Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Marie PUTIĆOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Josef MEZERA Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Agricultural Economics and Information, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Competitiveness of the Czech food industry Abstract: The study is engaged in the problems of competitiveness and the performance of the Czech food industry. Both these attributes are evaluated in the framework the domestic manufacturing sector and market, as well as from the point of view of the relations in foreign trade, that means in context with the European and world market. The study applies in the frame of methodology the economic model based on input-output analysis in CZ conditions. In majority of assessed indicators, there were used databases from 2000-2008, i.e. the period before and after the accession to the EU. The outcome of the study is the evaluation of the situation in the macroeconomic environment that influences food sector and the use of input and output in this sector. The SWOT analysis shows, among other, the occasions that could improve the current stagnant or rather decreasing situation of competitiveness of the assessed sector. The study also indicated new directions of the further development in this area. The analysis of the food sector development demonstrated that the sector competitiveness is not in a critical situation. However, the sector competitiveness assessed by the RCA index and foreign trade is not going to be improved. The stagnation has come. As it follows from the SWOT analysis, the reason is that the opportunities of the sector are not fully utilised. Food producers are facing the basic problems in the output sphere mainly in the domestic market. Above all, it is necessary to strengthen marketing with regard to improving the Czech products competitiveness. Keywords: food industry, input, output, competitiveness, performance, market Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 413-421 Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/89/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/89/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201109-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:9:id:89-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Josef VOLOŠIN Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Luboš SMUTKA Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Richard SELBY Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Science, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Analysis of external and internal influences on CR agrarian foreign trade Abstract: The agrarian sector has a non-substitutable position in most world economics - including the CR. From the viewpoint of functioning of own agrarian trade it can be stated that the CR is roughly self-sufficient by 70-80% in products of a competitive nature. In case of products of a non-competitive nature, the CR shows almost zero self-sufficiency. It means that agrarian foreign trade occupies a non-substitutable position in the CR economy (at least from the export point of view). In the light of our own trade flows, the CR performs as an active exporter and importer (about 100 billion and 130 billion CZK respectively, in 2009). However, together with the still growing needs of the national economy and the inhabitants' requirements for a varied composition of agri‑food products, the CR does not succeed in the long term to decrease the negative balance of the agrarian foreign trade. It is, however, indisputable that if a serious discussion should be held about the competitiveness of Czech agriculture in confrontation with foreign producers or suppliers of agricultural and food products, the priority task to reach a balanced agrarian foreign trade balance can be accepted only for the competitive products segment. The complexity of a greater participation of the basic Czech agricultural and food products on the EU unified market deepens simultaneously with the acceleration of the liberalisation process on this market. The gradual process of the world agrarian market liberalisation then means that the cost and price relationships are determined by such world producers as are able to offer agrarian products for the most advantageous prices, or offer goods of exceptional quality, with a high added value, brand products, national specialties and so on. Potentially, the space for improvement of the active balance of agrarian foreign trade (AFT) is given to us in much the same way as to our competitors, but actually, our possibilities are limited. The stagnation or even growth of the negative AFT balance was, and is influenced by non-substitutable imports of non-competitive food raw materials and foodstuff products and many other raw materials required by the non-agricultural sectors of the national economy. Keywords: agrarian market, export, import, balance, territorial and commodity structure Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 422-435 Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/137/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/137/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201109-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:9:id:137-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Eva CIHELKOVÁ Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of International Relations, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Climate change in the context of global environmental governance possibilities Abstract: Recent information campaigns of media and the ongoing substantive discussions of experts have been more and more devoted to the climate change issue and its impacts that could affect our future and threaten the sustainable and balanced development of the planet Earth. However, the categorical apparatus as presented at the above mentioned events is not always used correctly and the same is true about the objective interpretation of the very nature of the processes. Also the explanations of realistic options of governance to mitigate and streamline the effects associated with climate variability in order to achieve the least possible damage of global environment are not always given appropriately. Because of a lack of specific statistical data on climate variability, which are usually at the sole disposal of professional climate scientists, and owing to the attention the public pays to these phenomena only at times of climatic anomalies (floods, extreme heat and drought, etc.), the issue is still on the edge of a broader awareness of people and academic research. This paper is in essence an overview of scientific works, which aims to contribute to the understanding of the issue of climate change by the means of summarizing the main approaches and use of categories, defining their substance and especially clarifying the phenomena in relation to possibilities of global governance. Keywords: climate change, climate changes, global warming, governance, global governance Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 436-448 Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/35/2011-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/35/2011-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201109-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:9:id:35-2011-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: HE Lin Author-Workplace-Name: College of Management, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, China Author-Name: Calum G. Turvey Author-Workplace-Name: Applied Economics and Management Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, Author-Name: Dongsheng LIAO Title: The policy arrangements of financial deepening in rural China -- Abstract: Financial deepening has been successfully tested by many countries, which is also an optimal developing track in practice in rural China. Chinese government has implemented a variety of policies to alter the finance environment in rural areas to get to the financial deepening. These policies include making the multiform financial institutions, making a fair legal environment and clarified property rights. Based on the McKinnon-Shaw model, we test whether there exits the financial deepening in rural China to judge the policy efficiency and we find that no proof can demonstrate the financial deepening in rural China, which means policies of the financial deepening, should be improved. Keywords: policy arrangements, financial deepening, McKinnon-Shaw Model Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 449-456 Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/70/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/70/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201109-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:9:id:70-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Nikolay VASILIEV Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Author-Name: Elsa SUUSTER Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Author-Name: Helis LUIK Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Author-Name: Rando VÄRNIK Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Economics and Social Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Author-Name: Eduard MATVEEV Author-Name: Alar ASTOVER Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia Title: Productivity of Estonian dairy farms decline after the accession to the European Union Abstract: The aim of the study was to analyze the productivity change of Estonian dairy farms before and after the accession to the European Union. The Malmquist productivity index was measured and separated into the technical and efficiency change using the data envelopment analysis for the pre-accession period (years 2001-2003) and the post-accession period (2004-2006). Second-stage regression was applied to estimate the possible variables determining the productivity and efficiency change. Productivity growth of Estonian dairy farms was negative for both observed periods; the mean annual growth rate of the Malmquist productivity index was -0.7% in 2001-2003 and -2.6% in 2004-2006. The share of farms with declining productivity increased from 36% to 50% after the accession to the EU and is induced mainly by a significant deterioration in the efficiency change. Remarkable changes in the line-up of most efficient dairy farms occurred between 2000 and 2006, producers with greater initial efficiency have experienced significant regress, with efficiency score decreasing from 0.842 in 2000 to 0.608 in 2006 and the new front-runners, forming the efficiency frontier, have emerged. Capitalization was positively related with the cumulative technical change. Nevertheless, increasing investments and assets have not affected efficiency change and investments have often not been harnessed in the best possible way. Keywords: Malmquist productivity index (MPI), data envelopment analysis (DEA), bootstrapping, dairy farms Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 457-463 Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/122/2010-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/122/2010-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-201109-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:9:id:122-2010-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: M. Svatoš Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: For the seventieth birthday of Prof. Ing. Jan Hron, DrSc., dr. h. c. Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 464-466 Volume: 57 Issue: 9 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/169/2011-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/169/2011-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:57:y:2011:i:9:id:169-2011-AGRICECON