Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Agricultural and Resource Economics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Agricultural and Resource Economics

Producers’ Transition To Alternative Food Practices In Rural China: Social Mobilization And Cultural Reconstruction In The Formation Of Alternative Economies, Qian Forrest Zhang Sep 2023

Producers’ Transition To Alternative Food Practices In Rural China: Social Mobilization And Cultural Reconstruction In The Formation Of Alternative Economies, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The shift from the conventional agri-food system to alternative practices is a challenging transition for agricultural producers, yet surprisingly under-studied. Little research has examined the social and cultural processes in rural communities that mobilize producers and construct and sustain producer-driven alternative food networks (AFNs). For AFNs to go beyond just offering “alternative foods” or “alternative networks” and to be constructed as “alternative economies”, this transformation in the producer community is indispensable. This paper presents a case study of a rural cooperative in Shanxi, China. The discontent with both productivist agriculture and the social decay in communities motivated a group of …


Impact Of Cosmetic Standards On Food Loss, Pascale Crama, Yangfang (Helen) Zhou, Manman Wang Mar 2023

Impact Of Cosmetic Standards On Food Loss, Pascale Crama, Yangfang (Helen) Zhou, Manman Wang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A significant portion of the food loss in agricultural supply chains occurs at the farm level and has been linked to high cosmetic standards adopted by retailers regarding the size, color, and shape of the produce. We examine the economic incentives for retailers to adopt such high standards and their impact on food loss. We build a sequential game between a retailer and a farmer, where the retailer signs a contract with the farmer specifying both the wholesale price and cosmetic quality standard. Setting a high standard allows the retailer to sell the products at a price premium but increases …