Spencer Henson
- Office
- Room 220
- Phone Number
- ext. 53134
- Name
- Spencer Henson
- Position
- Professor
- Specialization
Economics of Food Safety and Quality; Food and Agricultural Development Issues
- Profile
Spencer Henson is a Full Professor in food economics. Originally from the UK, he moved to the University of Guelph in 2001. He is a member of the International Food Economy Research group (InFERG).
- Research Interests
Research interests focus on the economics of food safety and quality and the economics of agricultural development, with a particular focus on linking smallholders to higher-value markets. Spencer Henson has undertaken research in over 40 countries, although the major geographical focus of his research work currently is Canada and a number of countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Through his research work he has worked with a number of international agencies including the World Bank, OECD, WTO, FAO, WHO, CEPAL and Oxfam International. Current research projects focus on:
1) Effectiveness of interventions aimed at linking smallholders to higher-value markets in sub-Saharan Africa;
2) Effectiveness of SPS-related technical assistance;
3) Regulation of food safety;
4) Consumer acceptance of functional foods and nutraceuticals;
5) Effectiveness of interventions for the management of food safety;
6) Promoting small-scale agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa
- Teaching Interests
Economics of Agricultural Development
Poverty and Hunger
Consumer Food Choice
- Education
BSc (University of Reading), Food Science, Economics and Marketing
PhD (University of Reading), Food Economics
- Select Publications
Recent publications include:
Herath, D., Cranfield, J., Henson, S.J. and Sparling, D. (2008). Firm, Market and Regulatory Factors Influencing Innovation and Commercialization in Canada's Functional Food and Nutraceutical Sector. Agribusiness, 24 (2), 207-230.
Henson, S.J. and Jaffee, S. (2008). Understanding Developing Country Strategic Responses to the Enhancement of Food Safety Standards. The World Economy, 31 (1), 1-15.
Henson, S.J. (2008). The Role of Public and Private Standards in Regulating International Food Markets. Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development, 4 (1), 63-81.
Herath, D., Hassan, Z. and Henson, S.J. (2007). Adoption of Food safety and Quality Controls: Do Firm Characteristics Matter? Evidence from the Canadian Food processing Sector. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 55, 299-314.
Reardon, T., Henson, S.J. and Berdegue, J. (2007). ‘Proactive Fast-Tracking' Diffusion of Supermarkets in Developing Countries: Implications for Market Institutions and Trade. Journal of Economic Geography, 7, 399-431.
Henson, S.J., Masakure, O. and Cranfield, J. (2007). The Propensity for Consumers to Offset Health Risks Through the Use of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: The Case of Lycopene. Food Quality and Preference 19, 395-406.
Martinez, M.G., Fearne, A., Caswell, J.A. and Henson, S.J. (2007). Co-Regulation as a Possible Model for Food Safety Governance: Opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships. Food Policy, 32, 299-314.
Jayasinghe, U. and Henson, S.J. (2007). Identifying Incentives for Canadian red Meat and Poultry Processing Enterprises to Adopt Enhanced Food Safety Controls. Food Control, 18, 1363-1371.
Henson, S.J. and Jaffee, S. (2007). The Costs and Benefits of Compliance with Food Safety Standards for Exports by Developing Countries: The Case of Fish and Fishery Products. In: Swinnen, J.F.M. (ed.). Global Supply Chains, Standards and the Poor: How the Globalisation of Food Systems and Standards Affects Rural Development and Poverty. CABI, Wallingford.
Henson, S.J. and Jaffee, J. (2006). Food Safety Standards and Trade: Enhancing Competitiveness and Avoiding Exclusion of Developing Countries. European Journal of Development Research, 18 (4), 593-621.
Herath, D. and Henson, S.J. (2006). Does Canada Need Mandatory HACCP? Evidence from the Ontario Food Processing Sector. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 54 (4), 439-442.
Jayasinghe, U. and Henson, S.J. (2006). Economic Incentives for Firms to Implement Enhanced Food Safety Controls: Case of the Canadian red Meat and Poultry Processing Sector. Review of Agricultural Economics, 28 (4), 494-514.
Henson, S.J. and Reardon, T. (2005). Private Agri-Food Standards: Implications for Food Policy and the Agri-Food System. Food Policy, 30, 241-253
Jaffe, S. and Henson, S.J. (2005). Agro-Food Exports from Developing Countries: The Challenges Posed by Standards. In: Aksoy, M.A. and Beghin, J.C. (eds.). Global Agricultural Trade and Developing Countries. Oxford University Press, Oxford.