Employee Profile

Ivar Gaasland

Associate Professor

Campus Bergen, Department of Economics

Phone +4793057733
E-mail ivar.gaasland@bi.no

Publications

Shows 5 of 43 publication(s)

Article Hans-Martin Straume, Frank Asche, Atle Oglend, Ivar Gaasland, Ingrid Kristine Pettersen, Geir Sogn-Grundvåg (2023)

The structure of Norwegian seafood trade

Marine Policy 159 p. 1-9 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105921

While seafood is a highly traded commodity, lack of data has largely prevented examination of the firms and industries that are conducting the actual transactions. In this paper we use highly disaggregated data to provide an overview of the seafood exports from Norway, the world’s 2nd largest seafood exporting country, and a country where fisheries as well as aquaculture are important industries. The industry has a global reach with Norwegian seafood reaching 172 different countries in the period 2016–2020. While there are as many as 437 different exporting firms, this is relatively few firms compared to the 11,024 different buyers that import Norwegian seafood. There is significant heterogeneity in the export sector from very small firms handling only a few products to very large firms handling a large variety of products. The average firm is quite specialized and serves only 9 markets. However, there are also a handful of large exporters who ship products from all three main sectors in the Norwegian seafood industry to a large number of markets. The 10% largest companies make up 39% of the total export value and provide significant synergies between the aquaculture, pelagic and whitefish sectors.

Article Ivar Gaasland (2023)

En reise fra klassisk til nyere handelsteori

Internasjonal Politikk 81(3) p. 295-323 Doi: https://doi.org/10.23865/intpol.v81.5801

Siden 1970-tallet har det vært en rivende utvikling innenfor handelsteori, motivert av empiriske observasjoner som ikke har passet med den klassiske teorien om komparative fortrinn. Ved komparative fortrinn drives handelen av forskjeller mellom land, og det utveksles varer som tilhører ulike næringer. Hva forklarer da den stadig økende handelen med liknende varer (som ølmerker) mellom liknende land (som Sverige og Danmark)? Og hvorfor domineres handelen av relativt få bedrifter, mens de fleste holder seg i hjemmemarkedet? Artikkelen ser nærmere på nyere handelsteori som kan bidra til å forklare slike observasjoner. Handel gjør det lettere å utnytte stordriftsfordeler i produksjon av differensierte varer innenfor en næring. Teorien viser at dette skaper gevinster ved handel som er uavhengig av komparative fortrinn. Et banebrytende trekk ved nyere teori er at produksjon og handel modelleres på bedriftsnivå. Ved å bringe inn forskjeller i produktivitet mellom bedrifter, skapes en ramme for å studere karakteristika ved bedrifter som opererer i internasjonale markeder. Tilgang til handelsdata på transaksjonsnivå – mellom kjøper og selger – har i tillegg åpnet et nytt univers for empiriske studier. I artikkelen gjennomgås og forklares noen viktige bidrag innenfor nyere handelsteori. Trekk ved norsk næringsstruktur drøftes avslutningsvis i lys av nyere handelsteori.

Article Ivar Gaasland, Hans-Martin Straume, Erling Vårdal (2020)

Agglomeration and trade performance – evidence from the Norwegian salmon aquaculture industry

Aquaculture Economics & Management 24(2) p. 181-193 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13657305.2019.1708995

Geographical concentration of industries tends to be important for firms that depend on innovation and are intensive in the use of specialized technology and labor. In this paper, we investigate the interaction between agglomeration and trade performance in the Norwegian aquaculture industry. We include a variable for regional clustering in a standard gravity model and estimate its impact on different margins of trade. When controlling for destination country, we find that firms that operate in clusters obtain higher export prices and ship more frequently and in smaller bulks. For a highly perishable product like fresh salmon, this may suggest that firms in clusters are served by more efficient supply chains bringing the product to market with timely and efficient logistics.

Article Hans-Martin Straume, James L. Anderson, Frank Asche, Ivar Gaasland (2020)

Delivering the goods: The determinants of Norwegian seafood exports

Marine Resource Economics 35(1) p. 83-96 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/707067

Seafood is the world’s most traded food product. In recent years, aquaculture has become an increasingly important part of seafood production, facilitating increased trade. However, despite evidence that fish farmers have better ability to target markets and ship their seafood through more efficient supply chains (due to the higher degree of control with the production process), little attention has been given to the fact that this is likely to influence trade patterns as well. This article investigates if trade margins for aquaculture products differ from trade in wild seafood products along three margins of trade, in addition to total export value on export data for Norway, the world’s second largest seafood exporting country. The results indicate aquaculture products are different. In particular, aquaculture products are influenced by more factors than fisheries products (such as transportation costs and per-unit shipment costs), highlighting another dimension where the control of the production process can be used to improve competitiveness. Moreover, exports of aquaculture products increase with a country’s wealth level, reflecting producers’ ability to target higher paying markets.

Chapter Ivar Gaasland (2020)

Verdikjeden for mat - importbeskyttelse eller konkurranse?

Mot bedre vitende i norsk matsektor p. 158-192 Doi: https://doi.org/10.23865/noasp.93

Article Frank Asche, Ivar Gaasland, Hans-Martin Straume, Erling Vårdal (2019)

Norwegian export of farmed salmon − trade costs and market concentration

Applied Economics Letters 27(2) p. 145-149 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2019.1610702

While variation in unit value most commonly has been associated with quality in the trade literature, observed differences in prices between markets might also be explained by variation in market concentration and the degree of competition. Using transaction data on Norwegian exports of salmon, we introduce a Herfindahl index as a measure of competition in a standard gravity model. We find that competition typically is weaker in small and distant markets that due to high trade costs are served by relatively few firms. We argue that the anti-competitive impact of trade costs may explain price differentiation between markets even for homogeneous products.

Article David Blandford, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2018)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, and Food Supply under the Paris Climate Agreement—Policy Choice in Norway

Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 41(2) p. 249-264 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/aepp/ppy011

Article Frank Asche, Andreea-Laura Cojocaru, Ivar Gaasland, Hans-Martin Straume (2018)

Cod stories: Trade dynamics and duration for Norwegian cod exports

Journal of Commodity Markets 12 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomm.2017.12.002

In recent years, trade dynamics have been receiving increased attention, and the general literature indicates that commodities are different. In this paper, the duration of trade relationships for Norwegian export firms to various markets is investigated for six product forms of one commodity, cod. The results indicate that the duration of most trade relationships is very short, and shorter than what is normally reported in the literature. Still, the substantial variation in duration by product form and factors influencing it, indicates heterogeneous dynamics for each supply chain even for slight differences in the characteristics of a commodity. Moreover, the short duration of trade relationships in the supply chains for Norwegian cod indicates that they remain very traditional food supply chains, with few attempts at reducing transaction costs through vertical coordination or relationships.

Article Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2017)

Matforsyning og klimapolitikk

Samfunnsøkonomen p. 39-47

Bøndene hevder at jordbruket må skjermes mot klimatiltak som rammer norsk matforsyning,målt ved selvforsyningsgraden. Ved å endre sammensetningen av jordbruksstøtten i favør av matvarer som forurenser lite i forhold til næringsinnhold, viser vi at klimagassutslippene fra norsk jordbruk kan kuttes mye, eksemplifisert ved 40%, uten at elvforsyningsgraden svekkes og samtidig som budsjettutgiftene kan reduseres kraftig. Politikkendringen vil i tillegg bringe kostholdet mer i retning av de offisielle kostrådene til Helsedirektoratet, som anbefaler at vi spiser mindre rødt kjøtt og mer planteprodukter og fisk. Resultatene gir støtte til synspunkter i grønn skattekommisjon om at klimautfordringene også må reflekteres i jordbrukspolitikken.

Article David Blandford, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2015)

Greenhouse gas abatement in agriculture - Is there a conflict with food security?

EuroChoices 14(1) p. 35-41 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-692X.12080

Article David Blandford, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2015)

Trade liberalization versus climate change policy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture: Some insights from Norway

Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 37(3) p. 418-436 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/aepp/ppu038

Chapter Ivar Gaasland (2015)

Fisk og jordbruk - hvem definerer Norges interesser?

Interessekonflikter i norsk handelspolitikk / Arne Melchior og Ulf Sverdrup (redaktører) p. 35-58

Article David Blandford, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2015)

Greenhouse gas abatement in Norwegian agriculture: costs or benefits?

EuroChoices 14(2) p. 34-40 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-692X.12089

Article David Blandford, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2014)

The trade-off between food production and greenhouse gas mitigation in Norwegian agriculture

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 184 p. 59-66 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2013.11.025

Article Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal, David Blandford (2013)

Extensification versus Intensification in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Agriculture: Insights from Norway

EuroChoices 12(3) p. 4-9 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1746-692x.12033

Chapter Rolf Jens Brunstad, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2012)

Anderledeslandet

Hvordan ser verden ud? 73 bidrag om økonomi, institutioner og værdier. Professor Niels Kærgård 70 år p. 60-70

Article Ivar Gaasland (2012)

Oljesmurt jordbruk

Samfunnsøkonomen

Book review Ivar Gaasland (2011)

The Political Economy of Agricultural Price Distortions

World Trade Review 10(3) p. 417-421 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474745611000243

Article David Blandford, Rolf Jens Brunstad, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2011)

Optimal agricultural policy and PSE measurement: an asessment and application to Norway

Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development 6(2) p. 195-217 Doi: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1550642

Chapter Ivar Gaasland, Roberto J. Garcia, Erling Vårdal (2011)

Norway

WTO Disciplines on Agricultural Support: Seeking a Fair Basis for Trade p. 189-220

Article David Blandford, Ivar Gaasland, Roberto Garcia, Erling Vårdal (2010)

How effective are WTO disciplines on domestic support and market access for agriculture?

The World Economy 33(11) p. 1470-1485 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9701.2010.01298.x

A new round of trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) was launched in 2001. One of the major aims of the Doha Development Round is to reduce agricultural protection and impose greater discipline on domestic agricultural subsidies, particularly those that are most trade distorting. In this article, we examine whether the proposed WTO modalities for agriculture will actually achieve this aim in the case of Norway. Norwegian agriculture, which accounts for less than one per cent of GDP and three per cent of domestic employment, is among the most heavily protected in the world (NILF, 2007). The OECD's producer support estimate for Norway was 62 per cent in 2008, the highest among the Organization's member countries (OECD, 2009). Norway has a complex system of farm subsidies involving deficiency payments, structural income support, acreage and headage payments, and a range of indirect supports. The system is buttressed by substantial import protection, which limits market access. Consequently, the extent to which Norway will have to change its agricultural support policies in response to new WTO disciplines provides an important indicator of how successful theese are likely to be.

Article Erling Vårdal, David Blandford, Rolf Jens Brunstad, Ivar Gaasland (2010)

Optimal agricultural policy and PSE measurement: an assessment and application to Norway

Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development 6(2) p. 197-220

Article Ivar Gaasland (2009)

Agriculture versus fish - Norway in WTO

Food Policy 34(4) p. 393-397 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2009.02.005

Article Sjur Didrik Flåm, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2009)

On deregulating food prices

Computational Economics 34(3) p. 309-322 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10614-009-9175-5

Chapter Rolf Jens Brunstad, Ivar Gaasland, Erling Vårdal (2008)

Optimal provision of public goods: implications for support to agriculture

Multifunctionality in agriculture. Evaluating the degree of jointness, policy implications p. 171-181

Chapter Erling Vårdal, Ivar Gaasland (2007)

Vestlandsbonden som produsent av fellesgoder

Våronn med nye muligheter Ressurs- og opplevelsesbasert verdiskaping på vestlandsbygdene p. 314-330

Article Rolf Jens Brunstad, Ivar Gaasland (2006)