Management of chemical and biological risks in agri-food chain

Bachev, Hrabrin (2011): Management of chemical and biological risks in agri-food chain.

Abstract

Paper presents diverse modes of governance of chemical and biological risks in agri-food sector, assesses their efficiency, complementarities, and challenges, and suggests recommendations for public policies improvement. It defines governance as system of social order responsible for particular behavior of agents; specify various (institutions, market, private, public) mechanisms of risk governance and (natural, technological, behavioral etc.) factors of efficiency; and suggest a framework for analysis and improvement of risk governance. New opportunities for risks governance relate to: modernization of technologies and institutional environment; specialization, concentration, and integration; “willingness to pay” and consumers and media involvement; national and transnational cooperation. Risk management challenges are associated with: new threats and risks; separation of risk-creation from risk-taking; vulnerability of mass production, distribution and consumption; high adaptation and compliance costs; unequal norms, implementing capability, policies and private strategies; public failures; and informal sector. Policies improvement is to incorporate governance issues taking into account type of threats and risks, specific factors, and comparative benefits and cost (including third-party, transacting, time); employ more hybrid modes introducing and enforcing new rights, and supporting private and collective initiatives; give greater support to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research on factors, modes, and impacts of risk-governance.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: risk management; market, private, public governance; agri-food chain
• Subjects: L - Industrial Organization > L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance > L11 - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure ; Size Distribution of Firms; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D81 - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O13 - Agriculture ; Natural Resources ; Energy ; Environment ; Other Primary Products; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy; L - Industrial Organization > L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance > L14 - Transactional Relationships ; Contracts and Reputation ; Networks; D - Microeconomics > D2 - Production and Organizations > D23 - Organizational Behavior ; Transaction Costs ; Property Rights; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O17 - Formal and Informal Sectors ; Shadow Economy ; Institutional Arrangements; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q17 - Agriculture in International Trade; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q13 - Agricultural Markets and Marketing ; Cooperatives ; Agribusiness; L - Industrial Organization > L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior > L23 - Organization of Production; L - Industrial Organization > L2 - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior > L22 - Firm Organization and Market Structure

References

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