Local Economic Development

IS FAIRTRADE IN COMMERCIAL FARMS JUSTIFIABLE? The impact of Fairtrade on commercial and small-scale producers in South Africa

by Gavin Fraser

Paper from the PhD thesis "AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMPACT OF FAIRTRADE IN SOUTH AFRICA" by Bridget Jari in the Department of Economics and Economic History, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. Co-authored with Bridget Jari and Jen Snowball.

Fairtrade was initially limited to improving the lives of small-scale and peasant farmers, but later the decision to... more Fairtrade was initially limited to improving the lives of small-scale and peasant farmers, but later the decision to embrace commercial farmers attracted criticism. Whilst there are a number of reasons why the Fairtrade organization justifies its decision, some authors feel that the inclusion of commercial farms cannot achieve meaningful “fair trade” . This paper investigates the impact of Fairtrade on commercial farms and small scale farmer cooperatives in South Africa. The results of the study show that when commercial farms are included in the Fairtrade model, communities on these farms benefit from developmental projects. In addition, Fairtrade when combined with BEE, farm workers owning shares in Fairtrade certified farms benefit from the farm owners’ knowledge and capital, allowing a smooth transition to entrepreneurship amongst farm workers. However, when commercial farmers supply Fairtrade markets, they create competition for small scale farmers.

Turismo de eventos y patrimonio: entre el ocio y el negocio

by Francesc González Reverté

Reflexión acerca de como los eventos pueden funcionar como atractivo turístico para destinos muy diversos, generar... more Reflexión acerca de como los eventos pueden funcionar como atractivo turístico para destinos muy diversos, generar dinámicas de desarrollo local y regional, contribuir a políticas de regeneración urbana o actuar como palanca de desarrollo cultural

Nova Scotia's Ocean Technologies: A Global Value Chain Analysis of Inshore & Extreme Climate Vessels, Remotely Operated & Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, and Underwater Sensors & Instrumentation

by Lukas Brun

Co-authored with Gary Gerreffi, Joonkoo Lee, and Mary Turnipseed

Duke CGGC report on the local and global value chains for inshore & extreme climate vessels, remotely operated... more Duke CGGC report on the local and global value chains for inshore & extreme climate vessels, remotely operated (ROV) & autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), and underwater sensors & instrumentation

Historiography of Picts, Vikings, Scots, and Fairies and Its Influence on Shetland’s Twenty-First Century Economic Development

by Adam Grydehoj

A thesis presented for the degree of PhD in Ethnology and Folklore at the University of Aberdeen, 2009.

Making use of knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, this thesis analyses the interactions of culture and... more Making use of knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, this thesis analyses the interactions of culture and economy, particularly regarding the influence of nineteenth-century historiography, on Shetland’s present-day economic development.

Shetland’s local identity concept is strongly influenced by this North Sea archipelago’s Norse history. This is in part the result of the islands’ late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century national romantic literature, which was inspired by Continental and mainland British trends in anthropology and philology. The theories of fairy origins proposed in the 1890s by the Edinburgh anthropologist David MacRitchie exerted a great influence on Shetland writers. His theories – since shown to be incorrect – led to the historiographic dehumanisation of the islands’ pre-Norse population and permitted the complete valorisation of the Vikings, most notably in the work of the Shetland author Jessie Saxby. Since the 1930s, a variation of MacRitchie’s theory has been repeated in nearly every local book concerning Shetland folk belief.

These conceptions of history continue to inform the sense of local identity felt by many Shetlanders. This has come into conflict with the local government’s efforts at place brand, tourism, heritage, and economic development, all of which tie into a broader struggle between fostering Shetland’s national awareness and expanding Shetland’s jurisdictional capacity. Particular attention is paid to how history is used variously by the community to express exclusivity and by the local government to promote inclusivity.

"Community governance as a response to economic crisis"

by Alessandro Sancino

Community Power Co-operatives as Engines of Local Empowerment: Lessons Learned from WindShare Co-operative in Ontario

by Mumtaz Derya Tarhan

Centralized electricity generation from environmentally unsustainable sources and a high demand for electricity have... more Centralized electricity generation from environmentally unsustainable sources and a high demand for electricity have detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts on communities worldwide, and hinder the transition to renewable sources. The proliferation of renewable sources needs to be supported by a reduced reliance on traditional methods of electricity generation, and a change in our electricity consumption patterns. In the light of this need, decentralization of electricity generation and handing the ownership of these projects to communities have the potential to reduce the negative impacts of the current electricity generation and consumption scheme, and to generate triple- bottom-line benefits for communities worldwide. Among community groups, co- operatives have a strong potential and track record in enabling community members to gather their financial and human resources and claim shared ownership of renewable power projects.

This paper will first assess the benefits and challenges of community power and co-operatively owned projects based on experiences across the world. Subsequently, it will reveal the experience of WindShare, the first co-operatively owned community power co-operative in Ontario and the owner of the first urban wind turbine in North America. The goal is to provide communities across the world with WindShare’s best practices and lessons learned from its experience, and thereby raise awareness around the potential benefits, challenges and
replicability issues of such projects. It is concluded that while the direct replicability of a co-operatively owned renewable energy initiative may be hindered by the social, economic and political background of an another community, determined, realistic and communicative approaches and behaviours of project leaders also have a significant impact on a project’s economic, social and environmental outcomes.

The Configuration of Local Economic Power and Civic Participation In the Global Economy

by Todd Matthews

Co-authored with Troy C. Blanchard - Social Forces (2006)

local public transport service quality and tendering contracts

by marcucci edoardo

INCREASING STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION IN CLUSTER IDENTIFICATION

by Lukas Brun

An updated version of this paper (co-authored with G. Jason Jolley) is published in Economic Development Quarterly 25:3 (August 2011) pp.211-220.

Industry cluster analysis has become an important policy tool in state and local economic development planning.... more Industry cluster analysis has become an important policy tool in state and local economic development planning. Although cluster analysis is generally conceived as an expert-led technical analysis, it can be re-framed to engage stakeholders in a collaborative process. This paper illustrates how one community pursued a collaborative approach to cluster identification and the costs and benefits of the method. It finds that increased stakeholder participation in the cluster identification stage improved the analytical quality of the analysis, developed community and political acceptance of the results, and defined a new industry cluster to accommodate stakeholder preferences. The primary cost was the time and money required to implement a collaborative approach to cluster identification.

Infrastructure, Form, and Design of Ecologically-Sound, Livable Communities

by Matt Lievertz

Thesis proposal and summary of literature.

Urban cultural tourism: creative approaches for heritage-based sustainable development

by Alessio D'Auria

Influencia de la localización sobre la rentabilidad de los negocios de pequeños productores agrícolas usuarios del Programa PRODESAL

by Ignacio Moncayo

El PRODESAL es un programa de fomento productivo que permite, mediante un convenio entre INDAP y los municipios... more El PRODESAL es un programa de fomento productivo que permite, mediante un convenio entre INDAP y los municipios rurales, la entrega de asesoría técnica y capital de inversión para los pequeños productores agrícolas con menor grado de desarrollo productivo. El estudio evaluó la influencia de variables determinantes de la localización sobre la rentabilidad de los negocios de pequeños productores usuarios del PRODESAL durante una temporada agrícola. Se utilizó la información productiva proveniente de una encuesta realizada para la temporada 2007-2008 a usuarios de 243 comunas de Chile. Se consideró la información proveniente de los rubros frutales, cultivos anuales, hortalizas en invernadero y al aire libre. Se observó, de manera consistente con la teoría, que las variables relacionadas a la localización territorial de las explotaciones, tales como tamaño del mercado, población y nivel de desarrollo, tienen una influencia positiva sobre la rentabilidad de los rubros estudiados. De manera inversa, la distancia que separa a las explotaciones rurales de los centro de consumo, mostró una influencia negativa sobre el resultado de los negocios.

Describing Diversity of New Urban Developments in Austin, Texas

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Couch, Amanda, "Describing Diversity of New Urban Developments in Austin, Texas" (2011). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 377.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/377

This applied research project describes the diversity of new urban developments in Austin, Texas. The project begins... more This applied research project describes the diversity of new urban developments in Austin, Texas. The project begins with an overview of the history, causes and negative effects of suburban sprawl. The idea of new urbanism is then presented as the antithesis of suburban sprawl. Additionally, the literature surrounding issues in diversity relating to new urbanism is explored. Diversity literature is categorized by built diversity, demographic diversity, and economic diversity. These are the descriptive categories used to describe the diversity of new urban developments. The methodology used is a combination of field analysis and document analysis. Field analysis was primarily used in collecting data for the built environment while document analysis was primarily used for collecting data regarding demographics and economy of the new urban developments. The developments selected were the Mueller development, The Domain and The Triangle; all of which are self-proclaimed new urban developments. Finally, findings reveal a description of the diversity of each development. The three developments vary in diversity across the three descriptive categories. Overall, the Mueller development proved most successful in achieving diversity.

Assessing Smart Growth in San Antonio, Texas

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Schacherl, Bradley A., "Assessing Smart Growth in San Antonio, Texas" (2008). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 279.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/279

Urban sprawl is a negative condition that many of the cities throughout the United States face. Sprawl wastes... more Urban sprawl is a negative condition that many of the cities throughout the United States face. Sprawl wastes resources, has adverse effects on the environment, and leads to degradations of parts of a city. Smart Growth is an answer to controlling and managing this growth and sprawl. The reviewed scholarly literature lends insight to the ideal aspects of Smart Growth.

This research will focus on examining San Antonio, Texas, and its explosion of growth over the last few decades, and how the City has managed this growth. City and other local government documents were observed as well as direct observation of certain aspects of Smart Growth within the City.

The observed documents and areas within the City suggest that the City of San Antonio is right on track with some aspects of the ideal Smart Growth plan, but its lacking in other areas of the ideal. The recommendations should assist the City in attaining a higher level of Smart Growth compliance.

A Study to Describe the Opinions and Attitudes on Tax Abatements from County Judges in Texas

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Anderson, Sherry, "A Study to Describe the Opinions and Attitudes on Tax Abatements from County Judges in Texas" (1999). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 178.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/178

One primary goal of economic development programs is to help communities attract or retain businesses considered vital... more One primary goal of economic development programs is to help communities attract or retain businesses considered vital for economic stability. Many state and local governments offer tax abatements as a major form of economic development policy. Tax abatements exempt taxpayers from taxes for a designated time period and can include the entire amount or a partial amount owed.

Offering tax abatements is logical since property returned to tax rolls generates income for local taxing entities. Because local government officials are hesitant to raise taxes or cut services, they frequently examine ways to expand their taxing jurisdiction's tax bases by recruiting new businesses.

Professional literature assesses current economic development programs, such as economic incentives and tax abatements. Unlike the careful analyses performed on whether tax abatements enhance economic development, few studies have chronicled and analyzed attitudes and opinions of officials making decisions.

The purpose of this research project is to: (1) examine economic development policies, but more specifically property tax abatements and (2) to describe Texas county judges' attitudes and opinions about tax abatement decisions. Texas county judges are a crucial component of the process since they decide tax abatement issues.

This report is designed to close some gaps in the literature of state and local government officials opinions on tax abatements. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey Texas county judges. Sixty judges were selected from 254 Texas counties based up the population of the jurisdictions in which they serve. The represent counties with the largest populations and were selected non-randomly because larger counties are more likely to offer tax abatements than smaller counties.

Simple descriptive statistical analyses were used to quantify the survey responses. The frequency, percentage, and mode of each question was calculated. The mode determined the respondents' overall perception for each statement.

Most scholarly literature on economic development policies includes three main areas: economic factors, political factors, and locational factors. Economic factors address with the financial reasons abatements are offered. Political factors include local government's decisions on whether to offer tax abatements, to whom abatements should be offered, and what amounts are abated. Political factors also deal with the public's approval of those elected officials deciding whether or not to offer abatements. Finally, locational factors deal with local government's struggles to maintain, expand, or recruit new business.

This survey of Texas county judges indicates that officials in positions to offer abatements are aware of ramifications brought by such decisions. Most opinions expressed by the judges are corroborated in current literature. Officials feel compelled to offer incentives to expand tax bases, and do so in large part, because of political and economic advantages. Officials agree abatements do not erode tax bases; however, they also understand that more effective and less costly economic development tools are available.

This research project is not conclusive; however, it does provide insight into some of the economic, political, and locational factors affecting Texas county judges opinions on tax abatement issues.

An Empirical Investigation of an Indicator of Economic Efficiency in the Public Transportation Industry During 1994

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Latsha, Rob, "An Empirical Investigation of an Indicator of Economic Efficiency in the Public Transportation Industry During 1994" (1998). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 186.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/186

Sports Facilities and Metropolitan Economic Development: The Impact of Professional Sports Facilities on Sales Tax Revenue in Metropolitan Statistical Areas

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Greenberg, Michael A., "Sports Facilities and Metropolitan Economic Development: The Impact of Professional Sports Facilities on Sales Tax Revenue in Metropolitan Statistical Areas" (1997). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 173.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/173

A Study to Describe the Attitudes and Perceptions of Texas Municipal Officials on the Effectiveness of Tax Abatements and Incentives

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

McKethan, Kevin, "A Study to Describe the Attitudes and Perceptions of Texas Municipal Officials on the Effectiveness of Tax Abatements and Incentives" (1997). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 196.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/196

Perceptions toward downtown: Surveying City Managers in smaller Texas towns

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Farst, Debra, "Perceptions toward downtown: Surveying City Managers in smaller Texas towns" (2003). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 40.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/40

In recent years, as city leaders have looked for ways to create a higher quality of life for residents and diversify... more In recent years, as city leaders have looked for ways to create a higher quality of life for residents and diversify their tax bases, downtown revitalization has captured the attention of citizens and policy makers alike. Unfortunately, the literature on the topic seldom examines the topic empirically. At the same time, however, there has been a call for increasing this relatively scarce body of knowledge. The study fills a gap by examining attitudes city managers in smaller Texas towns have about the components and challenges of downtown revitalization. Attitudes about infrastructure, leadership, multi-functionality and implementation tools are explored through a survey of 256 city managers. The results show that city managers have very strong attitudes toward downtown revitalization. For instance:

Encouraging private development as a future contributor to the tax base is viewed as a viable tool for redeveloping the center city.
Downtown business owners can be very effective partners and leaders for pushing the revitalization program forward.
A mix of businesses and special events are important components of multi-functionality.

Some suggestions for future action and study are also presented:
Expand and increase educational opportunities for those involved in downtown revitalization.
At the local level, formalize processes for addressing infrastructure, multi-functionality, leadership and financing.

An Explanatory Study of Rural Hospital Closures and Their Links to the Economic Health of Local Communities

by Texas State PA Applied Research Projects

Pearson, David, "An Explanatory Study of Rural Hospital Closures and Their Links to the Economic Health of Local Communities" (2002). Applied Research Projects, Texas State University-San Marcos. Paper 55.
http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/55

Numerous rural communities have experienced the loss of their local hospital since the early 1980s. Despite government... more Numerous rural communities have experienced the loss of their local hospital since the early 1980s. Despite government intervention at the state and federal level, the perception that these closures have caused irreparable harm to the communities and counties where they were once located is ongoing. Much scholarship has been brought to bear on this issue, but little of it has focused on actual events. This paper fills the gaps in prior research, while focusing on the outcomes observed only in Texas.

This research builds on the comparative analysis approach used in another study regarding rural hospital closures between 1984 and 1988. Selected economic indicators from 24 rural Texas counties that lost their local hospital are compared with those from a group of counties that experienced no such closures. Comparison counties were selected based on a set of accepted demographic variables. Economic effects were then observed at one and ten years after closure. Quantitative analysis was used to determine the significance of the economic effects experienced by closure counties.

The research hypothesis states that hospital closures negatively impact the local economies of the counties where they were once located, in both the short-term and the long-term. Actual results, however, pointed to the contrary. There was no significant difference observed between the counties with hospitals and those without for any of the economic indicators that were tested. Also, the research revealed no significant difference between the two groups in either the short-term or the long-term. The outcomes observed here mimic the results obtained in the prior study, despite the differences between Texas county data and data aggregated at the national level. A smaller unit of analysis and a focus on effects other than the financial might make a more meaningful approach.