Sample%20exam%20paper

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Sample exam paper

• Economics of Food Markets
• Alan Matthews

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Caveats

• This is intended as an illustration of how the
  exam paper will look THESE ARE NOT THE ACTUAL
  EXAM QUESTIONS
• The questions asked do not necessarily take time
  into account, but are intended to give you a
  flavour of the topics you might be asked to
  address
• It is clearly not comprehensive the course
  dealt with other issues as well
• Questions can draw on material across a ragne of
  topics
• The questions are multi-part you should allocate
  time according to the proportion of marks
  allocated to each question.

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Example exam question- Ag policy objectives

• (a) Explain the farm problem with the aid of a
  diagram. 8 marks
• (b) Are average farm incomes in Ireland lower
  than non-farm incomes? Critically discuss the
  measurement issues in making this comparison 8
  marks
• (c) Under what circumstances might
  multifunctionality justify support specifically
  to agricultural production. 9 marks

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Example exam question- EU agricultural policy

• (a) Is the Single Farm Payment truly a decoupled
  payment? 8 marks
• (b) What will be the likely effects on Irish
  agriculture of the decoupling of direct payments?
  8 marks
• (c) Will budget constraints force a review of the
  CAP before the end of the next Financial
  Perspective? 9 marks

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Example exam question- price support policies

• (a) Compare the welfare effects of supporting
  farm incomes through (i) an import tariff (ii) an
  import quota (iii) an input subsidy, assuming a
  small open economy 10 marks
• (b) How are the welfare effects changed if the
  country is assumed to be large in world market
  terms? 8 marks
• (c) Show how you would calculate the transfer
  efficiency of support for each of these three
  cases. 7 marks

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Example exam question - world market effects of
ag policies

• (a) Show how the world market price is determined
  in a model with two exporters and one importing
  region. Show the impact on the world market price
  if one of the exporters introduces an export
  subsidy. 10 marks
• (b) Discuss the impact of OECD country
  agricultural policy reform on developing
  countries 15 marks

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Example exam question- WTO negotiations

• (a) Would you deem the Uruguay Round Agreement on
  Agriculture a success? 8 marks
• (b) Identify the key negotiating issues in the
  Doha Round of agricultural trade negotiations
  under the three pillars of market access,
  domestic support and export competition 9 marks
• (c) What are the main elements of special and
  differential treatment sought by developing
  countries in the Doha Round negotiations 8 marks

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Example exam question- agriculture and
environment

• (a) Critically evaluate the state of European
  agri-environment policy 12 marks
• (b) Discuss the policy options available to
  control non-point sources of pollution such as
  characterise agricultures impact on water
  quality 13 marks

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Example exam question- market power in the food
chain

• (a) What in your view are the main structural
  changes at work in the food chain? 8 marks
• (b) How can market power in the food chain be
  measured? 8 marks
• (c) Critically discuss ways in which market power
  in the food chain might be controlled? 9 marks

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Example exam question- food safety

• (a) Discuss what is meant by efficiency in food
  regulation. 10 marks
• (b) Does the SPS Agreement allow governments
  adequate scope to protect their consumers from
  food safety threats from third countries? 15
  marks

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Example exam paper- computational question

• Question will ask you how to calibrate, solve and
  simulate a simple algebraic market model
• Given elasticities, be able to calibrate
• Be able to sum excess supply and demand curves
• Be able to calculate equilibrium price and
  quantities
• Be able to shock the model with a policy change
• Be able to compute the changes in producer,
  consumer and taxpayer welfare.