A steep decline in coffee prices at the producer level led to considerable pressure for farmers in Costa Rica and producer countries all over the world. One possible reaction was moving to specialty markets, where price pressure was perceived to be lower. We use original survey data from 2002/03 and 2003/04 to analyze the factors influencing efficiency levels of conventional and specialty coffe...

Broiler production has great potentials for increasing protein supply in Iran and plays a vital role in economic system of the country. In this study technical, allocative and economic efficiency of broiler production farms in Fars Province was estimated by using Data Envelopment Analysis approach (DEA) method. The results of the study reveal that under constant return to scale (CRS) and variab...

The plan for the NHS in Scotland mapped out in the white paper Designed to Care shares common values and goals with the plans for England and Wales. The organisational structures proposed to underpin Scotland’s strategy for the health service (box) are, however, substantively different from those proposed for England and Wales. Primary care trusts are new statutory organisations scheduled to go...

We propose a new scheme for efficient demand side management for the Smart Grid. Specifically, we envisage and promote the formation of cooperatives of medium-large consumers and equip them (via our proposed mechanisms) with the capability of regularly participating in the existing electricity markets by providing electricity demand reduction services to the Grid. Based on mechanism design prin...

Worker Cooperatives and Democratic Governance A worker co-operative is a firm that is owned and managed by those who work in it. This paper provides a selective review of research in economics on worker cooperatives. It concentrates on the volatility of earnings and employment in the co-ops compared with conventional capitalist firms; on the long-term viability of co-ops; on the relative produc...

With funding provided by the Center for Higher Education of the United States Agency for International Development, The Pennsylvania State University and Tuskegee University collaborated with the University of Nairobi in establishing women's NutriBusiness Cooperatives in the Rift Valley and Central Provinces of Kenya. Between 1992 and 1999, the cooperatives were established, facilities and equi...

The mountain environment is perceived today by vine-growers as a strong structural constraint. Yet in the current context of climate change, in which we turn to genetics, irrigation or innovation in cultural practices to maintain production quality, could the mountain environment emerge as a solution for adapting to climate change in vine-growing? Here we explore the role of cooperative policie...