Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0199693803 ISBN 13: 9780199693801

Casa editrice: Oxford University Press, 2011

Beer has been consumed across the globe for centuries and was the drink of choice in many ancient societies. Today it is the most important alcoholic drink worldwide, in terms of volume and value. The largest brewing companies have developed into global multinationals, and the beer market has enjoyed strong growth in emerging economies, but there has been a substantial decline of beer consumption in traditional markets and a shift to new products. There is close interaction between governments and markets in the beer industry. For centuries, taxes on beer or its raw materials have been a major source of tax revenue and governments have regulated the beer industry for reasons related to quality, health, and competition.

This book is the first economic analysis of the beer market and brewing industry. The introduction provides an economic history of beer, from monasteries in the early Middle Ages to the recent 'microbrewery movement', whilst other chapters consider whether people drink more beer during recessions, the effect of television on local breweries, and what makes a country a 'beer drinking' nation. It comprises a comprehensive and unique set of economic research and analysis on the economics of beer and brewing and covers economic history and development, supply and demand, trade and investment, geography and scale economies, technology and innovation, health and nutrition, quantity and quality, industrial organization and competition, taxation and regulation, and regional beer market developments.

Review:

Take a Look Inside the Economics of Beer [Click on Graphs to Enlarge]

Market Shares of Super-Premium, Craft, and Imported Beer, U.S., 1970-2009

Market Share of Leading Brewers in Selected Countries, 2006

Beer Exports and Imports in the U.S., 1990-2009

Barley World Market Price, 1980-2009

Per Capita Beer Consumption by Country, 2004

About the Author:

Johan Swinnen is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels, where he directs the programme on EU agricultural and food policy. He was previously Lead Economist at the World Bank and Economic Advisor at the European Commission. He consults for the OECD, FAO, EBRD, UNDP, IFAD, and several Governments and was coordinator of international research networks on food policy, institutional reforms, and economic development. He is President-Elect of the International Association of Agricultural Economists and a Fellow of the European Association of Agricultural Economists. He holds a PhD from Cornell University. He has published widely on political economy, institutional reform, trade, and agricultural and food policy. His latest books are Political Power and Economic Policy (Cambridge UP), Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in the Transition Economies of Europe and Central Asia (World Bank Publications), and From Marx and Mao to the Market (OUP and Beijing UP)