Page 123 – Regional Science Inquiry

AGRI-FOOD TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS: FROM CERTIFICATION TO THE MARKET – PORTUGUESE RECENT EVOLUTION

Luís TIBÉRIO

PhD researchers at CETRAD and Lectures at Department of Economics, Sociology and Management/University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Av. Almeida Lucena, 1. 5000-660 Vila Real – Portugal.

and

Diniz Francisco

PhD researchers at CETRAD and Lectures at Department of Economics, Sociology and Management/University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Av. Almeida Lucena, 1. 5000-660 Vila Real – Portugal.

Correspondent Author, fdiniz@utad.pt, Tel.: +351 2593092200, Fax: +351 2593092249

Abstract

(EC) Regulations 2081/92 and 2082/92, replaced by Council Regulations (EC) 510/2006 and 509/2006, respectively, are an important contribution to establishing the foundations of European Policy on agri-food quality. They include the protection of agricultural as well as food product designations at European level, particularly those which bear a close relationship with their production area and which, due to their geographical origin and/or specific modes of production, present distinctive characteristics. Under those regulations a thousand designations are estimated to be protected within the European Union, of which about eight hundred are regularly present in the markets, accounting for a 14.2 billion Euro turnover. Portugal alone has 120 protected designations (15% of all European designations) which originate a seventy million Euro turnover (0.5% of the turnover generated by the PDO/PGI at European level). Fifteen years after the first PDO/PGI products have appeared on the national market, we believe it is important to look into the state of the art of these products in Portugal. The main goal of the present paper is to provide an overall view on the main trends of the PDO/PGI products sector at national level. The methodology used consists of a descriptive analysis of a set of specific indicators regarding three main variables: Production; Prices and Commercialization. Globally, this type of products is not very commercially widespread, despite the positive sustained evolution registered by some. As a rule these products have a poor productive dimension, which in a way may explain the lack of internationalization of the sector.

FRAGILE AND STRUCTURALLY WEAK RURAL AREAS. THE CASE OF ARAGÓN (SPAIN), 1900-2001

Luis LANASPA

(Corresponding author)

FEYE, Universidad de Zaragoza. Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza (Spain)

fax: 976 761996, e-mail: llanas@unizar.es.

Fernando PUEYO

FEYE, Universidad de Zaragoza. Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza (Spain)

Fernando SANZ

FEYE, Universidad de Zaragoza. Gran Vía 2, 50005 Zaragoza (Spain)

Abstract:

The fragile and structurally weak rural areas, in European Union terminology, are areas with important difficulties in maintaining their population and highly peripheral in nature. Generally, they have an aged population, a low density of population, a weight of the primary sector higher than the European average and communication difficulties. In this paper, the autonomous community of Aragón, which shows all the above-mentioned characteristics, is taken as an example of this type of region. The analyses carried out, both descriptive and with the adequate statistical and econometric techniques, during the period 1900-2001 permit us, taking the evolution of the population of Aragón as a possible archetype, to establish the characteristic patterns and behaviours of this type of areas. This knowledge is, without doubt, basic for successfully designing the correct regional and supra-regional policies that will allow the reduction of economic and demographic imbalances, giving rise to a better structured territory.

THE BRAZILIAN ECONOMY POSITION ON THE INVESTMENT DEVELOPMENT PATH (IDP)

Cristiano CECHELLA University of Azores ccechella2004@yahoo.it

Gustavo H. B. FRANCO Pontifical University of Rio de Janeiro

Joaquim RAMOS SILVA Technical University of Lisbon

Tomaz DENTINHO University of Azores

Abstract

The hypothesis that inward and outward FDI positions of a country are related to the level and structure of economic development in relation to other economies, was first showed by Dunning (1979. The IDP suggests that countries tend to pass through five main development stages and that these phases can be classified according to the propensity of countries to host and/or invest abroad. This article attempts to measure the position of Brazil in the IDP. The investment by Brazilian firms abroad, in relation to emerging countries, was the first until 90s. However, Brazil’s outward FDI increased substantially from 2000. In 2006 the Outward FDI exceeded inward FDI for the first time in the history of the country. Nowadays, the Brazilian economy seems to be in phase 2 and give signs of entry to stage 3, and some signs of evolution to phases 4 and 5. This paper intends to measure de Brazilian economy position on IDP especially between emerging countries context and the importance of a new stage of Brazilian economy: the systematic internationalization of domestic firms. This paper has the following structure: an evolution of FDI in recent years; after that we explain the phases of Investment Developmet Path Theory and measure de Brazilian economy position on IDP. Finally, the final considerations are related.