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PRODID:-//AMSE//Event Calendar//FR
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UID:event-9337@amse-aixmarseille.fr
DTSTAMP:20260417T075847Z
CREATED:20260417T075847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T075847Z
STATUS:CONFIRMED
SEQUENCE:0
SUMMARY:Development and political economy seminar - Lauren Bergquist
DTSTART:20230526T100000Z
DTEND:20230526T111500Z
DESCRIPTION:Search costs may be a barrier to market integration in developi
 ng countries\, harming both producers and consumers. We present evidence fr
 om the large-scale experimental rollout of a mobile phone-based marketplace
  intended to reduce buyer-seller search and matching costs for agricultural
  commodities in Uganda. We find that market integration improves substantia
 lly: trade increases and price dispersion falls. This reflects price conver
 gence across relative surplus and deficit markets\, with no change in avera
 ge prices. Interpreting our experimental variation through the lens of a tr
 ade model\, we correct our reduced form estimates to account for equilibriu
 m effects on control markets via trade connections\, as well as simulating 
 the impact that the intervention would have had if it were universally impl
 emented. Our results suggest that the intervention reduced fixed trade cost
 s by 10% and increased overall welfare in the study area by 1%. Contrary to
  the stated goals of the marketplace\, but consistent with the existence of
  economies of scale in search or other trade costs\, almost all activity on
  the platform is among larger traders\, with very little use by smallholder
  farmers. Nevertheless\, the benefits of improved arbitrage by traders appe
 ars to pass through to farmers in the form of higher revenues in surplus ma
 rkets\, as trader entry increases and measured trader profits decrease in r
 esponse to falling search costs.\\n\\nContact: Timothée Demont: timothee.
 demont[at]univ-amu.frLorenzo Rotunno: lorenzo.rotunno[at]univ-amu.fr\n\nPlu
 s d'informations: https://amse-aixmarseille.fr/en/events/lauren-bergquist-0
LOCATION:MEGA - Salle Carine Nourry\, 424\, Chemin du Viaduc\, 13080 Aix-en
 -Provence
URL;VALUE=URI:https://amse-aixmarseille.fr/en/events/lauren-bergquist-0
CONTACT:Timothée Demont:&nbsp\;timothee.demont[at]univ-amu.frLorenzo Rotun
 no: lorenzo.rotunno[at]univ-amu.fr
TRANSP:OPAQUE
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