With increasing Internet user rates across Africa, there is considerable interest in exploring new, online data sources. Particularly, search engine metadata, i.e. data representing the contemporaneous online-interest in a specific topic, has gained considerable interest, due to its potential to...

In the renegotiations of the Lomé Convention (1998-2000) not only trade issues but also the aid relationship were under review. A major challenge is induced by the EU's proposal of shifting the aid allocation from needs to merit criteria. Our regression analysis shows, however, that EU aid was...

Many of the poor borrow, more save, and most of them demand insurance products or related substitutes. However, most of these financial products, especially those catering towards the need for consumption stabilization are only offered by the informal market. Microfinance Institutions (MFIs)...

In this paper we analyze the effectiveness of eco-labels in reducing the supply of eco-unfriendly products. We focus on the situation where a labeled product is viewed by consumers as a private good and develop a theoretical model to pin down theinteraction between consumers' willingness to pay...

German Abstract: Die Verfügbarkeit von Telekommunikationsdiensten ist eine notwendige, wenn auch nicht hinreichende Bedingung für wirtschaftliches Wachstum. In Verbindung mit Verkehr, Bildung, funktionierenden Finanzmärkten usw. ist Telekommunikation ein Teil der notwendigen Infrastruktur...

With growing awareness of the dangers of an irreversible loss of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), there has been a major effort devoted to collecting and conserving plant genetic resources. The objective of this study is to assess the level of investments in PGRFA...

The diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their potential as a development tool have generated a wide array of views. The variety of views suggests that the role and impact of these technologies are still obscure and that the debate regarding them suffers from a lack...

It is now widely acknowledged that biotechnology will have significant implications for development. While biotechnology's potential for low income economies is still the subject of controversy, this paper argues that it is precisely in these countries that food and agriculture related...