Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Allen M. Featherstone / Understanding determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Agricultural Foreign Direct Investment (AGFDI) is vital to policy makers in developing countries. FDI is a source of capital for the host country that does not affect its debt balance. Even so, technological spillover, better infrastructure as well as an increase in value added and market access have been the source of motivation to increase efforts to attract FDI. As for AGFDI, ongoing uncertainty with the financial markets created a shift in private investment towards tangible assets, which favors AGFDI to developing countries. Nevertheless, investment in agriculture suffers from low commodity prices and increasing productivity loss that discourage FDI and AGFDI. Therefore, it is crucial for policy makers to understand the determinants of AGFDI to create an attractive environment for potential investors. We use country level panel data to estimate the impacts of country-level economic and social variables on FDI and AGFDI. The data consist of 22 developing countries. A subsample of 13 Latin American countries is also studied. Country and year fixed effects are used to isolate the impacts of the explanatory variables on FDI and AGFDI. The explanatory variables wer constructed to avoid contemporaneous endogeneity. FDI determinants are consistent with previous studies and confirm traditional variables such as economy size, infrastructure and trade openness encourage FDI. A new variable that measures energy imports as a share of total energy use was negative for both main samples of FDI. The results of the Latin American panel for AGFDI, were mostly consistent with FDI determinants. Infrastructure, energy imports and economy size, as well as forestland share and agricultural value-add were statistically significant for the amount of investment inflow and total flow respectively. Further analysis with larger samples is necessary to confirm findings. Also, social and environmental impacts of AGFDI should be included in future studies.

Tyrimo problema – makroekonominiu požiūriu besivystančių šalių atsilikimas daugelyje sričių. Kaip šias šalis integruoti į pasaulinę prekybos sistemą? Tyrimo objektas – besivystan��ių šalių žemės ūkio ir maisto produktų eksportas ir jo skatinimo politika. Tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti Pasaulio Prekybos Organizacijos įtaką besivystančių šalių žemės ūkio produktų ir maisto produktų eksportui. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) išnagrinėti žemės ūkio ir maisto produktų eksporto politikos teorinius aspektus, įvertinant klasikines užsienio prekybos formas; 2) apžvelgti Pasaulio prekybos organizacijos funkcijas, principus, struktūrą, raidos ypatumus; 3) įvertinti PPO derybų raundų žemės ūkio politikos klausimais naudą besivystančioms šalims; 4) išnagrinėti ES politikos įtaką Nikaragvos ir Moldovos šalių žemės ūkio ir maisto produktų eksportui; 5) išanalizuoti besivystančių šalių, Nikaragvos ir Moldovos, žemės ūkio ir maisto produktų eksportą. Tyrimų metodika. Tiriant PPO įtaką besivystančių šalių žemės ūkio ir maisto produktų eksportui ir jo skatinimo politikai atskirais metais, prognozuojant šių šalių vystymosi perspektyvas bei formuluojant darbo išvadas buvo remiamasi loginiu, mokslinės literatūros analizės, aprašomuoju, lyginimo, duomenų analizės, istoriniu, laiko eilučių analizės, grafinio duomenų vaizdavimo metodais. / The problem of the analysis – developing countries in terms of macroeconomic indicators are lagging behind many areas. How to integrate them into the world trade system? The object of the analysis - the export of the agricultural and food products of the developing countries The aim of the analysis - WTO's influence on the agricultural and food products of the developing countries The tasks: 1) to analyse theoretical aspects of agricultural and food products policy, evaluating the forms of foreign classical trade; 2) to review WTO's functions, background, structure and key issues of its development; 3) to evaluate the benefits of WTO negotiations on the agricultural policy issues for developing countries; 4) to analyse the influence of the EU on the export of agricultural and food products from Nicaragua and Moldova; 5) to analyse the export of agricultural and food products from developing countries cases of Nicaragua and Moldova. The methods for the analysis. While investigating the influence of WTO to the export of agricultural and food products of developing countries, making assumptions for the future and formulating the outcomes of the work the logical, literature scientific analysis, descriptive, comparative, data analysis, historical, time series analysis and presentation of graphical data methods were used.

The Objective of the Thesis is the profitability analysis of an agricultural company farming in region of Polabi in sugar beet growing area. The Thesis includes cost analysis, price realization and profitability of key agricultural products. The essential part of the Theses represents the Assessment of main factors affecting plant{\crq}s rentability. Analysis was carried out in period of years 2003 - 2007.