For a long time, space has been neglected by mainstream economics, not for the lack of interest for spatial paths or patterns, but rather for a lack of tools, methods and approaches (Fujita et al., 2001). Agricultural economists have learnt the importance of space well before others. Agriculture is a spatially distributed activity, which uses assets, such as land, fixed in the space. When considering agriculture, it is not difficult to recognise the differences that space makes (e.g. distance to the market, natural resources). It is not a case, then, that economists who investigated spatial patterns looked at agriculture. Von Thünen (1966), later on revisited by neoclassical models, was one of them. Studying the distribution of farm in the periphery of the cities, von Thünen explained the patterns of spatial allocation of different agricultural specialisations with the costs to reach the market. Moreover, he showed that the price of the production assets changes in accord with the distance to the main market (Fujita et al., 2001; Kasper, 2005). The globalisation of the economy creates a strong pressure for introducing spatial issues into economics. The inclusion of space into neoclassical economics has taken off starting by the works of Krugman and with the emerging ‘new economic geography’ (Wilson, 2011). The main goal of this approach is the explanation of the formation of spatial agglomerations (or concentration) or the spatial uneven development or growth (Fujita and Krugman, 2004). Within such approach, the main drivers of emerging and changing of spatial structure of the economy are the differences of returns between industries, the amount of transport costs and the factor mobility (Fujita et al., 2001). Altogether, within neoclassical approaches, space is analysed as a component of production cost due to differences in market distance or geographical barriers to access to information and other resources (Kasper, 2005).
Local Agri-food Systems in a Global World: Market, Social and Environmental Challenges
Bartolini F
2013
Abstract
For a long time, space has been neglected by mainstream economics, not for the lack of interest for spatial paths or patterns, but rather for a lack of tools, methods and approaches (Fujita et al., 2001). Agricultural economists have learnt the importance of space well before others. Agriculture is a spatially distributed activity, which uses assets, such as land, fixed in the space. When considering agriculture, it is not difficult to recognise the differences that space makes (e.g. distance to the market, natural resources). It is not a case, then, that economists who investigated spatial patterns looked at agriculture. Von Thünen (1966), later on revisited by neoclassical models, was one of them. Studying the distribution of farm in the periphery of the cities, von Thünen explained the patterns of spatial allocation of different agricultural specialisations with the costs to reach the market. Moreover, he showed that the price of the production assets changes in accord with the distance to the main market (Fujita et al., 2001; Kasper, 2005). The globalisation of the economy creates a strong pressure for introducing spatial issues into economics. The inclusion of space into neoclassical economics has taken off starting by the works of Krugman and with the emerging ‘new economic geography’ (Wilson, 2011). The main goal of this approach is the explanation of the formation of spatial agglomerations (or concentration) or the spatial uneven development or growth (Fujita and Krugman, 2004). Within such approach, the main drivers of emerging and changing of spatial structure of the economy are the differences of returns between industries, the amount of transport costs and the factor mobility (Fujita et al., 2001). Altogether, within neoclassical approaches, space is analysed as a component of production cost due to differences in market distance or geographical barriers to access to information and other resources (Kasper, 2005).I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
