The 173rd meeting jointly organized with International Public Policy Seminar
Date Friday, December 19, 2025 13:30 to 15:00
Place Zoom meeting.
Presenter Takeshi Aida, Graduate School of Economics, Hitotsubashi University.
Title: “Peer Effects on Side-Selling in Contract Farming: A Spatial Econometric Approach” (joint with Daichi Shimamoto and Kiyoyasu Tanaka)
Abstract:
Contract farming - an agreement between a farmer and a buyer on agricultural production - is expected to mitigate market failure in developing countries and improve farmers' welfare. However, its success is frequently undermined by enforcement issues, such as contractual default and side-selling. These challenges are particularly salient in expanding markets with many new entrants because neighboring farmers can share information and collude. This study examines such peer effects on farmers' decisions in contractual enforcement, focusing on contract farming of organic pepper in Kampot, Cambodia. Employing a spatial econometric approach, we find that neighboring farmers’ side-selling increases the likelihood of a farmer engaging in side-selling, suggesting the presence of positive peer effects. These findings highlight the importance of policy interventions to curb the spread of side-selling and to support the institutional sustainability of contract farming arrangements.
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【Office】
Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo
Yuri Kitabayashi yuri-kitabayashi@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp