Economic consequences of BSE in Germany
Herrmann, R.
Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 109(8): 358-361
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0341-6593 PMID: 12224465 Document Number: 549623
This article aims to elaborate selected economic consequences of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Germany on economic as well as political markets. Strong effects arising from BSE on meat markets do exist, which have a short-run and a medium-run component. Quantitative analyses of beef demand have shown for years that stark short-run effects of new BSE information occur and a significant medium-run change of preferences against red meats. The impacts of BSE on the political market were also important. The German BSE crisis was utilized for a substantial change in the government's perception of agricultural and food policy, often called "Agrarwende". The concept includes altered instruments of agricultural protection, which imply new economic problems. The role of markets in providing incentives to produce food quality is generally underestimated within the new policy.