Market power, markup volatility and the role of cooperatives in the food value chain: evidence from Italy
研究了意大利果蔬和乳制品行业中合作社对农场和加工环节加价水平及波动性的影响，发现合作社在不同行业和环节的效果不一，对加价波动无显著作用。
Abstract Agricultural cooperatives are often promoted as a way to give farmers countervailing market power and greater income stability. This paper investigates to what extent cooperatives in food supply chains achieve these objectives. We estimate firm-level markups and markup volatility in the Italian fruits and vegetable (F&V) and dairy sectors at both the farming and processing stages for the period 2007–2014. We find mixed results: compared to non-cooperatives, F&V processor cooperatives have higher markups, while F&V farmer cooperatives and dairy processor cooperatives have lower markups. We do not find strong evidence of their role on markup volatility.