Quick Links:
Introduction
Plenary Sessions
Invited Panels
Computer Sessions
Other Conference Sessions
Closing Session
Showcasing Australian and New Zealand Agriculture

A detailed program matrix is now available for all main conference sessions.

Introduction

IAAE Vice-President (Program) Keijiro Otsuka is leading the development of the main conference program. The program will consist of keynote speakers and invited panel discussions, selected contributed papers and poster presentations, and mini-symposia. The conference is calling for abstracts of contributed papers and posters which can be submitted directly via the papers and posters submission button on this website.

Pre-conference policy workshops and a learning workshop are scheduled for Saturday August 12. The conference will commence on Sunday 13 August and conclude on Friday 18 August 2006. Conference tours will be conducted on Wednesday 16 August 2006.

The conference theme is:
Contributions of Agricultural Economics to Critical Policy Issues

Plenary Sessions

The conference is structured around six main plenary sessions that will include:

Presidential Address
Agricultural Growth and Economic Development: A View Through the Globalization Lens

Prabhu Pingali | read bio

The presidential address re-visits the age old proposition that agriculture growth contributes to overall economic development, and asks whether the relationship still holds in an increasingly globalized world. There is overwhelming empirical support for the above proposition, indeed, it is hard to find exceptions, barring a few city states, where sustained economic development has not been preceded by robust agricultural growth. However, there are a large number of countries that have witnessed neither agricultural growth nor economic development. Even in countries where agricultural growth has been significant, dramatic inter-regional differences persist. This paper examines the factors that contribute to or constrain the process of agricultural transformation. Does the process of globalization, and the resultant changes in agrifood systems, offer new opportunities for agriculture led growth, or will it further marginalize excluded countries, regions and groups? The factors that cause exclusion are examined both in terms of globalization forces and in terms of domestic shortcomings in policies and governance. Policy interventions that attempt to reduce the costs of transition to a globalized agricultural system are explored, including safetynets for those left behind.

Elmhirst Lecture
Empowering Rural People for their Own Development

Hans Binswanger | read bio
Tswane University for Technology

This lecture first discusses the features of the institutional environment which allow rural people in low income countries to design, plan and implement their own rural development. These are divided into two broad groups: the institutional environment for rural development (environment for the private sector, communities and civil society, local government, and sector institutions) and the many factors governing profitability of investment in agriculture. While in many poor countries the institutional environment has improved over the last 20 years, the most poorly performing countries still have by far the poorest environment for local government in the world. Within an empowering institutional environment, the rate of agricultural and rural development is determined by investments of many different types that in turn depend primarily on the profitability of agriculture. The paper discusses the large number of factors which determine profitability. Few of these are under the direct control of farmers or agricultural sector institutions, but depend on governance and investments in other sectors such as trade and transport. In many of the poorest countries there has been considerable improvement in macro-economic management and sector policies over the past 20 years, but progress in international and intra-regional trade policies, in agricultural trade policies, and in transport infrastructure have been limited.

In other plenary sessions, panels of speakers will address the themes:

1. Economics of Natural Disasters
Chair
Per Pinstrup-Andersen | read bio
H.E. Babcock Professor, Cornell University
Chair, Science Council of the CGIAR
Speakers

The Economics of Natural Disasters: Options and Challenges for Food Security

Hartwig de Haen | read bio
Retired Assistant Director General, FAO
Günter Hemrich | read bio
FAO

The Impact of Droughts and Floods on Food Security and Policy Options to Alleviate Negative Effects

Stephen Devereux | read bio
Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

The Impact of Natural Disasters on Household Welfare

Yasuyuki Sawada | read bio
Associate Professor, University of Tokyo

Discussant
Derek Byerlee | read bio
Principal Economist, World Bank

2. Trade and Marketing of Agricultural Commodities in a Globalizing World
Chair
Kym Anderson | read bio
Professor, University of Adelaide
Lead Economist, World Bank
Speakers

The Doha Agenda and Agricultural Trade Reform: the Role of Economic Analysis

Will Martin | read bio
Lead Economist, World Bank
Kym Anderson | read bio
Lead Economist, World Bank

Globalization, Privatization, and Vertical Coordination in Food Value Chains in Developing and Transition Countries

Johan Swinnen | read bio
Professor, Catholic University of Leuven
Miet Maertens
Professor, Catholic University of Leuven

Food Regulation and Trade Under the WTO: Ten Years in Perspective

David Orden | read bio
Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Donna Roberts | read bio
Senior Economist, ERS-USDA

Discussant
Lee Ann Jackson | read bio
Economic Affairs Office, WTO

3. Risk, Food Safety, and Health
Chair
Carolyn Tanner | read bio
Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney
Speakers

Economics of Biofortification

Matin Qaim | read bio
Professor, University of Hohenheim
Alexander J. Stein | read bio
Research Associate, University of Hohenheim
J.V. Meenakshi | read bio
Impact and Policy Coordinator for HarvestPlus based at IFPRI

Food Safety in a Globalizing World: Opportunities and Challenges for India

Dina Umali-Deininger | read bio
Lead Agricultural Economist, World Bank
Mona Sur | read bio
Economist, World Bank

Food-Health Linkages as Global Public Goods

Laurian Unnevehr | read bio
Professor, University of Illinois

Discussant
Nicole Ballenger | read bio
Professor, University of Wyoming

4. Transformation of Unfavorable Areas: Technologies, Institutions, and Market Access
Chair Jikun Huang | read bio
Speakers

The Technology Issues for Unfavorable Areas

Mahabub Hossain | read bio
Head of the Social Sciences Division, IRRI

Impacts of Agrifood Market Transformation during Globalization on the Poor’s Rural Nonfarm Employment

Tom Reardon | read bio
Professor, Economics at Michigan State University

Marketing Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa

Eleni Gabre-Madhin | read bio
Program Leader, Ethiopia Strategy Support Program (ESSP) IFPRI

Discussant
Ruben Echeverria | read bio
Executive Director, Science Council of the CGIAR

Invited Panels

Organiser: Keijiro Otuska

1. Food Safety Standards and Agri-Food Exports from Developing Countries
Organiser

Spencer Henson
University of Guelph

Speakers

Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures as Barriers to Trade for the Poor in Developing Countries: How Much Do We Know?

Clare Narrod
IFPRI

Strategic Perspective on the Impact of Food Safety Standards on Developing Country Exports

Spencer Henson
University of Guelph

Standards as Barriers and Catalysts for Trade and Poverty Reduction

Johan Swinnen | read bio
University of Leuven, Belgium

2. Advances in Spatial Economic Analysis for Agricultural Economists: Tools and Topics
Organiser
Gerald C. Nelson
University of Illinois
Speakers

Spatial Economic Analysis: An Introduction to Concepts, Methodologies and Data

Gerald C. Nelson
University of Illinois

Spatial Econometrics Issues for Bio-Economic and Land Use Modeling

Garth Holloway
University of Reading
James LeSage
University of Toledo
Donald Lacombe
University of Ohio

Spatial Economic Analysis in Data-Rich Environments

Kathleen Bell
University of Maine
Timothy Dalton
University of Maine

Modeling Deforestation and Land Use Change: Sparse Data Environments

Alex De Pinto
University of Redlands
Gerald C. Nelson
University of Illinois

Using Spatial Analysis to Study the Values of Variable Rate Technology and Information

David S. Bullock
University of Illinois
James Lowenburg-DeBoer
Purdue University

3. Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health in High and Low-Income Countries: Policy Issues
Organiser
Susan Offutt
USDA
Speakers

Agricultural Research and Policy for Better Health and Nutrition

Per Pinstrup-Andersen | read bio
Cornell University

The Nutrition Transition in High and Low-Income Countries: What are the Policy Lessons?

Barry Popkin
University of North Carolina

Is Obesity a Result of Faulty Economics Policies? The Case of the United States and Japan

Ben Senauer
University of Minnesota
Masahiko Gemma
Waseda University

Food and Agricultural Policy to Mitigate the Negative Consequences of HIV/AIDS

Hans Binswanger | read bio
Tswane University for Technology

4. Drought: Economic Consequences and Policies for Mitigation
Organiser
Sushil Pandey
IRRI
Speakers

Coping with Drought in Asia: Insights from a Comparative Study

Sushil Pandey
IRRI
H N Bhandari
JIRCAS, Japan
S Ding
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China
P Prapertchob
Khon Kaen University, Thailand
R Sharan
Ranchi University, India
D Naik
Orissa University of Agricultural Technology, India
S K Taunk
Indira Gandhi University of Agricultural Technology, India
ASRAS Sastri
Indira Gandhi University of Agricultural Technology, India

Managing and Sharing the Risks of Drought in Australia

Greg Hertzler
University of Western Australia
Ross Kingwell
University of Western Australia
Jason Crean
University of Sydney
Chris Carter
University of Western Australia

Managing Drought in Africa: Policy Perspectives

Madhur Gautam
World Bank

Global Overview

Jock R. Anderson
IFPRI

Chair and
Discussant
J. Brian Hardaker
Australia

5. Rural Industrial Clusters in Developing Countries
Organiser
Xiaobo Zhang
IFPRI
Speakers

Cluster-Based Rural Industrialization: The Case of Northern Vietnam

Yuichi Kimura
GRIPS
Tetsushi Sonobe
FASID/GRIPS

The Formation of Wenzhou Shoe Clusters: How the Entry Barriers Were Overcome?

Zuhui Huang
Zhejiang University
Xiaobo Zhang
IFPRI
Yunwei Zhu
Zhejiang University

Pump Clusters in China: Explaining the Organization of the Industry that Revolutionized Asian Agriculture

Qiuqiong Huang
University of California
Scott Rozelle
University of California
Jikun Huang | read bio
Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy
Jinxia Wang
Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy
Dinghuan Hu
Agricultural Economics Institute

Clusters as a Way to Lower Credit Barriers: The Case of Cashmere Sweater Industry in Tongxing, Zhejiang

Jianqing Ruan
Zhejiang University
Longbao Wei
Zhejiang University
Xiaobo Zhang
IFPRI

6. Land Productivity, Land Markets and Poverty Reduction in Africa
Organiser
Stein Holden
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Speakers

How Do Land Rental Markets Affect Efficiency and Sustainability of Land Use?

Sam Benin
IFPRI
Ephraim Nkonya
IFPRI
John Pender
IFPRI
Frank Place
ICRAF

Tenure Insecurity, Transaction Costs in the Land Lease Market and their Implications for Gendered Productivity Differentials

Mintewab Bezabih
Gotenburg University
Stein Holden
Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Legal Knowledge and Economic Development: The Case of Land Rights in Uganda

Klaus Deininger
World Bank
Takashi Yamano
FASID/GRIPS

The Role of Agricultural Land Productivity in Reducing Poverty in Tanzania: A Household Perspective from Rural Kilimanjaro and Ruvuma

Alexander Sarris
FAO
Sara Savastano
Min. of Econ. & Finance, Italy
Luc Christiaensen
World Bank

Productivity in Malagasy Rice Systems: Wealth-differentiated Constraints and Priorities

Bart Minten
Cornell University
Claude Randrianarisoa
Cornell University
Chris Barrett
Cornell University

Chair
Stein Holden
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Discussants
Gerson Feder
World Bank
Derek Byerlee
World Bank

7. Access of African Farmers to domestic and international Markets: Opportunities and Constraints
Organiser
Egnonto M. Koffi-Tessio
University of Lome
Speakers

Access of Northern African Farmers to Domestic and International Markets: Opportunities and Constraints

Marwan Soliman
Institutions et Dynamiques Historiques de l'Economie

Access of Western African Farmers to Domestic and International Markets: Opportunities and Constraints

Kofi Yerfi Fosu
University of Ghana

Access of Eastern African Farmers to Domestic and International Markets: Opportunities and Constraints

Godfrey Bahiigwa
ILRI

Access of Southern African Farmers to Domestic and International Markets: Opportunities and Constraints

Mohammad Karaan
University of Stollenbosch

Discussant
Edith Adera
International Development Research Center

8. The Role of Economic Statistics in Agricultural Policy Shifts
Organiser
Mary Ahearn
USDA
Speakers

A Developing Economy Perspective: Selected African Countries

Naman Keita
Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N.

A Transition Economy Perspective: Russia

Eugenia Serova
Russian Institute for Economy in Transition

A Developed Country Perspective: The U.S.

Bruce Gardner
University of Maryland
Barry Goodwin
North Carolina State University
Mary Ahearn
USDA

Discussants

Wilfrid Legg
OECD

9. Market-Based Instruments: Policy and Information Issues
Organiser
Mark Eigenraam
DPI, Victoria, Australia
Speakers

The Australian Market Based Instruments Program: Experience and Learning

Nicola Lansdell
DPI, Victoria, Australia
Gary Stoneham
DSE, Victoria, Australia

Income Distributional Effects of Using Market Based Instruments for Water Reallocation

Richard Howitt
University California, Davis
Siwa Msangi
International Food Policy Research Institute

Designing Frameworks to Deliver Unknown Information to Support Market Based Instruments

Mark Eigenraam
DPI, Victoria, Australia
Craig Beverly
DPI, Victoria, Australia
Loris Strappazzon
DPI, Victoria, Australia
Nicola Lansdell
DPI, Victoria, Australia

Policy applications of experimental economics; asking the right questions

Charlotte Duke
University College, London

Chair
Loris Strappazzon
DPI, Victoria, Australia

10. Economics of Biofuels
Organiser
Mal Wegener
University of Queensland
Speakers

Meeting the Australian Government's Target of 350 Million Litres of Biofuels Produced from Renewable Resources by 2010

Graham Love
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Economics of Bioethanol Production - A View from Europe

Oliver Henniges
University of Hohenheim

U.S. Agriculture's Role in Energy Production: Current Levels and Future Prospects

Vernon Eidman
University of Minnesota

Brazil's Fuel Ethanol Program: Reasons for its Success

Miguel Dabdoub
Ribeirao Preto

Chair
Robert Gordon
Renewable Fuels Australia

11. Agricultural Trade Liberalization and Developing Countries: What do we really know?
Organiser
The European Association of Agricultural Economists
Speakers

Multilateral Trade Liberalization and Developing Countries: A North-South Perspective on Agriculture and Processing Sector

Hans van Meijl
Agricultural Economics Research Institute
Frank van Tongeren
Agricultural Economics Research Institute

The Consequences of Agricultural Trade Liberalization for Developing Countries

Jean-Christophe Bureau
INRA-INA PG
Sebastian Jean
INRA-INA PG
Alan Matthews
Trinity College, Dublin

The Tariff-Only Import Regime for Bananas in the European Union: Setting the Tariff at Right Level is Impossible Mission

Herve Guyomard
INRA-ESR
Chantal Le Mouel
INRA-ESR

EU Food Safety Standards, Traceability and Other Regulations: A Growing Trade Barrier to Developing Countries' Exports?

Klaus Frohberg
Center for Development Research
Ulrike Grote
Center for Development Research
Etti Winter
Center for Development Research

Chair
Giovanni Anania
University of Calabria
Discussant
Will Martin | read bio
World Bank

12. WTO and Asian Agriculture
Organiser
Sei-kyun Choi
Korea Rural Economic Institute
Speakers

Agricultural Negotiation of DDA and Its Implications for East Asian Agricultural Trade

Jin kyo Suh
Korea Rural Economic Institute

China's Entry into WTO: Opportunity, Challenge and Strategy

Siming Wang
Nanjing University

WTO, FTA and Seeking Common Agricultural Policy in Asia

Masayoshi Honma
Tokyo University

WTO's Agreement on Agriculture (AA) and India's Agricultural Trade

Kaliappa Kalirajan
FASID/GRIPS

Discussant
Arsenio M. Balisacan
University of Philippines

13. Using both Partial and General Equilibrium Analyses to Gain Insights into the Agricultural Trade Impacts of the Doha Development Agenda
Organisers

Thomas Hertel
Purdue University
Stephan von Cramon
Georg-August University

Speakers

General and Partial Equilibrium Simulations of Agricultural Trade: A Meta-Analysis

Sebastien Hess
Georg-August University
Stephan von Cramon
Georg-August University

Extending General Equilibrium Analysis to the Tariff Line: US Dairy in the Doha Development Agenda

Jason Grant
Purdue University
Thomas Hertel
Purdue University
Thomas Rutherford
Ann Arbor

Bridging Micro- and Macro-Analyses of the EU Sugar Program: Methods and Insights

Jean-Christophe Bureau
INRA
Alexander Gohin
INRA

The Doha Development Round and Africa: Partial and General Equilibrium Analyses of Tariff Preference Erosion

Hedi Bchir
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
Mustapha Sadni Jallab
UNECA
Patrick Osakwe
UNECA
Stephen N. Karingi
UNECA

Discussants
Joachim von Braun
IFPRI
Alexander Sarris
FAO

Computer Sessions

Organiser: Oscar Cacho

Computer sessions will take place on Monday 14 August between 1:00 and 2:45 pm.

1. Simetar (Simulation & Econometrics to Analyze Risk)
Presenter
James W. Richardson
Agricultural and Food Policy Center
Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, USA
Program

The following topics will be covered:

• Stochastic simulation – alternative distributions

• Stochastic output analysis – ranking risky alternatives with SERF

• Regression & econometric analyses

• Parameter estimation for probability distributions

• Matrix operations – Univariate and Multivariate validation tests

• Simulating multivariate Normal and Non-Normal distributions

• Data analysis

• Graphical capabilities for stochastic simulation models

Participants are asked to download the software in advance and install it on their notebook computer before the session. The package includes: 30 Day Free Trial copy of Simetar, (2) 125 demonstration Excel programs, and (3) a PDF file of the Users Manual. The software is available at: http://www.simetar.com/Browser.aspx

2. TSTAR – Invasive Species Decision Support System
Presenter
Ram Ranjan
International Agricultural Trade and Policy Center
Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida, USA
Program

The software offers two approaches; one a generic version and second a case-specific version. The generic version of the software is capable of three types of analyses:

1. Long term steady state evaluation of pest distribution and establishment and their corresponding economic consequences.

2. Evaluation of weed control options and to maximize net present values from weed management using scenario analyses.

3. Determination of optimum rotation of trees that provide economic value but are infested with invasive pests.

The case-specific version will be used to demonstrate the application to soybean rust management in the United States using real time data. Demonstration of the software will be followed by discussion.


Other Conference Sessions

The other conference sessions will include:

  • Contributed papers, in parallel sessions
    Co-organisers: Ruerd Ruben and Kees Burger
  • Symposia
    Co-organisers: Jikun Huang and Linxiu Zhang
  • Poster papers
    Co-organisers: William Meyers and Vince Smith

Closing Session
Friday, 18 August

Conference Synopsis
Chair
Prabhu Pingali

Synthesis Remarks

John Longworth
Australia

Yujiro Hayami
Japan

Rashid Hassan
South Africa

Mark Rosegrant
USA

Synoptic Address

David Colman
Incoming President

Closing Remarks

Prabhu Pingali

 

Showcasing Australian and New Zealand Agriculture
Wednesday, 16 August

Another highlight of the conference will be "Showcasing Australian and New Zealand Agriculture" on Wednesday 16 August, devoted to giving our international visitors insights into the land down under. Activities will include:

  • Morning plenary sessions on Agriculture and Natural Resources in Australia and New Zealand
    Organiser: Brian Fisher
  • Afternoon field tours of Agriculture and Natural Resources in south-east Queensland
    Organiser: Hoteliers International
  • Evening Aussie BBQ and Bush Band
    Organiser: Malcolm Wegener
Program Schedule
Chair
Joanna Hewitt | read bio
Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
8:30

Official Welcome
Australian Agricultural Policy and Trade Reform

Geoff Miller | read bio
GCM Strategic Services

9:00

Australian Agriculture: Outlook and the International Context

Brian Fisher | read bio
Executive Director, ABARE

9:30

Transparency, Australian Policy Processes and International Trade

Andrew Stoeckel | read bio
CEO, Centre for International Economics

10:00

Morning tea

10:30

Reducing Rural Red Tape

Gary Banks | read bio
Chairman, Productivity Commission

11:00

The Changing Face of Agriculture: Rural Communities and Structural Adjustment

Peter Corish | read bio
Immediate Past President of the National Farmers Federation and Chair, Agriculture and Food Policy Reference Group

11:30

Close of plenary session

12:00

Buses depart for mid-conference agricultural tours

Australian and New Zealand agriculture: past, present and future.
The Showcasing Australian and New Zealand Agriculture day will be complemented with the release of a special publication on Australian and New Zealand agriculture. The report will provide an overview of the sectors in both countries and cover the future of agriculture, including trade issues, markets and products, as well as a regional demographic outlook.

 


Tourism images courtesy Tourism Queensland

26th Conference of the International Association of Agricultural Economists
12-18 August 2006 | Gold Coast, Australia