Abstract
A growing body of empirical research has examined price dynamics along the food supply chain, yet findings remain heterogeneous and often conflicting. This study conducts a meta‐analysis of 140 studies, totaling 652 observations, to examine (1) the reported presence of asymmetric price transmission and (2) the reported direction of price causality across the supply chain. Using semi‐nonparametric maximum likelihood and multinomial logit models, we find that methodological choices and structural market conditions jointly shape reported outcomes. For asymmetric price transmission, studies employing nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag‐based long‐run multiplier tests are significantly more likely to detect asymmetry, dairy markets consistently exhibit higher asymmetric price transmission, and stricter overall retail trade regulations are associated with lower reported asymmetry. For price causality, upstream‐to‐downstream transmission remains the most commonly reported pattern, but studies using error‐correction‐based identification methods are systematically more likely to report downstream‐to‐upstream causality than those using Granger‐type tests. These findings highlight the context‐specific nature of price dynamics, cautioning against one‐size‐fits‐all policy recommendations and underscoring the importance of tailoring interventions to specific market and institutional conditions.