities. Country-specific circumstances greatly affect the relative impact of trade policies on agriculture and the rest of the economy in a general equilibrium setting. Earlier partial equilibrium measures of policy bias could not adequately incorporate country heterogeneity and are therefore likely to have overstated the bias. In any case, from the empirical results with our sample of countries, we conclude that any incentive bias against agriculture in the 1980s had mostly disappeared by the 1990s.

Suggested Citation

  • Henning Tarp Jensen & Sherman Robinson & Finn Tarp, 2004. "General Equilibrium Measures of Agricultural Policy Bias in Fifteen Developing Countries," Discussion Papers 04-25, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:kud:kuiedp:0425
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jensen, Henning Tarp & Robinson, Sherman & Tarp, Finn, 2002. "General equilibrium measures of agricultural policy bias in fifteen developing countries," TMD discussion papers 105, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Henning Tarp Jensen & Finn Tarp, 2002. "CGE Modelling and Trade Policy: Reassessing The Agricultural Bias," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 383-405, July.
    3. Ahmed, Akhter U. & Gutner, Tamar & Lofgren, Hans & Bouis, Howarth E., 2001. "The Egyptian food subsidy system: structure, performance, and options for reform," Research reports 119, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Channing Arndt & Henning Tarp Jensen & Finn Tarp, 2000. "Structural Characteristics of the Economy of Mozambique: A SAM-based Analysis," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(3), pages 292-306, October.
    5. Jaime de Melo & Sherman Robinson, 2015. "Trade Policy And Resource Allocation In The Presence Of Product Differentiation," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Modeling Developing Countries' Policies in General Equilibrium, chapter 16, pages 357-365, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    6. Löfgren, Hans & Robinson, Sherman & Thurlow, James, 2002. "Macro and micro effects of recent and potential shocks to copper mining in Zambia," TMD discussion papers 99, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Krueger, Anne O & Schiff, Maurice & Valdes, Alberto, 1988. "Agricultural Incentives in Developing Countries: Measuring the Effect of Sectoral and Economywide Policies," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 2(3), pages 255-271, September.
    8. Amelia Santos-Paulino & A.P. Thirlwall, 2004. "Trade Liberalisation And Economic Performance In Developing Countries - Introduction," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(493), pages 1-3, February.
    9. Romeo M. Bautista & Sherman Robinson & Finn Tarp & Peter Wobst, 2001. "Policy Bias and Agriculture: Partial and General Equilibrium Measures," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 89-104, February.
    10. Cattaneo, Andrea & Ojeda, Raul A. Hinojosa- & Robinson, Sherman, 1999. "Costa Rica trade liberalization, fiscal imbalances, and macroeconomic policy: a computable general equilibrium model," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 39-67.
    11. Lofgren, Hans & El-Said, Moataz, 2001. "Food subsidies in Egypt: reform options, distribution and welfare," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 65-83, February.
    12. C. Arndt & H.T. Jensen & S. Robinson & F. Tarp, 2000. "Marketing Margins and Agricultural Technology in Mozambique," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 121-137, October.
    13. Mary E. Burfisher & Sherman Robinson & Karen Thierfelder, 2002. "Developing Countries and the Gains from Regionalism: Links between Trade and Farm Policy Reforms in Mexico," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 84(3), pages 736-748.
    14. Harris, Rebecca Lee, 2001. "A computable general equilibrium analysis of Mexico's agricultural policy reforms," TMD discussion papers 65, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Majumdar, Sumon & Mani, Anandi & Mukand, Sharun W., 2004. "Politics, information and the urban bias," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 137-165, October.
    16. Löfgren, Hans & Harris, Rebecca Lee & Robinson, Sherman, 2001. "A standard computable general equilibrium (CGE) model in GAMS," TMD discussion papers 75, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    17. Tarp, Finn & Arndt, Channing & Jensen, Henning Tarp & Robinson, Sherman & Heltberg, Rasmus, 2002. "Facing the development challenge in Mozambique: an economywide perspective," Research reports 126, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Robinson, Sherman & El-Said, Moataz & San, Nu Nu, 1998. "Rice policy, trade, and exchange rate changes in Indonesia: A general equilibrium analysis," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 393-423.
    19. Kherallah, Mylene & Lofgren, Hans & Gruhn, Peter & Reeder, Meyra M., 2000. "Wheat policy reform in Egypt: adjustment of local markets and options for future reforms," Research reports 115, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Devarajan, Shantayanan & Sussangkarn, Chalongphob, 1992. "Effective Rates of Protection When Domestic and Foreign Goods Are Imperfect Substitutes: The Case of Thailand," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 74(4), pages 701-711, November.
    21. Unknown, 2001. "General Discussion," Proceedings of the 6th Agricultural and Food Policy Systems Information Workshop, 2000: Trade Liberalization Under NAFTA: Report Card on Agriculture 16839, Farm Foundation, Agricultural and Food Policy Systems Information Workshops.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fan, Shenggen & Chan-Kang, Connie & Mukherjee, Anit, 2005. "Rural and urban dynamics and poverty: Evidence from China and India," FCND discussion papers 196, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Kym Anderson, 2013. "Agricultural price distortions: trends and volatility, past, and prospective," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 44(s1), pages 163-171, November.
    3. Kym Anderson & Ernesto Valenzuela, 2007. "Do Global Trade Distortions Still Harm Developing Country Farmers?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 143(1), pages 108-139, April.
    4. Kym Anderson, 2006. "Reducing Distortions to Agricultural Incentives: Progress, Pitfalls, and Prospects," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(5), pages 1135-1146.
    5. Fofana, Ismaël & Corong, Erwin & Chatti, Rim & Bouazouni, Omar, 2012. "Taxation policy and gender employment in the Middle East and North Africa Region: A comparative analysis of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia," IFPRI discussion papers 1227, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Henning Tarp Jensen & Sherman Robinson & Finn Tarp, 2010. "Measuring Agricultural Policy Bias: General Equilibrium Analysis of Fifteen Developing Countries," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 92(4), pages 1136-1148.
    7. Kym Anderson & Will Martin & Dominique van der Mensbrugghe, 2006. "Distortions to World Trade: Impacts on Agricultural Markets and Farm Incomes," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 28(2), pages 168-194.
    8. Mancheri, Nabeel A., 2015. "World trade in rare earths, Chinese export restrictions, and implications," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(P2), pages 262-271.
    9. Anderson, Kym & Kurzweil, Marianne & Martin, William J. & Sandri, Damiano & Valenzuela, Ernesto, 2008. "Methodology for Measuring Distortions to Agricultural Incentives," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48326, World Bank.
    10. McKay, Andy & Tarp, Finn, 2014. "Distributional impacts of the 2008 global food price spike in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series 030, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Anderson, Kym, 2003. "Impact assessment of IFPRI's research and related activities based on economywide modeling," Impact assessments 21, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    12. Jensen, Henning Tarp & Robinson, Sherman & Tarp, Finn, 2002. "General equilibrium measures of agricultural policy bias in fifteen developing countries," TMD discussion papers 105, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Anderson, Kym & Valenzuela, Ernesto & van der Mensbrugghe, Dominique, 2009. "Welfare and Poverty Effects of Global Agricultural and Trade Policies Using the Linkage Model," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 52785, World Bank.
    14. Andy McKay & Finn Tarp, 2014. "Distributional Impacts of the 2008 Global Food Price Spike in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-030, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Kym Anderson, 2004. "Agriculture, Trade Reform And Poverty Reduction: Implications For Sub-Saharan Africa," UNCTAD Blue Series Papers 22, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    16. Baffes, John & De Gorter, Harry, 2005. "Disciplining agricultural support through decoupling," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3533, The World Bank.
    17. Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio & Ron, Juan Francisco, 2010. "Food Security, Price Volatility and Trade: Some Reflections for Developing Countries," Price Volatility and Beyond 320195, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD).
    18. Jean, Sébastien & Bureau, J.C., 2008. "Assessing the Trade Creation Effect of EU Bilateral Trade Agreements," Conference papers 331727, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    urban bias; food and agricultural policy; general equilibrium modelling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D58 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Computable and Other Applied General Equilibrium Models
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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