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on Agricultural Economics |
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Issue of 2007‒04‒28
nine papers chosen by |
| By: | Vassilis Lychnaras; Uwe A. Schneider (Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural University of Athens) |
| Abstract: | Energy from the biomass of perennial crops can offset emissions of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion and increase energy self sufficiency. This study uses a dynamic, multi-farm, mathematical programming model to analyze the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy reform in 2003 on biomass supply from the Kopais plain in central Greece. The perennial energy crops under review are Arundo donax L. (Giant Reed), Miscanthus x giganteus (Miscanthus), Panicum virgatum L. (Switchgrass) and Cynara cardunculus L. (Cardoon). Farm survey results from 40 farms are processed with the Biomass Economic Evaluation model to obtain micro-economic data for both conventional and energy crops. Policy simulations with the multi-farm model show that the 2003 policy reform with decoupled subsidies except for cotton and energy crops lowers the cost of biomass between 2 and 4 Euro per ton. Switchgrass appears to be the most attractive option, followed by Cardoon and Miscanthus. Arundo is never preferred. Relative to the previous agricultural policy setting of Agenda 2000, the biomass potential increases more for smaller farms and farms with a higher share of cotton, vegetables, or trees. |
| Keywords: | Energy crops, Common Agricultural Policy, Climate mitigation Economics, Arundo, Miscanthus, Switchgrass, Cardoon, Mathematical programming, Dynamic cost minimization, Bioenergy potential, Biomass supply curve, Kopaida, Greece |
| JEL: | Q12 Q18 Q28 Q42 Q58 |
| Date: | 2007–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sgc:wpaper:132&r=agr |
| By: | Zevenbergen, Jaap; Holden, Stein; Ali, Daniel Ayalew; Deininger, Klaus |
| Abstract: | Although many African countries have recently adopted highly innovative and pro-poor land laws, lack of implementation thwarts their potentially far-reaching impact on productivity, poverty reduction, and governance. The authors use a representative household survey from Ethiopia where, over a short period, certificates to more than 20 million plots were issued to describe the certification process, explore its incidence and preliminary impact, and quantify the costs. While this provides many suggestions to ensure sustainability and enhance impact, Ethiopia ' s highly cost-effective first-time registration process provides important lessons. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Knowledge & Information Systems,Rural Development Knowledge & Information Systems,Common Property Resource Development,Land Use and Policies,Municipal Housing and Land |
| Date: | 2007–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4218&r=agr |
| By: | Edwin van der Werf; Sonja Peterson |
| Abstract: | Agriculture and forestry play an important role in emitting and storing greenhouse gases. For an efficient and cost-effective climate policy it is therefore important to explicitly include land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) in economy-climate models. This paper gives an overview and assessment of existing approaches to include land use, land-use change, and forestry into climate-economy models or to link economy-climate models to land-use models. |
| Keywords: | climate change, climate policy, modeling, land use |
| JEL: | Q23 Q24 Q25 Q42 |
| Date: | 2007–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kie:kieliw:1323&r=agr |
| By: | Tom Kompas, Tuong Nhu Che, Pham Van Ha |
| Abstract: | Surveillance programs on farms and in the local environment provide an essential protection against the importation and spread of exotic diseases. Combined with border quarantine measures, these programs protect both consumers and producers from major health concerns and disease incursions that can potentially destroy local agricultural production and supporting industries, as well as generate substantial losses in trade and tourism. However, surveillance programs also impose costs in the form of expenditures on the surveillance program itself, along with the costs of disease management and eradication should an incursion occur. Taking border quarantine expenditures as given, this paper develops a stochastic optimal control model (with a jumpdiffusion process) to determine the optimal level of surveillance activity against a disease incursion by minimizing the present value of the major direct and indirect costs of the disease, as well as the cost of the surveillance and disease management and eradication programs. The model is applied to the case of a potential entry and spread of FootandMouth Disease in the United States. Results show that current surveillance expenditures are far less than optimal. |
| JEL: | Q1 Q17 Q18 |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idc:wpaper:idec06-11&r=agr |
| By: | Bundervoet, Tom; Verwimp, Philip; Akresh, Richard |
| Abstract: | Economic shocks at birth have lasting effects on children ' s health several years after the shock. The authors calculate height for age z-scores for children under age five using data from a Rwandan nationally representative household survey conducted in 1992. They exploit district and time variation in crop failure and civil conflict to measure the impact of exogenous shocks that children experience at birth on their height several years later. They find that boys and girls born after the shock in regions experiencing civil conflict are both negatively affected with height for age z-scores 0.30 and 0.72 standard deviations lower, respectively. Conversely, only girls are negat ively affected by crop failure, with these girls exhibiting 0.41 standard deviation lower height for age z-scores and the impact is worse for girls in poor households. Results are robust to using sibling difference estimators, household level production, and rainfall shocks as alternative measures of crop failure. |
| Keywords: | Youth and Governance,Population Policies,Rural Poverty Reduction,Children and Youth,Adolescent Health |
| Date: | 2007–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4208&r=agr |
| By: | David Tschirley (Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University); John Staatz (Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University); Cynthia Donovan (Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University) |
| Abstract: | When an emergency occurs, agencies must make quick decisions on how to help people facing severe food insecurity. This paper addresses the challenges of designing appropriate responses that are linked to identified needs of affected households and individuals. The primary goal of any response is to save lives now and protect the food security of households and individuals now and in the future. However, instrumental goals and the specific means of achieving them are varied, and must be responsive to the setting in which the emergency occurs. The paper conceives the costs and benefits of a response as the product of how efficiently a resource is delivered (resource transfer efficiency) and the effectiveness of the resource and its mode of delivery in achieving the objectives of the response (resource use efficiency). Those designing emergency response operations need to focus on the combination of these efficiencies,not just on one of them. |
| Keywords: | Africa, food security, food policy, food aid, emergency response |
| JEL: | Q18 |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:msu:idpwrk:092&r=agr |
| By: | Swenson, David A. |
| Abstract: | There are several associations and groups producing estimates of job and other economic impacts attributable to biofuels production. This report deconstructs recent robust claims of job gains by biofuels advocates in the state of Iowa and concludes that the actual increase in employment in Iowa is much more modest. |
| JEL: | B4 |
| Date: | 2007–04–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:isu:genres:12790&r=agr |
| By: | Ray Trewin |
| Abstract: | Often sensitive industries such as those dependent on agricultural resources are left out of FTAs. On the other hand, FTAs can bring in specific nonWTO aspects like competition policy to facilitate trade. In this paper, the development of the AANZFTA is analysed within a framework characterising “good” FTAs, and in terms what it may deliver with respect to resourcebased industries. Past FTAs involving partner countries, changes over time, interviews with and submissions from relevant parties are analysed. The analysis suggests that a comprehensive AANZFTA will be a more difficult agreement to develop to a successful fruition than have bilateral agreements between the parties. Key words: Free Trade Agreements; sensitive sectors; rules of origin |
| Date: | 2007 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idc:wpaper:idec07-03&r=agr |
| By: | James Wagstaff (Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst) |
| Abstract: | As evidenced by the recent release of a comprehensive Institute of Medicine report on seafood consumption and by the passage of the 2002 Farm Bill, it is clear that there is growing concern about the health benefits and risks of fish consumption. This research project was designed to analyze the seafood market in Amherst, Massachusetts, and, specifically, to explore the effectiveness of seafood product labeling provided by the largest retailers in the area. Studying the availability of seafood and the associated labeling practices reveals how the Amherst market meets the needs of different consumers. While each venue generally adheres to the regulatory requirements of seafood labeling, this research includes recommendations as to how the market might benefit from improved labeling and consumer information. |
| Keywords: | seafood, country of origin labeling, retail availability |
| JEL: | D12 L15 Q18 |
| Date: | 2007–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dre:wpaper:2007-5&r=agr |