SURVIVAL AND OWNERSHIP OF INTERNET MARKETPLACES FOR AGRICULTURE

This research develops a theory of how market structure and belief formation drive survival and ownership of marketplaces. This paper explains the process for deriving theoretical predictions about these phenomena and suggests how comparison of theoretical predictions with actual outcomes in the context of agricultural Internet marketplaces provides an empirical test. By providing a sound understanding of the driving forces behind Internet marketplace ownership, a factual basis is introduced relative to concerns about concentration of the ownership of Internet marketplaces in the hands of buyers or sellers in agricultural markets