Research Activities

Research Projects

Impacts of Food Standards and the Environment on International Trade (2019_2_40_015)

Outline

In recent decades, the amount of regulations and standards focusing on health, safety, and the environment have increased in both developed and developing countries. Product and process standards, which are non-tariff measures, have been expected to function as a catalyst for trade but have also raised the concern of impeding trade flow as disguised protectionism. However, prior research shows mixed results regarding trade impact, depending on industry, standard types, and products, etc. To utilize prior experience for future policy and business decision-making, the breaking down of mechanisms regarding trade impact is necessary. This research project examines interaction between standards and trade, focusing on four under-researched mechanisms. The first mechanism involves the impact of standard diffusion for trade. The second involves interaction between private and public standards, together with impacts on trade. The third involves the impact of standards on trade and production with a developing country as an importing country, and the final mechanism involves demand for private standards in Asia, which is a topic not commonly researched but which plays an important role in determining future demand for sustainable products. The research project aims to contribute to policymaking in standard settings and adoption, as well as to business toward devising strategies related to ever-increasing standards, including sustainability standards.

Period

April 2019 - March 2021

Members of the Research Project
[ Organizer ] Michida Etsuyo
[ Co-researcher ] Yanai Akiko
[ Co-researcher ] Humphrey John (School of Business, University of Sussex, Visiting Professor)
[ Co-researcher ] Lei Lei
[ Co-researcher ] Zhang Hui (Nanjing Forestry University, Associate Professor, Vice Dean of College of Economics and Management)
Publications
  • IDE Research Bulletin
  • Discussion Paper