GMO Standards, Endogenous Policy and the Market for Information

LICOS Discussion Paper No. 306/2012

37 Pages Posted: 21 May 2012

See all articles by Mauro Vigani

Mauro Vigani

University of Gloucestershire

Alessandro Olper

Università degli Studi di Milano; KU Leuven - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS)

Date Written: May 20, 2012

Abstract

The paper develops a composite index of GMO standards restrictiveness for 60 countries, assigning objective scores to six different regulatory dimensions. Using this index and its components, we empirically investigate the political and economic determinants of GMO regulations. Results show that many of the determinants highlighted in the theoretical literature, such as the country trade position, the potential gains from GMO adoption, and the consumer risk aversion, are important determinants of the restrictiveness in GMO regulations. As a key result there emerges a prominent role for the market of information, showing that the structure of domestic mass media (public vs. private) is an important driver of GMO standards.

Keywords: GMO standards, political economics, media market

JEL Classification: D72, Q13, Q16, Q18

Suggested Citation

Vigani, Mauro and Olper, Alessandro, GMO Standards, Endogenous Policy and the Market for Information (May 20, 2012). LICOS Discussion Paper No. 306/2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2063736 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2063736

Mauro Vigani (Contact Author)

University of Gloucestershire ( email )

Oxstalls Lane
The Park
Gloucester GL2 9HW, Gloucestershire GL50 2RH
United Kingdom

Alessandro Olper

Università degli Studi di Milano ( email )

Via Celoria, 2
Milano, 20133
Italy
+390250316481 (Phone)
+390250316486 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://users.unimi.it/olper/

KU Leuven - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS) ( email )

Waaistraat 6 - box 3511
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
126
Abstract Views
1,116
Rank
436,903
PlumX Metrics