Publications
Peer-reviewed Papers
Peer-reviewed Papers
Fournier (2018) - Direct-selling Farming and Urban Externalities: What Impact on Product Quality and Market Size ?
Regional Science and Urban Economics 70: 97-111. doi:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2018.03.001In this paper, we study how proximity to cities affects the decisions of farmers to enter the direct-sales market in the presence of spatial heterogeneity in agricultural yields. We develop a theoretical model which takes account of the externality of urban pollution and market access costs on direct-selling profits. We find that regions hosting an intermediate-size city are more likely to supply a wider range of direct-selling varieties. Additionally, we highlight that spatial heterogeneity in productivity creates distortions in the competition among farmers, and can have concomitant undesired effects on both the quality and range of available varieties.
Keywords: Direct-selling farming, spatial heterogeneity, urban pollution, city size.
JEL Classification: D43; Q13; Q53; R32
De Cara, Fournier, Gaigné (2017) - Local Food, Urbanization, and Transport-related Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Journal of Regional Science 57: 75-108. doi:10.1111/jors.12299We argue that “buying local” does not necessarily reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions, even if production technologies and yields are homogeneous in space. We develop a partial-equilibrium model of rural-urban systems where the spatial distribution of food production within and between regions is endogenous. We exhibit cases where locating some food production in the least-urbanized regions results in lower emissions and higher welfare than if all regions are self-sufficient. The optimal spatial allocation of food production does not exclude the possibility that some regions should be self-sufficient, provided that their urban population sizes are neither too large nor too small.
Keywords: Agricultural location, Transport, Greenhousegas emissions, Foodmiles, Local food.
JEL Classification: F12, Q10, Q54, Q56, R12
Working Papers
Working Papers
Fournier (2015) - Conventional versus Organic Farming : Assessing the Impacts of Regional Policies Towards Sustainable Food Supply.
In a context of heightened environmental awareness, feeding the world’s expanding population in a sustainable way figures among the main challenges to address in the coming decades. Promoted as a means to reduce many of the negative impacts associated with conventional food production, organic farming is however still struggling to establish itself as a viable alternative. In this paper, we investigate the options for a heavily food-dependent region to reduce the environmental impact of its food supply system. We develop a spatial model describing the regional land allocation between two types of agricultural practices (organic vs conventional) and we characterize the farming pattern that allows minimizing the emissions due to the regional food supply. Then, we examine the policies to implement in order to achieve desired environmental results in a decentralized economy. The scope and the limits of these instruments are further considered.
Keywords: Food supply, Land allocation, Agriculture, Greenhouse gas, Sustainability
JEL Classification: F12; Q10; Q54; Q56; R12
De Cara, Fournier, Gaigné (2011)- Feeding the Cities and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: a New Economic Geography Approach.
Working Papers 1109, Chaire Économie du climat.In progress
In progress
[1] The Sustainability of Urban Food Networks : a Spatial-Theoretical Approach. [2] Public Transport Accessibility and Air Pollution in a Monocentric City Model.[3] Relocation of Production and Contemporary Agricultural Dynamics: an Analysis of the Hybridization and Disjunction Process. (joint with O. Boutry et N. Rouget)[4] New Urban Mobility and Land-use Policies : Moving Towards Sustainable and Resilient Cities ? (joint with W. Oueslati).
Selection of Conferences and Workshops
Selection of Conferences and Workshops
2019 : 24nd EAERE Annual Conference, Manchester, UK (26-29 juin) ; 6th FAERE Annual Meeting, Rennes, France (29-30 aout)2016 : 22nd EAERE Annual Conference, Zurich, Suisse (22-25 juin)2015 : JRSS 2015, SFER, Nancy, France (10-11 décembre) ; 2nd FAERE Annual Meeting, Toulouse, France (10-11 septembre) ; 21st EAERE Annual Conference, Helsinki, Finlande (24-27 juin) ; Congrès de l'AFSE, Rennes (22-24 juin)2014 : 2014 NARSC Conference, Washington, DC (12-15 novembre) ; 1ère Conférence annuelle FAERE, Montpellier, France (11-12 septembre) ; 14th EAAE Congress, Ljubljana, Slovénie (26-29 août) ; 5th WCERE, Istanbul, Turquie (28-2 juillet)2013 : Congrès de l'AFSE, Aix-en-Provence (24-26 juin) ; Journées Thématiques du CESAER « Villes et environnement », Dijon (14 janvier)2012 : Journées Thématiques de l'AFSE, GATE-LSE, Saint-Étienne (10-11 mai)2011 : 2011 NARSC Conference, Miami, FL (9-12 novembre) ; 2011 EAAE Congress, Zürich, Suisse (30-2 septembre)