Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Value Chain Performance in Albania: Information System Implementation
Keywords:
Medicinal and aromatic plants, performance, limited rationality, systematic method, information systemAbstract
The medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) represent a very important sector for the Albanian economy. According the COMTRADE 2018 statistics, this sector exports rank the country at the 16-th position in the World, indicating that Albania has a very big economical potential in this area (Hoxha, 2016, Naka et al., 2003). Despite this potential, the last 20 years records show that these exports have remained almost constant. The lack of information about the value chain, indicating the asymmetric information is the main reasons of this performance (USAID, 2010, Lekocaj et al, 2017). Therefore, conclusion emerges that there is a limited rationality between the economic agents who work and study in this sector. This study object is to identify the information sources and to fabricate all the channels where this information goes through. To achieve our objectives, we are using systemic approach. At the national level, we have chosen 3 municipalities, while for the information level regarding this sector’s actors we have chosen 12 exporting companies, the most important ones in Albania. The results show that the sector information system has methodological problems on their identification and a lack of a central database, which can be updated at any moment with new information in time and space from all the value chain actors.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
Hoxha, V. (2016), “Chapter La dynamique des plantes aromatiques et médicinales en Albanie”, in lbert H., Hoxha V., Sahi L., Courivaud A., Chailan C. (Eds.), Le marché des plantes aromatiques et médicinales: analyse des tendances du marché mondial et des stratégies économiques en Albanie et en Algérie, Montpellier: CIHEAM/FranceAgriMer, Options Méditerranéennes: Série B, Etudes et Recherches 73; 2016: pp. 45-98.
Ilbert, H., Hoxha, V. (2016), “Chapter Marché mondial des plantes : analyse des échanges et de la position de l’Albanie et de l’Algérie”, in Ilbert H., Hoxha V., Sahi L., Courivaud A., Chailan C. (Eds.), Le marché des plantes aromatiques et médicinales: analyse des tendances du marché mondial et des stratégies économiques en Albanie et en Algérie, Montpellier: CIHEAM/FranceAgriMer, Options Méditerranéennes: Série B, Etudes et Recherches 73; 2016: pp.17-40.
Kaplinsky, R., Morris, M. (2001), “A Handbook for Value Chain Research”, Prepared for the International Developent Research Centre (IDRC), Sustainability, UNEP and UN Global Compact, pp. 4-6.
Lekocaj, J., Hoxha, V., Lekaj, P. (2017), The performance and the transparency of MAPs market sector in Albania. The actors’ limited rationality identification based on the value chain analysis. The forth International Conference: The problems and the challenges of the Albanian society transformation toward the EU standards, 2017.
Lekocaj, J., Hoxha, V. (2018), “The information asymmetry versus the actors’ limited rationality. MAP value chain evidence and perspective in Albania”, Albanian Journal of Agriculture Sciences (AJAS) 2018, in review process.
Llubani, F. (1988), Study about the MAPs inventory. TIrane: [The station of forests, plants’ culture and essential oil], Document in Albanian.
Naka, K., Musabelliu, B. (2003), Social and Economic Relevance of NTFPs in Albania. Albanian National Forest Inventory (ANFI) Special Study, USAID project.
Paul, B. V., (2014), Assessing the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Albania Value chain analysis, Centre for International Development, Harvard University.
Rothschild, M., Stiglitz, J. (1970), “Increasing risk: I. a definition”, Journal of Economic Theory, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 225-243.
USAID (2010), Albania medicinal and aromatic plants: value chain assessment. Albanian agriculture competitiveness (AAC) programme, Washington: USAID.
