Explaining Public Resistance to Genetically Modified Corn: An Analysis of the Distribution of Benefits and Risks

Genetically modified (GM) crops have met with widespread approval among scientists and policy makers in the United States, but public approval of GM crops, both domestically and abroad, is progressing much more slowly. An underlying cause of public wariness may be that both nations and individual consumers do not perceive significant benefits to themselves from GM crops, while fearing the risks they may incur. In this study, an economic analysis is conducted to determine whether the benefits of one type of GM corn, Bt corn (genetically modified to resist damage from the ECB and Southwestern corn borer), outweigh the potential risks; and who the "winners" and "losers" are among stakeholder groups that may be affected by Bt corn. It is found that Bt corn growers, consumers, and industry all benefit from Bt corn adoption, though the purported health and environmental benefits of reducing chemical pesticide usage through Bt corn are negligible. Though the aggregated public benefit is large, the welfare gain to individual consumers is small and may not make up for perceived risks. While environmental and health risks of Bt corn are unlikely, the potential market risks-impacting both the organic corn market and total U.S. corn exports-are found to be significant. Currently, distributional analysis is not a part of regulatory decision making of Bt corn in the United States; yet it may help to explain why decision makers at both the government and individual-consumer levels have failed to embrace Bt corn and other GM crops.     

"黄帝"及黄帝族名称探源

“帝”起初是指对氏族群体蕃衍作出贡献的父祖辈领袖人物。“黄帝”名号及黄帝族的名称最初可能来源于：远古时代居住于黄土高原部族的崇谷崇地情结;东方部族对该部族人的蔑称;白色人种与黑色人种对黄色人种的称谓;而不可能来自于铜的使用。     

农产品金融化对玉米期货价格的影响

近年来农产品金融化现象突出表现在农产品市场和期货市场、货币市场、国际市场的联动,农产品的金融属性日益明显。基于2000-2012年芝加哥商品交易所玉米期货价格的月度数据,从农产品金融化视角分析玉米期货价格波动情况,选择货币供给量、货币价格和投机情况三方面可量化因素分析对玉米期货价格的影响。结果表明：货币供给量和投机资本对农产品期货价格有推动作用,而美元指数对价格有抑制作用,金融化因素对玉米期货价格造成不同程度的影响。最后根据分析结果,建议加强农产品期货市场的风险防范,完善我国农产品期货市场,防范过度投机。     

玉米科技进步及其对玉米和其他主要农产品的供需影响

虽然玉米是所有粮食中增长最快的农作物,但国内需求增长快于生产增长,2010年开始从玉米净出口国转变为净进口国。分析以玉米高产新品种为代表的科技进步对中国玉米和相关农产品的供需及生产要素价格及整体经济等影响,研究结果表明,玉米新品种将在促进未来玉米生产和保障其较高自给率目标起至关重要的作用,同时也将有利于促进其它农产品的生产和在国际市场的竞争力。建议国家要进一步加大包括玉米新品种在内的所有农业技术的研发、引进和推广,科技创新是促进中国农业增长和保障国家食物安全的根本出路。     

收储制度改革能否促进玉米生产率增长？——来自全国农村固定观察点的经验证据

玉米收储制度改革是我国粮食价格支持政策市场化改革的重要举措，评估其生产率效应对玉米产业高质量发展具有重要意义。利用2014-2019年全国农村固定观察点的大样本农户数据，采用倾向得分匹配-双重差分模型研究了收储制度改革对农户玉米生产率的影响。结果表明：收储制度改革对农户玉米生产率的平均提升效应为8.7%，在进行替换变量、更换样本、改变方法、安慰剂检验以及排除干扰政策等一系列稳健性检验后结果仍然显著；收储制度改革分为取消临储价格和实施生产者补贴两个阶段，实施生产者补贴对玉米生产率的提升大于取消临储价格；异质性分析结果表明，对于规模越大、专业化水平越高、兼业程度越高、玉米生产率越低的农户而言，收储制度改革的生产率提升效应更为明显；收储制度改革会通过优化土地资源配置、增加生产性投资提高农户玉米生产率。