Establishment of Regional Green Innovation Value Chains:A Case Study on Tackling the Impeded Diffusion of Green Products

The green innovation value chain is a key step in transforming green,innovative scientific,and technological achievements into productive forces.The establishment of green innovation value chains based on value distribution rather than technical conditions can effectively overcome the common bottleneck faced by different nations during their green innovation endeavors,namely,the substitution of conventional products with green alternatives.This study investigates the impeded diffusion of green products and their underlying causes,analyzes the internal structure and mechanism of the green innovation value chain,and explores the establishment of regional green innovation value chains and the models available for value chain upgrading.

The evolution analysis of agricultural global value chains

With the Uruguay Round bringing agricultural trade into multilateral regulation,the major countries have actively participated in agricultural global value chains(AGVC)and occupied an important position according to their comparative advantages.Utilizing bilateral agricultural trade data of 66 countries based on the OECD Inter-Country-Input-Output Tables(OECD ICIO)from 2010 to 2018,this study applies social network analysis indicators to measure each country’s eigenvector centrality within AGVC and to examine the current global agricultural trade patterns,with particular attention to the changes in the status of world powers within AGVC.The main findings are as follows:first,with the multilateral and regional trade liberalization,growing numbers of developing nations,including China and India,are engaging in international agricultural trade,which contributes to its diversification;second,as AGVC develops,the structure of global agricultural trade networks has become more decentralized and balanced.This is evidenced by the emergence of additional central nodes,and large nations like the United States,which formerly held the most central position as indicated by a drop in its centrality,are becoming less dominant.

Sustainability Assessment of Banana (Musa spp.) Yield Gap Reduction through Value Chain Development Interventions in Smallholder Farming Systems in Manicaland, Zimbabwe

This study evaluated the effectiveness of donor supported agricultural value chain development projects in sustainably narrowing yield gaps for banana smallholder farmer producers in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. The study used a mixed methods research design that relied on farmers records for the quantitative analysis and focus group discussion and in-depth interviews for key experts for the qualitative aspects. A mix of regression analysis, t-tests, Pearsons’s correlation and analysis of variance statistical methods were used for the quantitative analysis while thematic response analysis was used for the qualitative engagements. The findings showed that by the end of the activity, the project had successfully narrowed the banana yield gaps to 18.66 tons per hectare working with a potential yield base of 40 tons. However, 5 years after the project closure the yield gap had fallen to 24.7 tons indicating a lack of sustainability of yield gap reduction. However, the yield gap slump does not override the fact that farmers on average were still able to sell approximately 5 tons per every 6 months after 5 years from the project closure which is beyond any poverty threshold. This suggests genuine upward economic mobility. Additionally, in analyzing what factors had the greatest influence on yield gap reduction, the access to fertilizer ranked highest where genetics, irrigation and improved agronomy followed in that respective order. The study further showed that farmers who receive value chain development support whilst at an already commercialized state tend to maintain productivity thresholds higher in comparison to those who are at a pre commercial state. This is evidenced by the fact that the pre commercial farmers had a yield reduction of 30.83 percent after 5 years of the project closure whereas the former realized a productivity growth of 7.84%. In conclusion, whilst the intervention was successful in transitioning farmers out of poverty, more investment should be made towards transitioning smallholder farmers to integrated soil fertility management practices and improvement of agronomic efficiency through stronger on field collaboration between research institutions, the government and development institutions.

Does strict environmental regulation enhance the global value chains position of China's industrial sector?

Given the vital importance of global value chains(GVCs)position for a country's international competitiveness,this paper tries to investigate the impacts of environmental regulation on the GVCs position of China's industrial sector.Using the latest value-added decomposition method,we first measure the GVCs position of China's industrial sector from 2003 to 2014.Subsequently,both two-stage least squares(2 SLS)method with panel data and mediating effect model are employed to empirically examine the effects of environmental regulation on China's position in GVCs.The results indicate that environmental regulation has significantly upgraded the GVCs position of China's industrial sector,and the effect is more evident for the sub-sectors with originally lower GVCs position.The mediation effect test shows that increasing R&D investment is an important channel through which environmental regulation affects the GVCs position of China's industrial sector,which verifies the existence of the Porter hypothesis.Further analysis finds that the enhancement of GVCs position of China's industrial sector caused by environmental regulation is mainly achieved through reducing the backward GVCs position.

Strategic Agricultural Commodity Value Chains in Africa for Increased Food: The Regional Approach for Food Security

The challenge Africa faces the most is how to feed the 2.4 billion people in 2050. This will require a transformational agriculture. Africa doesn’t need subsistence agriculture, but rather agriculture linked to the market where market demand and the consuming habits are taken in consideration. Agriculture evolves in an environment where small holders are linked to markets (national and regional), where economies of complementarity and economies of scale are taken advantage of by producers and private sector. In short, Africa will need a paradigm shift to industrialise and commercialise its agriculture sector in order to increase food production, and income and to create jobs in and outside the sector. Africa needs agribusiness and agro-industries to domesticate the benefits of the sector, to create wealth in the sector and retain that wealth in the continent. Agricultural commodities regional value chains for increased food should be the target for Africa. The continent remains the region with the highest prevalence of under-nourishment. Since agriculture remains the mainstay of most African economies except the mineral producers, the sector deserves a close attention from leaders. It accounts for 65% of employment and 40% of Africa’s export earnings and accounts for 17% of the GDP. This shows how important the sector is. Agriculture needs to be seen as a conduit for farmers to get connected to markets, a conduit for revenue, for jobs and for transformation. Africa needs to come back on the international scene as food sufficient continent and even food exporter. This can be achieved only with a stable, productive agricultural resource base. Thus, achieving and sustaining food security and economic prosperity in Africa will require significant efforts to modernize the continent’s agriculture sector through injection of agribusiness and agro-industries and through the application of science and technology in agriculture. In essence, agriculture needs to be viewed as knowledge based entrepreneurial activity. Smart investments in agriculture will have multiplier effects for the whole economy and hence induce prosperity to other sectors. In recent years, a renewed focus on agriculture has been evident in policy and development agendas across the African continent. This paper outlines the status of agriculture, agribusiness and agro-industries in Africa, their role in the agenda of agricultural transformation and economic transformation and the focus on regional value chain to increase food production, transformation and trade. The paper adopts a new thinking in agriculture, which reflects a regional value chain approach. The author covers such issues as: need for agricultural transformation, the role of value chain in agricultural sector, the need for regional value chain for increased income and increased food, the role of markets and the common denominator of all, the regional integration to push forward the African agriculture agenda. Evidence shows that it is agricultural growth, through its leverage effects on the rest of the economy that typically enables poor countries, poor regions and ultimately poor households to take the first steps toward economic transformation. Therefore agricultural productivity, at the small holder’s level, has the potential to lift millions of Africa’s vulnerable out of poverty and provide sustainable jobs. Other factors, namely “the rapid urbanization” and “increased population growth”, are quoted to be of critical importance. Africa population is projected to double, attaining the 2.3 billion people mark over the next 40 years representing half of the globe’s total population. This could trigger competition for resources and can have devastating effects on natural resources if not rightly channelled.

China's Position in Global Value Chains Compared with the EU,U.S.and Japan

By creating a five-country I-O model of China, EU, US, Japan and other countries, this paper decomposes gross export into nine parts and investigates the GVC positions and competitiveness of China and the other three economies for different sectors using real domestic trade in value-added and GVC position indices. In addition, valueadded trade is taken into consideration to identify the labor division characteristics of the four economies in the GVC, which led to the following findings: China participates primarily in the single links of the GVC at the downstream yet shows a significant tendency to move upstream in technology-intensive sectors; Japan participates primarily in the single links of the GVC at the upstream and boasts an advantage in technology-intensive sectors; the US participates in the multiple links of the GVC at the upstream with superiority in hightechnology sectors; the EU participates in the production and export of intermediate goods and final goods at both ends.

Competiveness of Maize Value Chains for Smallholders in West Africa: Case of Benin, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire

The paper analyses the entire value chains of the maize food crop in targeted countries. It identifies the maize actors and related business linkages from input supply to product markets, the governance of the chain, mainly the decision making to decrease the transaction costs, the chain performance including efficiency in value-added, gender equity and sustainability and the need for capacity building in various segments along the maize value chains in Benin, Ghana, and Càte d’Ivoire. The main objective of the paper is to contribute to better livelihoods of rural poor through empowerment and gender equitable access to maize value chain opportunities, inputs and product markets through technical backstopping and capacity strengthening so that smallholders understand and participate in the value chains and benefit from it. The following specific objectives are to i) identify the constraints and opportunities and linkages between actors across agro-ecological zones through country and regional level baselines;ii) develop an analytical support toolkit to analyze competitiveness, trends and outlook of maize taking into account climate change and policy shifts at micro, meso and macro level and iii) strengthen the capacity of regional maize value chain actors in the targeted countries. A systematic sampling of one out of every three successive shed was used to select wholesalers whereas snowballing sampling was used to select the assemblers, retailers and processors. The paper informs on the status of technologies application along maize value chains in selected countries and analyzes the economical profitability and/or profit maximization of maize value chains.

Tracking Transfer of Carbon Dioxide Emissions to Countries along the Silk Roads Through Global Value Chains

The Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)has aroused rich discussions about the possible increase in carbon dioxide emission under the arduous global carbon dioxide emission reduction task.Adopting the methods of input-output technique and complex network ana-lysis,we first construct a fairer method to trace carbon dioxide emission transfer based on global value chains,then trace the source of carbon dioxide emission transfer to the Silk Roads countries with a long-term multiple regional input-output database.We find that,first,after the proposal of the BRI,the total direct carbon dioxide emissions of the Silk Roads countries and China’s proportion of carbon dioxide emission transfer to the other Silk Roads countries have both declined.Second,the Silk Roads countries are generally the net receivers of carbon dioxide emission transfer,and the inflow is mainly distributed in Southeast Asian countries and core countries in other sub-regions.Then,the transfer of carbon dioxide emission accepted by the Silk Roads countries comes mostly from large developing countries,such as China,Russia,and India,and developed countries,such as the United States,Japan,and Germany.The products are mainly concentrated in energy and chemical industries,as well as heavy industries,such as mining and quarrying,and metal products.We suggest that,due to the high degree of spatial and industrial concentrations of carbon dioxide emission transfer,it is necessary to make targeted policies for these countries and industries to reduce these transfers.

Analyzing the Value Chains of China＇s Knock-off Handset industry

Establishing a two-sided market （specialized market） is an effective way to build a national value chain （NVC）. The Chinese knock-off wireless handset industry has succeeded in building a miniature version of an NVC based on the Huaqiangbei Market, a typical specialized market. ＂Ihis paper begins b）, analyzing the differences in the industrial chains of knock-off and traditional wireless handsets and concludes that due to lacking after-sales service, the value chain of knock-off wireless handsets is consumer-driven, with a focus on manufacturing and marketing. Analysis of the knock-off wireless handset-based NVC reveals that multi-level demands, a maturing industry and adaptive innovation are three pre-conditions for Chinese manufacturing to build an NVC in a two-sided market. Given the uneven scale and techniques among knock-off handset makers, their addiction to the low-end market and imperfect value chains constructed using the ＂knockoff pattern＂ this paper proposes that China can break these bottlenecks by letting the specialized and unilateral markets develop closer to each other and by providing governmental guidance in the specialized market.

Analysis of Agricultural Commodities Value Chains and Greenhouse Gas Emission in Rice and Maize in West Africa: Impact on Food Security

This paper analyses the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission along the value chains of two strategic commodities in West Africa (rice and maize) in four pilot countries: Ghana, Senegal Benin and Cote D’Ivoire. The Value Chains Analysis and Greenhouse model used in this study, provides insight into the relationship between output maximization and GHG emissions to help define optimal intervention approaches that minimize emissions while maximizing the potential yield, hence boost food security. It highlights intervention measures for improvement of production and productivity along with the identification of mitigation measures to reduce GHG emissions. It also revealed that the largest GHG emission factor from maize farming in the selected countries is from the application of nitrogen fertilizers (NO2), and for rice farming, depending on the systems, e.g. rain fed, irrigated or multiple aeration, the emission is mostly due to anaerobic decomposition of methane (CH4) which increases with flooding practice.

Japanese Media Strategy： The Recognition of Economic Value Chains

This paper examines, as a case study, Japanese media production, remaking, and transferences of media content derived from the manga Janguru Taitei （Jungle Emperor） and contemporary Japanese government strategies to protect and promote Japanese cultural and economic value within the content business. The study utilizes methodological triangulation inclusive of textual, document, and value chain analysis. The Japanese government has progressively appreciated the intrinsic value of the media content from both a commercial and cultural context and the loss of value in unregulated segments of the regional market. In 2003, they established an Intellectual Property Strategy Group to support and promote the Japanese media content business. There has been a continuum of policy development since then to protect and amplify the financial value of Japanese media products. All of the developments in media industry are fuelled not only by government regulations, the imagination of talented artists and writers, and the growing regionalization and internationalization of the industry but also the ＂bottom line＂ emerging from the value chain. The recognition of the need for sustaining profit growth to continue the viability of original and remade content in Japan is paramount for Japan.

Global Value Chains in the Era of 4IR: New Paradigm of Business Models for SMEs

This paper presents a brief literature review of previous studies methodologies,models,and contexts in studying firms’upgrading in Global Value Chains(GVCs).The key context of this paper is set within Fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR).Through the literature review,this paper offers to identify the opportunities of theoretical novelty and ways to elaborate on understanding firm dynamics in Global Value Chains in the context of 4IR.The approach based on Business Model(BM)innovations and new forms of organizing for business(such as platforms)is used to synthesize from previous research findings and build on to newer explanations of firms’entry,learning,and upgrading within GVCs.

Creating Inclusive Global Value Chains under the BRI from the Perspective of Public Goods Supply and Demand

Supply and demand of public goods provide a brand-new theoretical framework for research on the creation of inclusive global value chains(GVCs)under the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI).The supply of international public goods is an important positive variable for creating global value chains under the BRI,in which China and other developing countries involved,as well as their small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs),are microscopic entities.When the BRI’s supply of instrumental,institutional,and conceptual international public goods is in equilibrium with the demand of GVC entities for public goods,the BRI creates necessary conditions for the extension of GVCs.GVCs created under the BRI are of great value in promoting inclusiveness,fair income distribution,balanced regional development,and the restructuring of international economic governance.Under the current GVC system,some developed countries have been wary about the BRI and even developed misgivings and biases.Nevertheless,developed countries may play an active role in bridging gaps in the BRI’s development and complement their respective strengths with developing countries for win-win cooperation.

The Global Value Chains and the Evolution of Chinese Economic Model

According to the Word Bank,in the first 38 years of China,economic reform took 700 million people out poverty line in China at the same time benefiting the Global South economy due to the integration of the transnational enterprises global value chains with China.Chinese government understood the economic rational of global value chains,Flying Geese Model,and foreign direct investment theories and introduced policies to attract foreign capital,technology,production,and foreign buyers,placing China as the final stage of the production networks in Asia and also transforming China in the biggest buying market of many resources and energy suppliers from less developed countries in Asia,Africa,and South America.But a new model of Chinese economic development even more interconnected and interdependent with the world is now on move.Even quite before the world acknowledge the protectionist mindset of the US in Trump era,Chinese President Xi Jinping launched in 2013 a very ambitious initiative under the name of“One Road,One Belt,the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road”to enhance a new stage of world globalization,which together with two complimentary initiatives:the“International Production Cooperation”and“Third-Country Market Cooperation”,and in complementarity with the“Made in China 2025”and“Internet Plus”plans will lead China to develop global value chains leaded by Chinese companies and integrating countries of Europe,Africa,Asia,and South America.

Learning by Doing Effect in North South Trade under the Global Value Chains： An Empirical Analysis of Various Industries in the U.S.

This paper studies the division of labor and economic development under global value chains in North South trade by mainly investigating the changes of production hours and cost per unit along with more and more output and increasing trade value in several industries in the U.S., because the U. S. is at the leading position in the division of labor by global value chains. The empirical evidence reveals that more international outsourcing, there will be more detailed division of labor, and the industry unit production time and production cost will show more declining trend year by year. This is consistent with that the global value chains and the outsourcing play more and more important roles in the international division of labor and economic growth in both developed and developing countries, and helps explain the integration of workforce across countries in the global value chains.

基于HR Value Chain的农民工HRM实践研究

从价值链理论(Value Chain)发展而来的人力资源价值链(HR Value Chain)肯定了HRM实践是企业价值的来源。在概要介绍HR Value Chain的基础上,着重分析企业内部针对农民工的HRM实践所存在的问题,并提出了相应的改进措施。

Global Value Chain Restructuring:Challenges,Opportunities and Strategies for China

Global value chains(GVCs)have entered a new stage of restructuring characterized by trends towards localization,regionalization and diversification.These trends can be attributed to the evolution of the international division,irrational responses to crisis shocks,and trade protectionism.In this context,China’s industrial and supply chain upgrades face both opportunities and challenges which require navigating the adverse effects of industrial re-shoring,unfair technology competition,and changes in the global industrial layout.Yet,such challenges may create pressures for China to accelerate innovation,overcome the low-end lock-up effect by creating regional value chains,and broaden international cooperation.China needs to explore an effective strategy to defuse risks and seize opportunities.On one hand,China should influence the restructuring of GVCs evolution and strengthen its supply chains by playing an active role in economic globalization and the international division.On the other hand,China should proactively respond to GVCs restructuring amid rising trade protectionism,defuse risks from trade protectionism by opening wider to the outside world,and strive to upgrade industrial and supply chains while enhancing the security and stability of their nation.

Spatial Interaction Between the Industrial Undertaking Capacity and Global Value Chain Position of East Asian Countries

A comprehensive understanding of the spatial interaction between the industrial undertaking capability and the position of the global value chain of the 12 East Asian countries is conducive to strengthening regional cooperation, gaining a say in foreign trade and becoming the dominant player in the global division of labor system. The article reveals the operating rules of the interaction between the industrial undertaking capacity and the global value chain position of East Asian countries by calculating the Global Moran Index(Moran’s I), coupling coordination degree and other indicators. The results show that: in time, the values of industrial undertaking capacity and the positions of global value chain in East Asian countries showed a sustained and stable growth trend, and have a consistent trend of change. Spatially, both of the two indexes had significant positive spatial correlation, with Moran’s I showing an ‘inverted U’pattern, and the spatial aggregation distribution of global value chain position lagged behind the spatial aggregation distribution of industrial undertaking capacity by one year. In terms of spatial coupling coordination, the coupling coordination values of the two indicators show a steady upward trend. Combined with the comparative advantage of each country, this paper provides suggestions for promoting the positions of Chinese and other East Asian industries in the global value chain from the perspectives of enhancing independent innovation capability and upgrading industrial structure.

Effects of Global Value Chain Position on the Carbon Emissions of Manufacturing Industry in China: An Empirical Study Based on the STIRPAT Model

Based on the input-output data from the World Input-Output Database( WIOD),the global value chain( GVC) position of China's manufacturing industry from 2003 to 2014 was calculated,and the relationship between the carbon emissions and global value chain position of China's manufacturing industry was studied based on the improved STIRPAT model. The results show that the improvement of global value chain position could significantly reduce the carbon emissions of China's manufacturing industry. In addition,foreign investment and energy structure hindered the low-carbon development of China's manufacturing industry. The effects of population size and research intensity on the carbon emissions of manufacturing industry were not significant. In the process of participating in the global value chain,China's manufacturing industry should effectively reduce carbon emissions by strengthening environmental regulation,optimizing energy structure and improving production technology.

Re-Evaluation of China＇s Service Trade Competitiveness： A Global Value Chain Perspective

Based on the Worm Input-Output Database （WIOD）, this paper conducts a forward-linkage decomposition of value-added in trade to estimate China＇s service value-added exports and its service sector＇s international competitiveness during 2000- 2014. Result indicates that during the sample period, China＇s service exports measured by forward-linkage decomposition method accounted for around 35% in its total export. While the value of services exported directly through the service sector accounted for a falling share, the value of services exported through other sectors represented an increasing share. China ranks second in the world in terms of market share of service exports. However, the revealed comparative advantage （RCA） of China＇s service exports and export sophistication remains limited.