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Hunger and poverty are closely related. The issues of trade
and development affect millions of the world’s poorest people.
Some of the work below barely mentions hunger and yet much of it
reflects a path toward that goal of empowering the poorest,
—often in rural areas of developing nations— to improve their
conditions.
Newest publications:
Standards and Agricultural Trade in Asia
LINK
Value-adding Standards in the North American Food Market: Trade
Opportunities in Certified Products...
(#11) MORE...
Adding Value: Certified Coffee Trade in North America...
(#24) MORE...
Current Projects
A. Geographic Indicators Project
What do Parmigiano cheese, Tequila, Idaho
potatoes, and Darjeeling tea have in common?
Geographical Indications (GIs) or
appellations are a potentially unique form of competitive
advantage available even for small farmers and enterprises. In
more than a hundred nations, they are a unique expression of
local agro-ecological and even cultural characteristics that
have come to be valued as high quality traditions and are
sometimes protected.
A multinational team is reviewing more than
100 studies and publications on the topic and gathering together
new case studies in order to evaluate what different developing
country origins have done and document best practices and
lessons learned.
Our goal is to provide an objective 'Guide'
to understanding, forming, and using GIs effectively. The 'Guide
to GIs for Developing Countries' will be published by the UN's
International Trade Center (see below for abstract).
The research team includes contributors that are among the
world's most respected in this particular field of intellectual
property:
♦ Fred Abbott (Edward Ball Eminent Scholar, Professor of
International Law FSU)
♦ Daniele Giovannucci, (Team Leader)
♦ Justin Hughes (Director, Intellectual Property Law
Program at Cardozo)
♦ Catarina Illsley (Head, GEA Grupo de Estudios
Ambientales)
♦ Ricardo Juarez (Researcher FAO)
♦ Tim Josling (Professor Emeritus Stanford University)
♦ William Kerr (Agricultural Economics chair at
University of Saskatchewan and editor of the Journal of
International Law and Trade Policy)
♦ Bernard O'Connor (EU Attorney and Professor of Law,
author of 'Agriculture in WTO Law' and 'The Law of Geographical
Indications').
♦ Koen Oosterom Technical Cooperation Coordination
International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/WTO
♦ Dwijen Rangnekar (Senior Fellow at the Centre for the
Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation and the School of Law
Warwick University)
♦ Kira Schroeder (Project manager INCAE-CIMS)
♦ May Yeung (Policy Analysis Research Associate The Estey
Centre)
B. COSA, the Committee on Standards
Assessment
The COSA (Committee on Standards
Assessment) is also a program for building information and
management capacity in sustainable agricultural practices at the
global level. As a partnership between leading research
institutions in consuming and producing countries, the COSA
program aims to develop a rigorous assessment tool and to also
train producers and other stakeholders to measure and understand
the costs and benefits of undertaking different sustainability
initiatives.
Over the past two decades there has been a
rapid growth of voluntary standards systems (i.e. organic fair
trade,…) promoting sustainable development within agriculture,
especially in the coffee sector. Despite the rapid growth of
such systems, there has been comparatively little objective
research or information available on their actual impacts or
costs and benefits.
The core of the methodology is an
innovative "econo-enviro-social" tool to assess both the direct
and indirect costs and benefits at the economic, environmental,
and social levels. This tool will be implemented under different
conditions (rainforest, semi arid plains, mountainous, etc.) and
for both small and large producers using several hundred
original case studies in three continents.
It is expected to generate a series of
insights and recommendations that will serve governments,
private enterprise, and producers to develop sound strategies
with regard to sustainability initiatives. The research will
cover at least six initiatives: Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest
Alliance, Utz Certified (EUREP-GAP), 4Cs, and Starbucks CAFE
Practices. Although initially being developed for coffee, these
approaches and lessons are designed to be adapted and applied to
other commodities as well.
COSA is a project of the SCP, a global
consortium of 20 institutions promoting sustainability. These
include: CATIE, CIMS-INCAE, CIRAD, IISD, ICO, UNCTAD, and USAID.
The Director of Research is Daniele Giovannucci.
The International Advisory Panel
includes leading stakeholders and is currently chaired by the
Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization.
The Scientific Committee is
independent to ensure the overall rigor,
quality and objectivity of the research. Members include: Larry
Busch of Michigan State University, Alain de Janvry of UC
Berkeley, Steven Jaffee of the World Bank, Jeremy Haggar of
CATIE, and Sietze Valeema of Wageningen University.

Publications
(Please note that this site
has a select list of my recent publications (2000-06). This is
only edited or published work. Please contact me for others,
such as project reports and older publications.)
Some of my publications are listed first, assuming you might
have come here for those. I will soon mount other excellent
related publications. If you know of a useful writing on the
subject that ought to be included, let me know.
AGRO-ENTERPRISE, MARKETS & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Producing food is simply not enough for many developing
nations to improve conditions as vast quantities are lost due to
poor storage, flawed processing, inadequate transportation and
dysfunctional markets. Besides, it is all the post-harvest
aspects carried out by agro-enterprises that enable farmers and
economies to go beyond simply being raw materials suppliers and
to benefit from the value they add. This value also happens to
boost entire economies in many of the poorer nations since it
can contribute more to employment, rural development, and GDP,
than just the crop production itself. Being effective in these
areas of adding value by processing, packaging, meeting high
standards, etc. also allows effective participation in trade.
- The Guide to Developing Agricultural Markets and
Agro-enterprises.
Editor of multivolume online database. Partly housed at:
LINK
Abstract: The Guide is a series of straightforward and
practical (rather than an academic) papers by leading global
experts and presented in a specially designed format as brief
basic teaching tools with resources for more in-depth
expertise. They address topics relevant to the design,
monitoring, and assessment of projects and interventions for
the promotion of agricultural enterprises and markets in
developing countries.
Purpose:
From cotton to cattle to cut flowers, agribusiness cuts across
many sectors. An agribusiness can be classed as part of the
industrial, the agricultural, or the service sectors. It can
be both rural and urban; it can be a small informal enterprise
or a technologically sophisticated multinational.
Agribusiness generates a significant, and often major, part of
the GDP of most developing countries, and is a major factor in
employment, food security, rural development and urban
migration. Yet, efficient and equitable markets within which
diverse agro-enterprises can thrive, do not happen without
active private sector support and institutional guidance. Our
purpose is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and
experience between practitioners throughout the world to
equitably foster such markets.
Sources and
Stakeholders
The Guide is a collaborative effort between the world's
leading development organizations and private sector experts:
USAID, IDB, J.E.Austin, UNIDO, FAO, Chicago Board of Trade,
USDA, ITC, Rabobank, ACDI/VOCA, Chemonics, UNCTAD, CARE, DAI,
CIRAD, CGIAR, NRI, and leading universities such as Harvard,
Purdue, and Sao Paolo.
Its direction and content are guided by an Advisory Panel
chaired by Dr. Ray Goldberg, Professor Emeritus, Harvard
Business School and by Daniele Giovannucci with the members of
the Markets and Agribusiness Team of the World Bank.
Audience
The Guide is aimed at development professionals including
project designers and analysts, project officers, Ministry
staff, NGOs and executing agencies, and investment/trade
promotion personnel.
Objectives
• Provide up-to-date references to information and experts in
each field.
• Pose the key questions which task managers and other
practitioners should ask when initiating analysis or
intervention designs
• Provide an operational road map through the project cycle or
through various analytical and consultative processes
• Include a number of illustrative good practice cases and
innovative ideas
- Basic Trade Finance Tools: Payment Methods in
International Trade.
World Bank. Daniele Giovannucci. 2002.
LINK
Abstract: The increasing participation of relatively
inexperienced enterprises in international trade calls for a
concise and jargon-free, general reference to the many ways by
which traders can arrange for payments to be made and the
relative merits, of each from a risk standpoint. The most
common methods i.e. letters of credit, are covered in some
detail including examples.
- Rural Energy: A Practical Primer for Productive
Applications.
ESMAP Department World Bank. Jerry Weingart and Daniele
Giovannucci. 2004.
PDF 259KB
Abstract: Lack of access to reliable and affordable
electricity services in rural areas significantly diminishes
the opportunities for the development of many economically
productive activities, including irrigation, agro-enterprise,
and fishing. Reliable and affordable energy is a vital input
to many agricultural and post-harvest processes. Adding energy
to agricultural production and processing is an important way
to grow beyond subsistence farming and the selling of raw
materials toward the potential of added value. Fortunately,
there are decentralized and commercially proven energy
alternatives including those that harness renewable energy.
Many of these are now technically and financially viable, even
in remote rural areas. This learning tool provides an overview
of these technologies and their appropriate applications in
the field, and includes best practice examples used on a
significant scale in agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, and
related enterprises (e.g., food processing) in many developing
countries. It explores necessary considerations in the choice
of energy and how such projects could be formulated and
executed.
- The Basics of a Business Plan for Development
Professionals.
World Bank. Nick Fante, Daniele Giovannucci, Cheryl Edelson
Hanway. 2001.
LINK
Abstract: A business plan is not only for private
sector companies that seek financing. It's rigor encourages a
thorough assessment of every important aspect related to the
feasibility and sustainability of a project or enterprise. It
covers topics that are sometimes overlooked or insufficiently
addressed in development projects such as: market orientation;
market analyses; detailed operational procedures; intangible
assets; and realistic financial projections. Therein lies its
value to development initiatives: providing a thorough,
private-sector style strategy to help ensure a well-planned
and viable project. This covers the basic components and how
to formulate one.
- Fixing the Leaky Bucket: Why Agribusiness Matters.
In Sustainability of Agricultural Systems in Transition.
Madison WI: American Society of Agronomy Journal. May 2001.
Daniele Giovannucci.
Abstract: As many development agencies and academia
continue throughout the 1990s to be mired in a production
oriented mindset, this paper sets out a simple argument for
valuing post-harvest approaches that can, by reducing losses
and adding value, contribute more to farmers than they would
gain from modest productivity increases. Paying attention to
the entire chain thus helps optimize food security in a
sensible manner. The paper very briefly outlines the 4 gaps to
achieving this in most countries and suggests some ways
forward.
- Market Information Services.
World Bank publication in multi-volume series. Daniele
Giovannucci with Andrew Shepherd. 2001
Abstract: Information is the lifeblood of most market
economies. Nevertheless, attempts to jump start information
flow by creating Market Information Services (MIS) usually
fail. The author brings together experiences and lessons from
experts in the field on the reasons for such common failures
and what can be done to avoid them. Critical topics such as
institutional structure, dissemination methods, and funding
are outlined to guide the reader through the basic issues that
must be addressed in order to create successful MIS.
Warehouse Receipts:
Facilitating Credit and Commodity Markets.
World Bank. Daniele Giovannucci, Panos Varangis, Don Larson.
2000.
LINK
Abstract: The lack of access to credit is a severe
constraint for many farmers. Warehouse receipts are an
important and effective tool for creating liquidity and easing
access to credit. Such schemes also offer additional benefits
such as providing storage to smoothe the supply and prices in
the market, improving grower incomes, and reducing food
losses. The paper describes the steps of interaction involved
in a warehouse receipt system, sets out the essential
questions to be asked regarding the critical conditions for
its success and illustrates the roles of the key actors in
setting up and running such a system.
- National Trade Promotion Organizations: their role and
functions.
World Bank. Daniele Giovannucci. 2000.
LINK
Abstract: Although trade promotion organizations (TPOs)
can be a cost-effective tool for developing trade and exports,
their usefulness varies significantly from country to country.
The author reviews the principles of establishing and
structuring successful TPOs, clarifies their roles and defines
their specific functions.
- Engaging Civil Society to Create Sustainable
Agricultural Systems: Environmentally-Friendly Coffee in El
Salvador and Mexico.
In "Thinking Out Loud" by the Latin America and the Caribbean
Civil Society Team, The World Bank. Daniele Giovannucci, Peter
Brandriss, Esteban Brenes, Ina-Marlene Ruthenberg, Paola
Agostini. 2000.
Abstract: Farmers are interested in both markets and
sustainability, so how can the two effectively link? While
supply chains are indeed evolving to facilitate the necessary
linkages, civil society organizations serve as a vital
component not only to facilitate farmer adaptation in the
field but also to help provide a measure of equity in the
relationships between producers and various market actors such
as traders, wholeslers, and processors. This paper illustrates
some of the key experiences and lessons learned in two of the
first project efforts designed to develop innovative
market-oriented approaches toward environmental and social
sustainability by developing and applying standards such as
Organic and Rainforest Alliance.
-
Guide to Geographical Indications for
Developing Countries.
This book reviews the practical pros and cons of different
approaches to Geographic Indicators (GI). Its purpose is to
guide producer groups, policymakers, and development agencies
to make informed choices about formulating and developing GIs
effectively. The Guide to GIs will explain the costs and
benefits and assess the different instruments available to
developing countries so that they know what to consider in
making choices to develop a particular region as a GI.
The research reviews the choices made in
Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Ethiopia, India, Colombia, Kona,
and Mongolia and also integrates the information from more
than 100 other studies on the topic.
GIs offer a unique form of competitive
advantage that benefits even small farmers and enterprises. In
more than a hundred nations, GIs offer powerful means to
foster and protect local agro-ecological settings and even
traditional cultural characteristics that have come to be
valued. Most GIs, in addition to serving as a form of
differentiation tend to also encompass high levels of quality.
Preferred market access and price premiums are the typical
results of a successful GI.
However, successful GIs are not easy.
They require considerable time to develop. They also require
organizational and institutional structures to formulate,
maintain, and monitor the GI as well as ensure the equitable
participation of the diverse participants in a region. Most of
the case studies and literature reflect the fusion of four
primary factors that appear to commonly influence their
outcome.
A brief introduction to GIs is available and the Guide to GIs
for Developing Countries will be available in the latter half
of 2007. GI Key Points:
PDF 133KB

AGRICULTURE STANDARDS
To participate in trade today, nearly every product needs to
meet several types of standards. These vary from those designed
to ensure food safety to those for different quality
characteristics to those that promote social and environmental
“fairness”. Therefore, standards are now the rules of the game
and have enormous implications for developing countries that
find it difficult to comply. The use of standards has grown
enormously in this decade and many producers and
agro-enterprises are scrambling to adapt. This section covers
more of the work on social and environmental standards that are
often called ‘sustainability standards’; many of them improve
conditions that help to avert hunger by protecting natural
resources and supporting the social and economic structures of
local communities.
- Value-adding Standards in
the North American Food Market - Trade Opportunities in
Certified Products for Developing Countries.
Pascal Liu (Ed.), Alice Byers, and Daniele Giovannucci (FAO.
Rome 2008).
LINK
Abstract: This publication analyzes the use of
voluntary standards and certification schemes in the food
markets of the United States and Canada. With its large
population and its high individual purchasing power, North
America provides considerable opportunities for developing
country exports of value‑added agricultural products.
Consumers are increasingly attentive to the social and
environmental aspects of food production as evidenced by the
significant expansion of certified food sales in both natural
food stores and mainstream supermarket chains. The publication
assesses the volumes, trends, and market opportunities for the
most popular voluntary standards and focuses on environmental
and social certification schemes such as organic and
fair‑trade that use a registered on‑product label targeting
consumers. Tropical fruits, coffee, and cocoa are the main
product categories examined.
- Standards and Agricultural Trade in Asia.
Asian Development Bank Institute. 2008. Daniele Giovannucci
and Timothy Purcell.
LINK
Abstract: The markets for agri-food products are
changing at a pace that is unparalleled in modern history.
Markets are increasingly open and increasingly homogenized
toward international tastes and requirements for levels of
quality, packaging, safety, and even process attributes such
as socially or environmentally friendly methods. New
distribution channels, dominated by larger firms including
supermarket retailers, are imposing high performance demands
on their value chains. In order to respond to these increasing
demands, developing countries are facing an inexorable shift
toward more industrialized models of farming systems. This
shift presents new challenges for small and medium farmers’
access to markets and their ability to compete. The question
for many countries—and not just developing countries—is what
options are there for small farmers, which still comprise the
great majority of the world's agricultural producers?
- Salient Trends in Organic Standards: the Opportunities
and Challenges for Developing Countries.
In: "Standards and Trade: Challenges and Opportunities for
Developing Country Agro-Food Trade" course. Washington, DC:
World Bank Institute-USAID, Trade Standards Working Group.
Daniele Giovannucci. 2006.
PDF 224KB
Abstract: An overview of the fundamental issues in the
production, trade and regulation of organic products. It notes
the changing consumer and trade environments that are driving
organics beyond the realm of niche products toward an
increasingly relevant position among other important
agricultural standards. Rather than a comprehensive analysis
it outlines key elements that are most relevant to developing
country producers including the likely impacts of adopting
organics and the salient trends drawing from recent empirical
research and the current literature on the subject. Finally,
this document briefly assesses the significant constraints and
opportunities facing the sector in order to draw some
practical policy and investment conclusions.
- Food Quality Issues: understanding HACCP and other
quality management techniques.
VirtualPRO, the on-line journal of Industrial Processes
Engineering at: www.revistavirtualpro.com
Daniele Giovannucci and Morton Satin 2001 & republished 2006.
(English and Espanol)
PDF 318KB
Abstract: A basic understanding of food quality issues
in developing countries and introduces the reader to HACCP,
its evolution, and other dominant methodologies for improving
food quality.
Evaluation of Organic Agriculture and Poverty
Reduction in Asia.
IFAD. Daniele Giovannucci. 2005. (English and part in Chinese)
PDF 1.1MB
Abstract: This evaluation captures the small farmer's
experiences of organic projects in different climactic regions
and under different conditions. It uses recent research and
examples, drawn primarily from the work of a team of nine
researchers on 14 case studies in China and India as well as
reviews of several other countries and more than 100 related
studies and documents. The report reviews the characteristics
of organic production and organic markets as well as the
impact of organic methods.
Its purpose is to draw concise lessons to help understand the
processes that have led small farmers to diversify into
organic agriculture and to identify the nature of the causal
or contributing relationships — whether negative or positive —
of government agencies, development projects, private
companies, and NGOs. It also elaborates on a range of public
sector roles and makes recommendations for both strategic
approaches as well as specific project design.
Generally speaking, the evaluation finds that there is
significant evidence that organic methods could be favorable
for small farmers. In fact, most of the cases clearly noted a
number of direct benefits and related externalities from which
it is reasonable to conclude that the promotion of organic
agriculture methods among small farmers can be well warranted.
- The Collective Formulation and Effectiveness of Public
& Private Sustainability Standards: In special issue of
Food Policy Journal, “Private Agri-food Standards:
Implications for Food Policy and the Agri-food Systems”.
Daniele Giovannucci and Stefano Ponte. 2005.
LINK
Abstract: In the former age of national capitalism, a
measure of “market fairness” was embedded in a normative
framework generated by government, labor unions, and perhaps
religious authority. In the current age of global capitalism,
new actors such as NGOs, industry associations and public
–private partnerships provide the normative framework that
corporations use for “social legitimacy”. In this context,
certain standard-setting processes operate as new forms of
“social contract ” where the state, rather than being directly
involved between the parties, may provide a form of basic
guarantee while (more or less accountable) NGOs and firms are
in charge of hammering out the bargains. This article examines
the dynamics of this new configuration through the case study
of “sustainability ” initiatives in the coffee sector. It
addresses four questions:(1) Are these standards effective in
communicating information and creating new markets? (2) To
what extent do they embed elements of collective and private
interests? (3) Is “sustainability” content actually delivered
to their intended beneficiaries? and (4)What is the role of
public policy in addressing the shortcomings?
- The State of Sustainable Coffee: A Study of Twelve
Major Markets.
International Coffee Organization, International Institute for
Sustainable Development and UNCTAD. Daniele Giovannucci and
Freek Jan Koekoek. 2003.
LINK
Abstract: The striking emergence of dynamic markets for
certified organic, fair trade, and eco-friendly coffees
(termed sustainable) firmly place the coffee industry at the
forefront of developing innovative responses to the
difficulties of rural development and trade. Fair trade,
organic, and eco-friendly products are neither a panacea nor
the full answer. Nevertheless, they are one of the few bright
spots in developing country trade and provide considerable
direct benefits to nearly a million coffee producing families
that participate. Through strict environmental and social
standards, improved governance structures, better
communication channels and price premiums, these initiative
help in the process of correcting for imperfections in the
coffee market. This report reveals the structure and the
potential for growth in Europe and Japan. It also reveals the
trends and the challenges facing such products.
Emerging Issues in the
Marketing and Trade of Organic Products.
In Organic Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets, and Policies.
Paris: OECD.
Daniele Giovannucci. 2003.
PDF 256KB
Abstract: The paper begins with a macro view of the
shifting regulatory, business, and consumer environments that
are inducing fundamental changes in the global trade regime
and increasing the demand for standards. This in turn has
profound implications especially for small and medium
producers. It discusses how in the case of organics, emerging
trade standards may actually benefit the producers rather than
being a barrier to entry. In order for organics to expand
their appeal and enter mainstream distribution channels they
will likely have to adapt some aspects of modern industrial
agribusiness. However, a more industrialized approach means
walking a fine line because this very approach may in some
ways contradict the core organic values and risk alienating a
loyal customer base. Recent research and examples outline the
key issues like certification process, quality, and
consistency that will require attention. The paper considers
that further growth and meeting these demands and those of
mainstream distribution channels will be difficult for most
small developing country producers and will require a
combination of public and private support.
- Understanding Grades and Standards - and how to apply
them.
Daniele Giovannucci and Thomas Reardon. World Bank 2000.
LINK
Abstract: With the expanding globalization of trade,
grades and standards (G&S) help to set the ‘rules of the game’
whose implications for developing countries are becoming
increasingly relevant. While they are clearly important to
trade, their formation and utilization is also undergoing a
shift from being neutral market lubricants to also being tools
of product differentiation. This implies a fundamental shift
in the role of G&S from just reducing transaction costs of
commodity market participants, to serving as strategic tools
for market penetration, system coordination, quality and
safety assurance, brand complementing, and product niche
definition.
The issues of who is forming G&S, their privatization,
motivations, and the impacts on various market participants
and poor people must all inform the strategic responses to the
changes in the roles and nature of G&S. The definition of
their usefulness and value goes beyond the sometimes
artificial distinctions between quality and safety to more
current distinctions between process and characteristics. All
of these distinctions are predicted to become more relevant
than ever as industries and governments, even in the most
developed countries, are faced with a new sort of food
security issue. In terms of international trade, G&S is
becoming the hot topic of political economics in much the same
way that tariffs were in the 1990s, with profound implications
for regional and international agreements, particularly in
terms of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical
barriers to trade (TBT).
To complement this understanding, a practical outline of the
principles of G&S is offered along with step-by-step
guidelines for establishing them. The document includes
examples as well as ample resources for further information.
- Organic agriculture: a trade and sustainable
development opportunity for developing countries.
In the 2006 Trade and Environment Review. Geneva: UNCTAD.
Sophia Twarog with commentary by Daniele Giovannucci, Gunnar
Rundgren, and others. 2006.
PDF LINK
- Organic farming as a tool for productivity and poverty
reduction in Asia.
Daniele Giovannucci for the IFAD/NACF Joint workshop, Seoul,
13-16 March 2007.
PDF 215KB
Abstract: This concise synthesis paper is based on some
recent developments and primarily on an IFAD evaluation of
small farmer experiences of organic projects under different
conditions in Asia - led by this author. It briefly reviews
key issues ranging from the adequacy of fertilizers, labor,
and plant protection to important considerations about
certification and marketing. It finds significant evidence
that organic methods could be favorable for small farmers but
that the immediate impact on the farmer differs depending on
the organizational support available and whether the farmer
transitions to organics from traditional low-input methods or
from conventional and more intensive methods of production.
Some of the related externalities, including resource
conservation and soil fertility, may be even more valuable in
the long run. Evidence also indicates that the organic supply
chains of processing and trade also earn more money. The paper
considers that further growth and meeting the demands of
increasingly mainstream distribution channels such as
supermarkets will nevertheless be difficult for most producers
and will require both the effective organization of small
farmers and a combination of well-targeted public and private
support especially in terms of research, extension, and market
development.
- Best Practices for Organic Policy: What developing
country Governments can do to promote the organic agriculture
sector
Authored by Gunnar Rundgren with contributions from Patricio
Parra, Felicia Echeverria, Mette Meldgaard, M. Yousri Hashem,
Ong Kung Wai, Raymond Auerbach, and Vitoon Panyakuul.
Published by UNCTAD in 2007
PDF LINK
Abstract: This report offers practical guidance for the
development of appropriate organic sector policies. Its
recommendations are based on the experiences of one of the
most knowledgeable thinkers in the world of organics and drawn
from decades of work in the field and from seven developing
country cases.
- Overview of Key Development and Trade Issues Emerging
in Armenia and the Opportunities and Constraints of Organic
Agriculture.
Brief Issues paper prepared by Daniele Giovannucci for
International Conference on “Organic Food and Organic Farming
in Armenia - Towards Partnership and Sustainable Growth”
November 2005.
PDF 172KB
Abstract: A brief report offering a basic understanding
of the current situation and an overview of the future
prospects for organics in Armenia. Organic agriculture and
trade is certainly not going to provide the only solution to
Armenia’s rural difficulties but it presents a viable approach
that can be beneficial for a number of farmers and can also
provide some valuable public benefits.

COFFEE
Coffee is one of the world’s most important commodities. It
is produced and exported by nearly 60 developing nations and is
crucial to the economies of several of them where it ranks as
the top cash crop. Farmers use the crop income to pay for
essentials such as education, healthcare, and foods they cannot
produce. Yet it can be a difficult way to earn a living as
producing countries receive only about 15 percent of the US$70
billion in global sales. Coffee is also the world’s leading
agricultural crop in terms of innovation and use of social and
environmental certification of sustainability. In fact coffees
such as Organic, Fair Trade, etc. are one of the fastest growing
segments and provide producers with somewhat better prices along
with support for their efforts to be more sustainable. As such,
coffee is the pilot case for the global movement to make all
agriculture more sustainable and more fair for farmers.
- Adding Value: Certified
Coffee Trade in North America.
With Alice Byers and Pascal Liu (Food and Agriculture
Organization of the U.N. Rome 2008).
PDF 299KB
Abstract: Coffee is the leading agricultural sector in terms
of both the number and frequent use of social and
environmental certification. This fast-growing category of
certified sustainable coffees has emerged from almost
negligible quantities in the late 1990s to approximately 4% of
global green coffee exports in 2006 making it a multi-billion
dollar segment of the industry. The US and Canada account for
over one quarter of global coffee imports in value. Their
consumers are increasingly attentive to the social, economic,
and environmental aspects of coffee production as evidenced by
the significant expansion of certified coffees into both
gourmet and mass market channels. This chapter covers the
market development and current statistics of all the certified
sustainable coffees in North America including volumes, value,
premiums, and their general trends at the global level.
- Análisis Prospectivo de Política Cafetalera. FAO:
Mexico.
Giovannucci, Daniele y Ricardo Juárez Cruz. 2006.
PDF 1.4MB
Abstract: El sector cafetalero mexicano enfrenta
distintos retos en materia de competitividad: sufre de un bajo
nivel de rentabilidad en las fincas; los productores han
respondido cada vez más a su baja rentabilidad por medio de la
reducción del uso de insumos y mano de obra; y la calidad
genérica del café de México ha disminuido en los últimos
ciclos. Sin embargo, la cafeticultura mexicana tiene
fortalezas que deben ser aprovechadas. Tiene fácil acceso a
mercados lucrativos con fuertes y antiguos vínculos,
principalmente en los EEUU y tiene un fuerte potencial de
consumo en su mercado interno.Tiene un potencial considerable
de calidad. México ha sido pionero y líder productor de cafés
especiales y diferenciados tal como cafe orgánico y comercio
justo. Existe un sinnúmero de organizaciones de productores
que exportan directamente.
Al analizar la estructura productiva de México - concentrada
en los pequeños productores con altos costos de produccion y
poca infraestructura - hay que concluir que la ventaja
competitiva de México en el futuro no estará en la producción
convencional. Las mejores oportunidades para los productores
mexicanos apuntan hacia los cafés diferenciados. Sin embargo,
la realidad del sector es que la mayoría de la producción no
es ?diferenciada? y por consiguiente, ese segmento de la
producción necesitará diferentes estrategias.
Después de cincuenta años de tutela gubernamental, se ha
avanzado muy poco pero los modestos resultados no se explican
por la falta de recursos públicos. La política cafetalera a
futuro, exige que sea el sector productivo quien toma el
liderazgo y sea corresponsable de las acciones y de su
financiamiento, como ocurre en los paises lìderes del sector.
La competitividad de México y el bienestar de sus productores
no se desarrollará apelando a su dotación de recursos
naturales o sus precios bajos, sino con la capacidad de sus
instituciones para ser innovadores y ágiles en su interacción
con el mercado y sustentable en la formulación y aplicación de
sus políticas publicas-privadas.
- Yemen Coffee.
Researched and written by Daniele Giovannucci, produced for
the United States Agency for International Development and
prepared with ARD, Inc. in December 2005.
PDF 4.12MB
Abstract: Yemen is one of the most unique and most
storied coffees in the world. This assessment analyses the
production, processing, and trade of Yemen’s coffee; the
result of a broad assessement across most of the nation's
producing regions. It's purpose is to identify the available
opportunities and the existing constraints for increasing
sustainability and improving coffee incomes. It identifies the
key leverage points based on an assessment of local issues
such as trade structures and water limitations as well as
international trends and trade issues and suggests a series of
sequenced and concrete interventions.
- The Socialist Republic of Vietnam Coffee Sector Report.
World Bank Report No. 29358-VN.
Daniele Giovannucci, Bryan Lewin, Rob Swinkels. 2005. (English
and Vietnamese)
LINK,
PDF 857KB
Abstract: Vietnam’s meteoric rise to become one of the
world’s largest coffee producers in world-record time has been
matched by equally fast changes in policies and market
structure. It has moved from a planned economy to a much more
open market orientation and become one of Asia’s
fastest-growing economies. While many benefits can be
attributed to the coffee sector’s growth, there are also
questions about how equitable the socioeconomic impact has
been and about the overall sustainability of the sector. This
paper offers a thorough look at the functions and trends of
the sector within the enlightening context of its history and
fundamental structure.
Coffee
Markets: New Paradigms in Global Supply and Demand.
World Bank. Bryan Lewin, Daniele Giovannucci, and Panos
Varangis. 2004.
LINK
Abstract: More than 50 nations, almost all in the
developing world, produce and export coffee, one of the
world’s most valuable traded commodities. Some of these
countries are dependent on coffee exports for a very
significant portion of their international trade and export
income. Between 17 and 20 million families are directly
involved in coffee production and most are smallholders
utilizing just a few hectares of land. During low price
periods, evidence of considerable human hardships in many
producing regions confirms coffee's importance as a
primary-and sometimes only-source of cash income for many
farmers.
This study assesses the condition of the world’s coffee
production and trade and illuminates the profound structural
changes that have occurred in recent years. With ample data
and thorough analysis of both production and consumption, it
clearly illustrates the new trends in the coffee world. Based
on this analysis and considerable experience in the coffee
world, the authors offers solutions for reducing the impact of
inevitable future price collapses and making coffee a less
risky source of income for some of the world’s poorest.
- The State of Sustainable Coffee: A Study of Twelve
Major Markets.
International Coffee Organization, International Institute for
Sustainable Development and UNCTAD.
Daniele Giovannucci and Freek Jan Koekoek. 2003. Complete
Book:
PDF 5.9MB; Executive Summary & Table of Contents
only:
PDF 1.9MB; Part I Overview & Main Conclusion only:
PDF 1.2MB
Abstract: The State of Sustainable Coffee provides the
first comprehensive overview of the market conditions facing,
organic, fair trade and shade grown or eco-friendly coffees
(termed 'sustainable' coffees). It outlines the volumes,
trends, distribution channels, major players, and price
premiums in 12 nations across Europe and Japan, as a companion
to an earlier North American report. While some common
parallels exist, such as the priority for consistency and
quality standards, the substantial inter-market differences
emphasize the need to approach each country and sometimes each
distribution channel with an appreciation for its unique
distinctions.
Overall, the striking emergence and growth of sustainable
coffees has catapulted them quickly from a small niche
industry to become a significant part of the mainstream
market. Their growth has consistently eclipsed the growth rate
of conventional coffee for more than a decade. As a result of
their strict environmental and social standards, improved
governance structures, better farm management, and price
premiums, these sustainability initiatives are facilitating
not only rural development but also agricultural trade
competitiveness for developing nations.
In agriculture, it is the coffee sector that has arguably
developed the most advanced experience with certified organic,
fair trade, and eco-friendly products that are now shipped
from more than half of the coffee exporting nations. A number
of other goods ranging from commodities such as tea and sugar
to meats, fruits and vegetables are following the coffee
sector's innovative sustainability models. Although these
sustainably produced products are not a panacea, they offer
one of the few bright spots in developing country agricultural
trade and provide considerable direct benefits to the more
than one million coffee producing families that participate.
The book was published jointly by IISD, the International
Coffee Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development with the support of the International
Development Research Centre and the World Bank.
- State of Organic Coffee: 2007 US Update.
By Daniele Giovannucci and Andres Villalobos (CIMS).
PDF 198KB
Abstract: In 2006 imports of Organic coffee from most
origins showed a considerable increase – likely the greatest
of the decade so far - while premiums declined only slightly
from healthy 2005 levels. Double and even triple certified
coffees are becoming more common as other certified coffees
also showed strong growth. Projections for 2007 indicate
continued growth – likely into double digits – but much more
moderate than in 2006. Having realistic data and trends is
important for both coffee farmers and policymakers in
producing countries to help determine their strategies and
investments. Although the US is the world's single largest
market for Organic coffees, there is no formal tracking of
organic imports. This annual survey is conducted independently
with the cooperation of nearly all of the industry’s
significant importers and is provided as a public service (at
no cost) for developing country producers.
- Coffee.
In M. Giugale, O. Lafourcade, and C. Luff, eds., Colombia The
Economic Foundation of Peace. The World Bank. Daniele
Giovannucci with Hector Arévalo, Juan Jose Echavarría, José
Leibovich, Bryan Lewin, Santiago Montenegro, Nestor Osorio,
Gonzalo Paredes, Diego Pizano, Luis Samper, and Panayotis
Varangis. 2003.
PDF 181KB
Abstract: A frank and thorough assessment of what has
worked and what has not in one of the world's most important
coffee producing countries. Prepared for the transition of a
new federal administration by a team of leading experts from
across the spectrum of thinking on the topic.
The paper succinctly reviews the anatomy and evolution of the
sector as one of the drivers of modern Colombian development
and then places its current status in the context of emerging
market conditions and demands. It diagnoses main sectoral
issues including the changing role of the National Federation
of Coffee Growers, arguably the world's pre-eminent coffee
institution, to suggest options for its adaptation toward the
changing nature of demand and toward increasingly
differentiated markets. It closes with a thorough set of
policy recommendations to address: competitive foci,
accountability , subsidies, smallholders and the rural poor,
diversification and risk management.
Colombia Coffee Sector Study.
Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo Económico (CEDE) de la
Universidad de los Andes.
Daniele Giovannucci with José Leibovich, Diego Pizano, Gonzalo
Paredes, Santiago Montenegro, Hector Arévalo and Panos
Varangis. 2002.
PDF LINK 625KB
Abstract: A thorough analysis of the Colombian coffee
sector prepared with leading actors that have since taken
influential posts in (i.e. gov. minister). This report
includes the history, structure, governance and the
considerable impacts on poverty and livelihoods of a coffee
sector organized like no other in the world.
It is similar to the work prepared for the transition of a new
federal administration but with more detail and published by
one of the country’s leading economic institutes at the
University of the Andes.
El documento analiza la evolución del sector cafetero
colombiano en la última década, periodo en el cual ha perdido
valor. Se hace un diagnóstico de las causas que han generado
el retroceso del sector y propone unas estrategias de política
para que vuelva a ser competitivo en los mercados
internacionales. De las conclusiones se destaca la necesidad
de mejorar la eficiencia en la producción para poder competir
a precios cada día mas bajos en el mercado mundial, se propone
una estrategia para desarrollar negocios en los nichos de los
llamados cafés especiales a los que se les reconocen primas
superiores por parte de los compradores, y en el plano
regulatorio se recomienda que la parafiscalidad que afecta al
sector sea reformulada para que el impuesto que tributan los
cafeteros sea bajo, estable y fijo en el tiempo. Con los
recursos que se generen por esta contribución se deberán
financiar los programas prioritarios para beneficio de los
caficultores. Programas que de manera individual no pueden ser
acometidos (Investigación o promoción). El rol de la
institucionalidad cafetera deberá ser reformulado. Los
recursos del café no deben seguir suplantando los recursos del
Estado en obras públicas en las regiones cafeteras, pero la
organización cafetera regional puede convertirse en un
ejecutor importante de proyectos de inversión con recursos del
presupuesto general de la Nación.
- Dealing with the Coffee Crisis in Central America:
"Impacts and Strategies”.
World Bank Policy Research #2993. Panos Varangis, Paul Siegel,
Daniele Giovannucci and Bryan Lewin. 2003.
LINK1,
LINK2,
PDF ESPANOL 782KB
Abstract: Coffee plays a major economic role in Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Central
America was among the hardest hit by the recent crisis that
saw prices tumble to historic lows and remain there for a
prolonged period. The document is a response to the need to
understand both the underlying causes and to prepare
alternatives in order to avoid a repeat. It points out that
changes in supply and demand are structural in nature and
imply a slow and only partial recovery of prices. These
challenges call for new strategies for the Central American
countries. It includes an analysis of the international coffee
situation and country specific analyses, and explores options
and constraints for increased competitiveness and
diversification, and includes chapters dedicated to social,
environmental and institutional dimensions of the crisis.
- Managing the Competitive Transition of the Coffee
Sector in Central America.
This document represents the first joint effort of the
Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, and the
United States Agency for International Development to jointly
cooperate with Central America governments in resolving the
broad socio-economic crisis in the region due to the collapse
of coffee prices in the early part of the 2000s. It served as
the basis for regional meetings in Antigua, Guatemala (2002)
and is not intended as a statement of policy.
PDF 235KB
Abstract: Section I describes the nature of the crisis
and its magnitude as seen in the midst of it during 2001-02.
Section II examines ways to improve the quality of Central
American coffee, as a strategic competitive response to the
crisis. Section III focuses on market opportunities and
marketing management issues to be considered by coffee
growers. Section IV discusses diversification programs as
possible alternatives for non-competitive coffee farmers.
Section V centers on environmental and social issues of coffee
production. Finally, Section VI examines the role of public
and private institutions: steps they can take to facilitate
the competitive transformation of the coffee sector in the
region and efforts to lessen the negative social impacts of
the crisis.
- The Future of Coffee: Lessons from niche markets in
North America.
Coffee & Cocoa International. Surrey, UK. DMG World Media Vol.
29 No. 1 March 2002. Daniele Giovannucci.
Abstract: Highlights opportunities in high-quality and
niche coffees that are among the few receiving a more
substantial remuneration and providing benefits to producers
in difficult markets of low prices. References to some data
from recent North American business survey.
- Market Trends: The future of sustainable coffees.
Tea and Coffee Trade Journal. Vol. 174 No.2. February 2002.
Daniele Giovannucci.
Abstract: A brief review of the volume, value and
trends for Sustainable Coffees in the North American market
and some insights into corresponding trends elsewhere.
- Who Shall We Blame: The international politics of
coffee.
Tea and Coffee Trade Journal. Vol. 174 No. 1. January 2002.
Daniele Giovannucci and Panos Varangis.
PDF 125KB
Abstract: For several years there was a lot of finger
pointing and accusations about who was to blame for the the
most serious prolonged coffee crisis in history. This brief
article sets the record straight with an evidence-based
presentation of the market realities and briefly points to
some potential avenues for solutions.
- Sustainable Coffee Survey of the North American Coffee
Industry.
Jointly published by The Commission for Environmental
Cooperation and The Specialty Coffee Association of America.
Daniele Giovannucci. 2001.
PDF 534KB,
LINK ESPANOL,
LINK FRANCAIS
Abstract: The first attempt to understand the
constraints and conditions of a major market for sustainable
coffees. It is still the only effort to directly quantify the
actual volumes and value for these coffees in North America.
This report is based on structured interviews with 2098 firms
and includes an assessment of the availability, the
attributes, volume, and the value of such coffees in the US
and Canada. It also includes data on the source countries, the
premiums paid, and the trends for sustainable coffees.
- Engaging Civil Society to Create Sustainable
Agricultural Systems: Environmentally-Friendly Coffee in El
Salvador and Mexico.
Daniele Giovannucci with Peter Brandriss, Esteban Brenes, Ina
Marlene Ruthenberg, and Paola Agostini. (The World Bank,
1999).
LINK
Abstract: Farmers are interested in sustainability and
markets are interested as well, so how do the two link? While
supply chains are indeed developing to facilitate the
necessary linkages, civil society organizations serve as a
useful component to help ensure farmer adoption in the field
and a measure of equity in the relationships between producers
and market actors. This brief paper illustrates some of the
key experiences in two of the first efforts to develop
innovative market-oriented approaches toward environmental and
social sustainability by applying such standards (Organic and
Rainforest Alliance) in the coffee business.

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