Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Dirk Beyer Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Business Studies, Harz University of Applied Sciences, Wernigerode, Germany Author-Name: Jana Hinke Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Finance and Accounting, Faculty of Economics, University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic Title: European benchmarking of determinants of profitability for companies with accrual accounting in the agricultural sector Abstract: In this study, differences in common measures of profitability, such as return on sales, return on capital employed and return on equity, are analysed in agricultural firms with accrual accounting in 10 European countries. The resulting differences in profitability are broken down using an additive decomposition method, which addresses the quantified impact of several affecting factors. This approach is based on a ratio system, which follows the principles of the DuPont identity. According to the general intention of benchmarking, the leading country within the sample for each measure of profitability provides the relevant reference point, representing best practice. This approach provides insight into the specific comparative strengths and weaknesses of the agribusinesses in the countries within the sample and indicates useful starting points for effective improvements. In addition to the value-creating operations, this involves, in particular, labour productivity, the efficient use of fixed assets and the degree of debt financing. Keywords: agribusiness, comparative analysis, return on capital employed, return on equity, value-added, variance analysis Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 477-488 Volume: 66 Issue: 11 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/128/2020-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/128/2020-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-202011-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:66:y:2020:i:11:id:128-2020-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Simona Fortunati Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy Author-Name: Donato Morea Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics, Universitas Mercatorum, Rome, Italy Author-Name: Enrico Maria Mosconi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy Title: Circular economy and corporate social responsibility in the agricultural system: Cases study of the Italian agri-food industry Abstract: The persistent exploitation of natural resources and the consequent use of consumption are driving global food demand with the result that agricultural activity is becoming less and less environmentally friendly. The circular economy (CE) can become a valid alternative, inserting the economic-agricultural system into the harmonic process of material circulation. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) model is particularly interesting not only because of the ethical dimension of the company but also as a factor of strategic business improvement that combines the concepts of CSR and CE as possible solutions for developing sustainable business processes. The objective of the work is to highlight a detailed framework of how the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the Italian agri-food industry can provide an adequate level of communication, circular strategies and social responsibility practices. The research methodology is based on a qualitative multiple study conducted on a sample of nine companies in the Italian territory. The study highlights the attention of companies on the issues of the CE for the achievement of the set sustainable objectives and the attention to CSR and CE practices. The work has several implications. It provides a further understanding of CSR and CE policies as enabling factors for the development of sustainable organizational performance in agriculture. Moreover, it better investigates the relationship between CSR and the CE. Finally, it analyses the SMEs state of the art in the CE field and strengthens the concept of CE by analysing corporate practices consistent with sustainability reports. Keywords: business models, eco-compatible agriculture, food, sustainability, value creation Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 489-498 Volume: 66 Issue: 11 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/343/2020-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/343/2020-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-202011-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:66:y:2020:i:11:id:343-2020-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Heesun Lim Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food and Resource Economics, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea Author-Name: Byeong-Il Ahn Title: Asymmetric price transmission in the distribution channels of pork: Focusing on the effect of policy regulation of Sunday sales by hypermarkets in Korea. Abstract: In this paper, we investigate whether there exists market inefficiency in the distribution channel of pork by estimating a developed partial adjustment model that captures the asymmetric price transmission from wholesale to retail prices. The estimation results show that market efficiency exists for the wholesale and two types of retail markets in the distributional channel of pork in Korea. The government's regulation on Sunday sales by hypermarkets plays a significant role in increasing market efficiency, forcing more competition among hypermarkets, and changing the structure of asymmetric price transmission from wholesale to traditional market prices. The results suggest that the policy goal has been achieved in the traditional market by leading to a more efficient price forming due to a lessened degree of asymmetric price transmission from the wholesale price. Although market inefficiency has been maintained in the distribution channel between wholesale market and hypermarket, the behavior of price setting by hypermarkets has not been influenced by the policy. Keywords: market efficiency, marketing channel, retail price, Threshold Partial Adjustment Model, wholesale price Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 499-509 Volume: 66 Issue: 11 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/254/2020-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/254/2020-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-202011-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:66:y:2020:i:11:id:254-2020-AGRICECON Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Min Zhou Author-Workplace-Name: School of Public Management, Liaoning University, Shenyang, China Author-Name: Bixia Hu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China Title: Decoupling of carbon emissions from agricultural land utilisation from economic growth in China Abstract: China, as a populous and agricultural country, is confronted with a tremendous challenge involving the balance between agricultural economic growth and carbon emissions from agricultural land utilisation (CEALU). This study calculates the total CEALU in the 31 provinces of mainland China and uses the Tapio model to analyse the decoupling of CEALU from economic growth during the period 2000-2017. The results are shown as follows: (i) The CEALU in China has substantially increased, and there are obvious spatial discrepancies in CEALU from the regional and provincial perspectives. (ii) The decoupling of CEALU from economic growth at the national level shows a progressive improvement. The decoupling trends show significant spatial disparities at the regional level due to different natural and economic conditions. (iii) There is an increase in the numbers of provinces, which have achieved economic growth with the reduction of CEALU. Policymakers should attach more importance to the relationship between CEALU and economic growth, and relevant policies should be adapted to local natural and economic conditions. Keywords: agricultural sector, land use, national bureau of statistics, sustainability, Tapio model Journal: Agricultural Economics Pages: 510-518 Volume: 66 Issue: 11 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/290/2020-AGRICECON File-URL: http://agricecon.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/290/2020-AGRICECON.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/age-202011-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:66:y:2020:i:11:id:290-2020-AGRICECON