Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 21:83, 2009

Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

ISSN: 0897-4438 print=1528-6983 online
DOI: 10.1080/08974430802587554

GUEST EDITORIAL
Competitiveness in International Markets

The food processing sector is currently facing a plethora of challenges in the

new era of globalization. Production, trade, and markets of agrofood products
are continuously being affected by the modification of major policies, such as
the Common Agricultural Policy, the ongoing World Trade Organization
negotiations, and the bilateral and regional trade agreements. The global trade
system has made significant progress in reducing and even eliminating tariffs
and other barriers to trade, thereby increasing the level of competition among
exporting firms and countries. Within this context, the trade of agricultural
products in global markets has become increasingly volatile due to the fact
that domestic support and changes in market access have affected the produc-
tion efficiency and export performance of agricultural products worldwide.
World trade has been growing rapidly in response to increasing
consumer demand for diversified diets and types of food adapted to chan-
ging lifestyles and this, in turn, has increased competition in international
markets. Furthermore, major multinational companies have been responding
by investing directly in major markets worldwide. In a globalized economy,
direct investments are often necessitated by pressures imposed to reduce
transaction costs, access foreign markets, and, in some cases, circumvent
trade and transport barriers. Foreign production allows the parent companies
to remain competitive globally by taking advantage of lower production
costs in some host countries. Hence, issues such as the establishment and
management of international supply chains, marketing dynamics, new
product development in international markets, logistics, packaging and
labeling, and promotion and advertising of food products are key elements
that play a major role in the competitiveness in international markets.
A number of papers presented at the 98th European Association of
Agricultural Economists Conference dealing with these issues underwent a
thorough reviewing process. Finally, 13 articles were selected for publication
in this journal. The first nine articles are presented in this double issue as part
one of a two-part special issue, ‘‘Competitiveness in International Markets.’’
The remaining four articles will publish in issue 4 of this volume.

Konstadinos Mattas
George Baourakis

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