This article provides an introduction to the special feature on agriculture-related issues in the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) contained in this issue of Journal of Agricultural Economics. The special feature is motivated by the increased interest which these...

Since the seminal work of Adam Smith, markets have been considered an efficienttool for co-ordinating the behaviour of economic agents. The basic characteristicof a market economy is that the complex system of interaction amongindividuals is not centrally coordinated. Under the assumption of...

The obesity crisis proclaimed by the World Health Organization, along with all its health consequences, started in the Russian Federation at the beginning of the millennium. This fact is gaining increasing significance against the background of the "tax on unhealthy foods" that is currently...

Grossman's health investment model has been one of the most important developments in health economics. However, the model's derived demand function for medical care predicts the demand for medical care to increase if the individual's health status increases. Yet, empirical studies indicate the...

Die von der Weltgesundheitsorganisation ausgerufene Übergewichtskrise mit all ihren gesundheitlichen Konsequenzen hat spätestens seit Anfang des Jahrtausends auch in der Russischen Föderation Einzug gehalten. Dies gewinnt im Besonderen vor dem Hintergrund der aktuell in Russland diskutierten...

Die von der Weltgesundheitsorganisation ausgerufene Übergewichtskrise mit all ihren gesundheitlichen Konsequenzen hat spätestens seit Anfang des Jahrtausends auch in der Russischen Föderation Einzug gehalten. Dies gewinnt im Besonderen vor dem Hintergrund der aktuell in Russland diskutierten...

The obesity crisis proclaimed by the World Health Organization, along with all its health consequences, started in the Russian Federation at the beginning of the millennium. This fact is gaining increasing significance against the background of the "tax on unhealthy foods" that is currently...

The work is devoted to the dynamics of labor market participation of Chinese rural households. Based on a theoretical farm household framework the choice between four distinct labor market participation states is empirically analyzed. Using household data over the period 1995–2002 from the...

The development over time of market integration between Chinese provinces is analyzed by estimating threshold vector error correction models for rolling windows during 1998-2003. Transaction costs clearly decrease during this period characterized by liberalization of external trade and domestic...