[*] Prospects Ahead for the Wine Industry
Thursday, 1 March 2001
Australia's grape and wine production is being increasingly oriented towards higher quality products in response to the demand for premium wine growing rapidly at the expense of non-premium wine. However, other New World producers are also upgrading the quality of their product, as are previously low-quality regions of traditional supplying countries (the south of France, La Mancha in Spain, northern Italy, Southeastern Europe). It raises the question: are there physical (physiological/climatic, agronomic, water) limits on the expansion of premium winegrape production in the various regions of the world? [View]

[*] Political Economy of Distortions to Global Agricultural Markets
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Farmers, agribusiness and governments in Australia and other food exporting nations have put enormous efforts into seeking reductions in agricultural protectionism, particularly in the past two decades via the Cairns Group in GATT/WTO negotiations but also in bilateral and regional integration initiatives. Yet levels of protection have fallen little for agriculture relative to manufacturing in high income countries, and in some newly industrializing countries that indicator has been rising. Improving our understanding as to why that is the case will ensure Australia gets a better return from its investment in that area of commercial diplomacy. [View]

[*] Reducing world poverty through opening up market
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Freeing up global trade and reducing restrictions on international labour migration are among the most cost-effective ways to help fight world poverty. This is the position University of Adelaide international trade economist Professor Kym Anderson will argue before a high-profile international forum looking for the best solutions to the world's biggest problems. [View]