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on Agricultural Economics |
|
Issue of 2008‒10‒21
fifty-four papers chosen by |
| By: | Kantelhardt, Jochen; Eckstein, Karin |
| Abstract: | Agricultural land use does not only concern farmers, but also has a large number of social and environmental effects. Consequently, it is to be assumed that farmers have to use financial resources as well as labour in order to provide these services. Using the nonparametric method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), we calculated the economic as well as the ecological efficiencies of farms and examined whether farms are able to succeed in combining ecological and economic efficiency. In addition to this analysis, we studied the driving factors of the respective efficiencies. The study was carried out in four typical production regions in Bavaria which vary in their proportions of grassland as well as their yield potential; thus, the study regions reflect a gradient of agricultural land use which is typical for Southern Germany. In all regions, a farm survey was conducted covering a total of 122 farmers. |
| Keywords: | agricultural land use, data envelopment analysis, ecological efficiency, economic efficiency, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7973&r=agr |
| By: | Hewitt, Joanna |
| Abstract: | "This report assesses the impact of IFPRI's work on the agriculture negotiations in the WTO's Doha Round. It is set against the context of IFPRI's mission which emphasizes food security and the interests of poor people in low-income countries and underlines the importance of active engagement in policy communications to link research work to policy action. The report also traces briefly the evolution of IFPRI's work on international agricultural trade more generally, noting its broad disposition to market-oriented policy prescriptions while illuminating the very different impacts of agricultural trade liberalization on individual developing countries through detailed research at the national and household level." from Author's Abstract |
| Keywords: | Impact assessment, WTO, Doha Development Agenda, International trade, Agricultural trade liberalization, Developing countries, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:impass:28&r=agr |
| By: | Apfelbeck, Josef; Huigen, Marco; Krimly, Tatjana |
| Abstract: | Many scientific publications discussing the effects of climate change on the agricultural system express these in terms of changing crop production at coarse spatial and temporal scales. But in agro-economy, where crop production is the result of the interaction between bio-physical and management components, the temporal drivers operate at much smaller resolutions. Climate change affects the agricultural system via the interrelated, bio-physical layers of air, water, soil and crops. Furthermore, it influences the farm-system manager in their choice of their crops. In our paper the main question is how to deal systematically with the different time extents and time resolutions when studying agricultural management impacts due to climatic change. Agent based modeling offers an elegant way to tackle such challenges, where agents represent simplified farm managers. The agricultural management model is dynamically connected to a regional agro-economic model, a ground water model, a crop growth model and a soil model. Hence, we endogonize climatic change and make its effects a (risk)-factor in the agents considerations along different temporal scales. This paper reports on the fundamental issues regarding use of different temporal modeling scales with several clear practical examples. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7984&r=agr |
| By: | Mogues, Tewodaj; Morris, Michael; Freinkman, Lev; Adubi, Abimbola; Simeon, Ehui; Nwoko, Chinedum; Taiwo, Olufemi; Nege, Caroline; Okonji, Patrick; Chete, Louis |
| Abstract: | "Public spending on agriculture in Nigeria is exceedingly low. Less than 2 percent of total federal expenditure was allotted to agriculture during 2001 to 2005, far lower than spending in other key sectors such as education, health, and water. This spending contrasts dramatically with the sector's importance in the Nigerian economy and the policy emphasis on diversifying away from oil, and falls well below the 10 percent goal set by African leaders in the 2003 Maputo agreement. Nigeria also falls far behind in agricultural expenditure by international standards, even when accounting for the relationship between agricultural expenditures and national income. The spending that is extant is highly concentrated in a few areas. Three out of 179 programs account for more than 81 percent of federal capital spending, of which nearly three-quarters go to government purchase of agricultural inputs and agricultural outputs alone. The analysis finds that many of the Presidential Initiatives—which differ greatly in target crops, technologies, research, seed multiplication, and distribution—have identical budgetary provisions. This pattern suggests that the needs assessment and costing for these initiatives may have been inadequate, and that decisions may have been based on political considerations rather than economic assessment. Budget execution is also poor. The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) best practice standard for budget execution is no more than 3 percent discrepancy between budgeted and actual expenditures. In contrast, during the period covered by the study, the Nigerian federal budget execution averaged only 79 percent, meaning 21 percent of the approved budget was never spent. Budget execution at the state and local levels was even less impressive, ranging from 71 percent to 44 percent. However, other sectors showed similar low levels of budget execution, suggesting that the problem is a general one going beyond agriculture. There is an urgent need to improve internal systems for tracking, recording, and disseminating information about public spending in the agriculture sector. Consolidated and up-to-date expenditure data are not available within the Ministry of Agriculture, not even for its own use. Without this information, authorities cannot undertake empirically-based policy analysis, program planning, and impact assessment. There is also a need for clarification of the roles of the three tiers of government in agricultural services delivery. This is important to reduce overlaps and gaps in agricultural interventions and improve efficiency and effectiveness of public investments and service delivery in the sector. Finally, applied research is needed to address critical knowledge gaps in several areas: (i) Spending on fertilizer programs makes up a sizeable portion of overall agricultural spending in Nigeria, yet very little is known about the impact of this spending. (ii) To date, only a small portion of the national grain storage system has been constructed, but if the entire network is completed as planned, the cost will be enormous. Supporting even the current modest level of grain marketing activities is consuming significant amounts of public resources. Is an investment on this order of magnitude desirable? What has been the impact of these investments? (iii) There is a need for an analytical study focusing on the economics of the National Special Program for Food Security (NSPFS). The total cost of NSPFS II is estimated at US$364 million. Detailed financial information about the NSPFS is not publicly available, however, making it difficult to assess whether the considerable investment in NSPFS I generated attractive returns, and whether NSPFS II merits support as currently designed. A rigorous external evaluation is needed to assess the performance of NPSFS and generate information that could be used to make design adjustments." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Public spending, Expenditure policy, Kaduna, Cross River, Bauchi, Public investment, rural areas, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:789&r=agr |
| By: | von Braun, Joachim |
| Abstract: | "Part of the difficulty in responding to the food crisis is the lack of credible and up-todate data on the impacts of food prices on poor people and on the effects of policy responses. Such information would allow international and national decision makers to use feedback to adjust their responses and achieve maximum effectiveness. Much more investment and sound coordination is needed in this area. So far, national and international responses to the food crisis are mixed in terms of their likely effectiveness. Important steps have been taken with regard to emergency humanitarian assistance and, in some countries, social protection, but more is needed. Some countries and institutions are launching substantial investments in agricultural production, but, again, meeting global demand for food will require even greater investments. And, in the areas of trade and biofuel policies, many of the actions taken are counterproductive and actually put more upward pressure on food prices. It is promising that the issue of global food security is now on the agenda of the Group of Eight countries, but disappointing that at their July 2008 meeting they did not do more to promote social protection, revise biofuel policies, make specific commitments for funds to overcome the food crisis, or delineate the actors and mechanisms that would play roles in strengthening the global governance architecture for food and agriculture. It is crucial that the funds already committed by the G8 countries be released in a timely manner. What will it take to get food crisis responses on the right track? First of all, leadership is needed to coordinate implementation of appropriate responses. This effort could be led by the UN, as a follow up to the Group of Eight + Five countries' activities, and by major groups of developing-country players. At the moment, high and unstable food prices look like they are here to stay for some time—perhaps years. But because no one actually knows what the future holds, it is important that responses to this crisis help build the kind of food and agriculture system that can cope with a variety of possible outcomes, ranging from even higher food and energy prices to a possible short-term glut of low-priced food emerging from the current high-price environment and a world in which demand collapses due to recession. Millions of poor people would benefit from a system that would allow policymakers and others to respond calmly and rationally to eventualities like these instead of lurching from crisis to crisis. Building such a system will require collective action on an international scale. Given the strong links that tie so many countries to each other and to the world market, each country's actions inevitably have implications for others, so areas of common interest must be identified and trade-offs made. Moreover, these changes need to be made now, for the benefit of all people today and in the future." from Text |
| Keywords: | Food prices, Poverty reduction, Globalization, Food security Developing countries, Agricultural systems, trade, Markets, Natural resources, World food situation, Social protection, Science and technology, Nutrition, Capacity strengthening, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:anress:2008essay1&r=agr |
| By: | Aslihan Arslan; J. Edward Taylor |
| Abstract: | Shadow prices guide farmers' resource allocations, but for subsistence farmers growing traditional crops, shadow prices may bear little relationship with market prices. We econometrically estimate shadow prices of maize using data from a nationally representative survey of rural households in Mexico. Shadow prices are significantly higher than the market price for traditional but not improved maize varieties. They are particularly high in the indigenous areas of southern and southeastern Mexico, indicating large de facto incentives to maintain traditional maize there |
| Keywords: | Shadow prices, non-market values, supply response, traditional crops, onfarm, conservation, Mexico |
| JEL: | O12 O13 Q12 Q39 |
| Date: | 2008–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kie:kieliw:1457&r=agr |
| By: | Benin, Samuel; Thurlow, James; Diao, Xinshen; Kalinda, Henrietta; Kalinda, Thomson |
| Abstract: | "Zambia has experienced strong economic performance since 1999. However, agriculture has not performed as well as the rest of the economy, and although the incidence of poverty has declined, it still remains high. The Zambian government, within the framework of the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP), is in the process of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which provides an integrated framework of development priorities aimed at restoring agricultural growth, rural development and food security. This paper analyzes the agricultural growth and investment options that can support the development of a comprehensive rural development component under Zambia's FNDP, in alignment with the principles and objectives of the CAADP, which include the achievement of six percent agricultural growth and allocation of at least ten percent of budgetary resources to the sector. Computable general equilibrium (CGE) model results indicate that it is possible for Zambia to reach the CAADP target of six percent agricultural growth, but this will require additional growth in all crops and sub-sectors. Zambia cannot rely on only maize or higher-value export crops to achieve this growth target; broader-based agricultural growth, including increases in fisheries and livestock, will be important. So, too, is meeting the Maputo declaration of spending at least ten percent of the government's total budget on agriculture. In order to meet the CAADP target, the Government of Zambia must increase its spending on agriculture in real value terms by about 17–27 percent per year between 2006 and 2015, and spend about 8–18 percent of its total expenditure on the sector by 2015. Although agriculture has strong linkages to the rest of the economy and its growth will result in substantial overall growth in the economy and the household incomes of rural and urban populations, achieving the CAADP target of six percent agricultural growth will not be sufficient to meet the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) of halving poverty by 2015. To achieve this more ambitious target, both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors would need an average annual growth rate of around ten percent per year. These growth requirements are substantial, as are the associated resource requirements. Thus, while the MDG1 target appears to be beyond reach for Zambia, achieving the CAADP target should remain a priority, as its more reasonable growth and expenditure scenarios will still substantially reduce the number of poor people living below the poverty line by 2015, and significantly improve the well-being of both rural and urban households." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Poverty, Public investment, GDP, Millennium Development Goals, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:791&r=agr |
| By: | von Braun, Joachim; Díaz-Bonilla, Eugenio |
| Abstract: | The economic impact of globalization, particularly on poverty, and the changes in agri-food markets have received much attention in recent years. However, the intersection of these two trends has been neglected. The present volume fills this gap by focusing on the way globalization of agri-food systems affects the world's poor and its impact on food and nutrition security in developing countries. Rather than offering a single policy prescription or simplistic messages about globalization being 'good' or 'bad', the book acknowledges the complexity of the subject by including a variety of policy and research perspectives. The contributors analyse in details the links between poverty and globalization. They examine the different interactions between the forces influencing and driving globalization—politics and governance; markets, capital investment, and labour; information and innovation; and health, social policies, and conflicts—and elements of the food chain—production, marketing, and consumption. Complementing these analyses are six interspersed essays by leading policy analysts and economists that highlight primary issues in the ongoing debate on the impact of globalization. The insights offered make this volume a valuable resource for researchers and decisionmakers in government, NGOs, and the private sector who wish to shape globalization and the agri-food system to produce pro-poor outcomes. |
| Keywords: | Food supply, Developing countries, Rural poor, Globalization, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:issbrf:52&r=agr |
| By: | Gruère, Guillaume P.; Sengupta, Debdatta |
| Abstract: | "South Africa is the only country in Africa that has both adopted genetically modified (GM) crops and developed a functional biosafety system to manage any risks related to the use of GM products. But it is also one of the only countries that trade both GM and non-GM crops, despite being surrounded by countries banning the use of GM products. In this paper, we analyze the marketing and trade policies for GM products in South Africa that have been successful in the past and critically review recent reforms to these policies. By providing trade volume estimates of potentially GM products, we show that South Africa is effectively a significant exporter and importer of both GM and non-GM products. We then show that although its import approval system has been effective, recent reforms have allowed regulators to use biosafety regulations as an apparent nontariff barrier to trade. On the export side, South Africa has been able to adapt to each specific demand, but potential export risks have gradually entered the decisionmaking process through the inclusion of socioeconomic considerations. On the marketing side, we show that although non-GM maize segregation has been successful so far, it has generated some adjustment costs and could be improved. At the same time, by excluding all current GM products, the GM food labeling regulation in place has not been fully satisfactory and is bound to change; it could be heading toward a strict mandatory system, despite limited public demand. Therefore, there is a clear movement toward more costly and rigid trade and marketing regulations for GM products in South Africa, with local special-interest groups having an increasing influence on decisionmaking. Yet, the past 10 years have demonstrated that South Africa's success in taking advantage of biotechnologies under changing global conditions stems mainly from its adaptation capacity and the flexibility of its system. Based on the analysis presented in this paper, we provide six policy recommendations to improve rather than rigidify market and trade regulations—policies that would allow South Africa to better adapt to global changes, to manage risks rigorously but efficiently, and to take advantage of safe and potentially promising new GM technologies." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Trade regulations, Genetically modified crops, Marketing, trade policies, Genetically modified products, Biosafety, Genetic resources, Science and technology, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:796&r=agr |
| By: | Neeraj Hatekar |
| Abstract: | After the British conquest of the Deccan, the new government was faced with the task of working out a viable land revenue system. Robert Keith Pringle who was a student of Malthus, tried to apply Ricardian theory of rent to several villages. The experiment was by and large a failure. This paper is an attempt to analyse Pringle's experiment and understand the causes of its failure. Mumbai University Econoics Department WP No. 95/3 |
| Keywords: | Deccan, British, Pringle, Malthus, Ricado, Ricardian, villages, rent, |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:920&r=agr |
| By: | Hennessy, Thia; Shrestha, Shailesh |
| Abstract: | In the wake of policy reforms such as the MTR of the CAP and WTO arrangements, many policy analysts are questioning the value of retaining the EU milk quota system in its current form and one policy reform option that has been discussed in advance of the 2008 “Health Check” of the CAP is the international transfer of quota rights between member states. A methodology for simulating a “free market” for milk quota is outlined in this paper with a view to extending the work to other member states to determine which member states would supply and demand milk quota if an international market for quotas was established. The analysis, conducted for Ireland, uses National Farm Survey data from 491 dairy farms to estimate the aggregate demand for and supply of milk quota. A profit maximization model is used to simulate the production decisions of farmers and aggregation techniques are applied to arrive at national and regional demand and supply curves. Two policy scenarios are analysed; one assumes that there is no WTO reform and that the policies agreed under the MTR of the CAP in 2003 continue indefinitely, the second scenario assumes that a WTO agreement is reached and that export subsidies are phased out. The analysis also considers the effect of the Single Farm Payment on the market for milk quota and a sensitivity analysis is conducted on the lifespan of the milk quota. The methodologies developed in this paper, offer policy makers in Ireland a useful tool to analyse the effect of imposing different constraints on the milk quota market, be they regional, volume based or some other measures. The analysis also offer some insight into the capitalisation of policy measures into asset values; this is evident from the substantially lower market equilibrium price for quotas in a scenario where there is no export subsidies relative to a continuation of these policies and also from the effect of re-investment of the Single Farm Payment on quota values. The approach adopted is sufficiently general to be applied to FADN data for the major dairy producing countries in Europe to determine where milk production may move to if there was an international free market for quota rights. |
| Keywords: | Marketing, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7982&r=agr |
| By: | Gulati, Ashok; Fan, Shenggen |
| Abstract: | "During the past two-and-a-half decades, China and India have implemented a series of economic reforms that have led to recent growth rates of 9-11 percent per year in China and 8-9 percent per year in India. The rapid economic growth of the two countries has not only captured the attention of the world but has also set into motion a rethinking of the very paradigm of economic development because, despite similar trends in growth rates, the two countries have taken different reform paths, which have led to different rates of poverty reduction. Thus far, agriculture-led growth in China has reduced poverty much faster than has India's experience of liberalizing and reforming the manufacturing sector. With public investments in rural roads and agricultural research and development (R&D) playing critical roles, China has been able to not only feed its population but also raise rural incomes despite having much smaller average landholding size than in India. Nonetheless, there are also lessons to be learned from India's experience. This brief is based on a book, The Dragon and the Elephant: Agricultural and Rural Reforms in China and India (published for IFPRI by Johns Hopkins University Press and, in South Asia, by Oxford University Press-India), which compares the rural development and agricultural reform experiences of China and India and examines the lessons that can be learned from both." from Text |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:issbrf:49&r=agr |
| By: | Patrick Webb |
| Keywords: | famine, agriculture, food policy |
| JEL: | O13 Q18 I31 N5 |
| Date: | 2008–05–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fsn:wpaper:38&r=agr |
| By: | Michiels, An; Koo, Bonwoo |
| Abstract: | "Plant transformation research has achieved outstanding progress in the development of transgenic crops over the past decades, and the research results have been spread through journal publications and patents. With the recent emergence of stronger intellectual property rights, investments in crop research and the landscape of plant transformation research have changed, along with the patterns of knowledge dissemination. In this paper, we discuss the recent trends in plant transformation research by examining patent and journal publication data during the last decade. The data analysis shows that there have been significant shifts toward applied research by developing countries and toward patenting as a means of knowledge dissemination during the past few decades, reflecting the increasing role of the private sector in developing countries in crop improvement research." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Biotechnology research, patents, Crop improvement, Science and technology, Genetic resources, Biodiversity, Journal publication, Developing countries, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:795&r=agr |
| By: | von Braun, Joachim; Fan, Shenggen; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth; Rosegrant, Mark W.; Pratt, Alejandro Nin |
| Keywords: | Developing countries, CGIAR, Food prices, Poverty reduction, Hunger, Agricultural research, food security, Environment, Agricultural innovation, Agricultural development, Climate change, Agricultural biodiversity, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:issbrf:53&r=agr |
| By: | Campbell, Danny |
| Abstract: | This paper reports the findings from a discrete choice experiment study designed to estimate the economic benefits associated with rural landscape improvements in Ireland. Using a mixed logit model, the panel nature of the dataset is exploited to retrieve willingness to pay values for every individual in the sample. This departs from customary approaches in which the willingness to pay estimates are normally expressed as measures of central tendency of an a priori distribution. In a different vein from analysis conducted in previous discrete choice experiment studies, this paper uses random effects models for panel data to identify the determinants of the individual-specific willingness to pay estimates. In comparison with the standard methods used to incorporate individual-specific variables into the analysis of discrete choice experiments, the analytical approach outlined in this paper is shown to add considerably more validity and explanatory power to welfare estimates |
| Keywords: | Agri-environment, discrete choice experiments, mixed logit, panel data, random effects, willingness to pay, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, C33, C35, Q24, Q51, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7975&r=agr |
| By: | Breisinger, Clemens; Diao, Xinshen |
| Abstract: | "Encouraging signs of growth acceleration in Africa may herald a new development era of rapid transformation. In an effort to promote the future success of African transformation, we herein provide an extensive literature review on development economics and empirical observations from successfully transformed countries, along with analytic narratives on the transformations of Thailand and Mexico. To conclude, we derive six key messages for African transformation. We find that the traditional development economics theory is consistent with the transformation practice of successful countries. However, this theory needs to be broadened in light of rising inequalities during transformation. Success vitally depends on agricultural development; early withdrawal of public support away from agriculture slows down transformation, and the resulting inequalities are recognized as a persistent development challenge. Transformation also depends on industrialization strategies, but we find that winner-picking industrialization negatively affects other aspects of development, whereas home-grown, export-oriented industrialization led by private entrepreneurs opens up broader opportunities for sustainable growth. Finally, government support will be required to create a business-promoting environment and to offer incentives for African entrepreneurs to lead growth." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Economic transformation, Agricultural growth, structural change, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:797&r=agr |
| By: | Benson, Todd; Minot, Nicholas; Pender, John; Robles, Miguel; von Braun, Joachim |
| Abstract: | "Strong upward trends and increased variability in global food prices over the past two years have led to concern that hunger and poverty will increase across the world. At the same time, rising food prices provide an incentive and opportunity for many developing countries to strengthen the contribution their farmers make to national economic growth and poverty reduction. Policymakers and opinion leaders in developing countries, however, often lack sufficient information to gauge the likely effects of global food crises on their country and to identify, design, and implement policy actions that can best avoid risks and take advantage of opportunities.The deficiencies in information and analysis can lead to over- and underreactions, resulting in policy and market failures. Experiences across countries in 2007 and 2008 show ample evidence of such outcomes. This report seeks to support national decisionmakers, as well as their international development partners, in acquiring information and applying methods for understanding the likely effects of a global food crisis on their country and acting to alleviate the risks and exploit the opportunities brought about by such crises. It describes data and methods and suggests how to facilitate their collection and use. The report then outlines the design and implementation of an open Internet-based portal for sharing reliable, appropriate information and decision-support tools for national policymakers so they can respond quickly to changes in world food markets in an informed manner." from Text |
| Keywords: | World food situation, Globalization, food security, Agricultural production, Markets, Food prices, Farmers, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:fprepo:19&r=agr |
| By: | Ahrens, Martin Heinz; Kantelhardt, Jochen |
| Abstract: | Land use concepts for ecologically particularly sensitive agricultural landscapes are often focussed on the attainment of specific environmental objectives in specific areas, neglecting both socio-economic effects, in particular income effects, and the farmers' income-driven production responses outside these areas. The paper illustrates, on the basis of an empirical study on the land use in the southern German region Bayerisches Donauried, (1) that the farmers' objectives and production responses need to be integrated in land use concepts for agricultural landscapes because of their potentially counterproductive effects on the attainment of environmental objectives, and (2) how multi-criteria analysis (MCA) can be used to transform a primarily ecology-oriented land use concept for an ecologically very sensitive agricultural landscape into a more comprehensive one that makes due allowance for the farmers’ responses and society's socio-economic objectives. The authors show that such integration of socioeconomic objectives can contribute to the maintenance of incomes and employment without overly harming the attainment of ecological goals. As far as the MCA is concerned, two methods are applied: The linear-additive model, and the outranking model ELECTRE. The models serve to evaluate four different land use options. Nine criteria are used, derived from the relevant landscape functions. Weights are based on written interviews with major decision-makers, and stakeholders of the region. The major assumptions underlying the models are discussed. The authors interpret the results of each model on the basis of sensitivity analyses, and compare them. Finally, the paper discusses policy implications resulting from the implementation of land use concepts for agricultural landscapes, in particular the question of a “regionalisation” of agri-environmental policy, and raises some administrative and practical issues that come up if policy makers apply MCA more widely in the design of such concepts. |
| Keywords: | Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7986&r=agr |
| By: | Hoda, Anwarul; Gulati, Ashok |
| Abstract: | "For more than six years the trade talks of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been stalled, mainly on account of differences in countries' levels of ambition for reducing support to and protection of agriculture. The expiration of the U.S. president's trade negotiating authority on June 30, 2007, raised the prospect of longer delay. More recently, however, the unprecedented food crisis may have created an environment for reducing the divergences in countries' negotiating positions, and efforts for agreement have intensified at Geneva. To aid developing-country negotiators, the book WTO Negotiations on Agriculture and Developing Countries (published for IFPRI by the Johns Hopkins University Press and Oxford University Press—India) offers the first authoritative analysis of the rules and modalities on which governments of developing countries can rely and suggests a negotiating strategy for developing countries." from Text |
| Keywords: | International trade, Developing countries, Policies, Markets, World Trade Organization, High-value agriculture, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:issbrf:48&r=agr |
| By: | Michael Grimm (ISS, The Hague / The Netherlands) |
| Abstract: | In the middle of the nineties the rural population in Burkina Faso was seriously hit by rising food prices. Whereas cotton farmers were able to cope with this shock given the simultaneous boom in the cotton sector, food crop farmers had to withdraw children from school and to let them work more intensively. Using the exogenous character of the income variation as an instrument allows to disentangle the pure effect of parental income from effects related to parental education, family background and other unobservables. A set of simple policy simulations illustrates the potential of unconditional cash transfers to raise schooling levels and to protect investment in children’s education against transitory income shocks. Although the involved effects are not negligible and much higher as simulations based on the pure OLS effect would suggest, they also show that making transfers conditional on attendance might largely increase the efficiency of such transfers. |
| Keywords: | Child Labor, Education, Income Elasticity of Education, Agricultural Shocks, Cotton Production, Burkina Faso |
| JEL: | I21 O12 Q12 |
| Date: | 2008–08–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:got:iaidps:174&r=agr |
| By: | White, Ben; Raguragavan, Jananee; Chambers, Robert C. |
| Abstract: | A land retirement policy whereby land is taken out of agriculture and converted to natural vegetation or forestry has the potential to reduce environmental damage related to dryland salinity in Western Australia. This paper uses some recent results in the theory of directional distance functions (Chambers and Fare, 2004) to analyse alternative policy designs for a land retirement scheme. The results indicate that a fixed price scheme is inefficient compared with a first-best solution, but performs adequately. A scheme requiring a fixed proportion of area retired by all producers is inefficient. A separating solution, based on mechanism design, gives a small but siginificant increase in welfare compared to a fixed price scheme. |
| Keywords: | Agri-environmental policy, distance functions, efficiency, mechanism design, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q12, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7963&r=agr |
| By: | Sheeran, Josette |
| Abstract: | "High food prices are not only causing a humanitarian crisis, but also putting at risk the development potential of millions of people. Global agriculture markets are undergoing structural changes, and the next three to four years will pose great challenges for achieving an affordable and accessible food supply for the world's most vulnerable. Soaring food and fuel prices are creating a "perfect storm" for the world's most vulnerable. The consequence is that the bottom billion could become the bottom 2 billion overnight, as those living on US$1 a day see their purchasing power cut in half." from Text |
| Keywords: | Food prices, Poverty reduction, Globalization, Food security Developing countries, Agricultural systems, trade, Markets, Natural resources, World food situation, Social protection, Science and technology, Nutrition, Capacity strengthening, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:anress:essay2&r=agr |
| By: | Swinbank, Alan; Daugbjerg, Carsten |
| Abstract: | From the launch of GATT in 1948, through to the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, the niceties of international trade rules had little impact on the design and implementation of EU farm policies. GATT was built on consensus, but powerful economic actors (such as the EU) were to a large extent able to implement farm policies that best suited their perceived needs. This agricultural exceptionalism (a term used by political scientists) had been promoted by the US in the 1940s and 1950s, but was cultivated by the EU (and others) in the 1960s and 1970s. However, dating from the Punta del Este declaration of 1986 launching the Uruguay Round, agricultural exceptionalism has been under pressure and the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture of 1994 (the URAA) did, to some extent, curb agricultural exceptionalism and continues so doing through the WTO dispute settlement body. |
| Keywords: | International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7965&r=agr |
| By: | Ngongi, Namanga |
| Abstract: | "African agriculture is at a crossroads. The current high food prices and the instability they have provoked in several countries have added impetus for African countries to review their agricultural policies and programs. New agricultural policies will have to be more focused on staple food crops and on their main producers—smallholders, most of whom are women. The new policies must remove constraints that impede access by smallholder farmers to the knowledge, technology, and financial services they need to increase farm productivity in a profitable and environmentally sustainable manner. Institutional mechanisms that lower the risks of lending to the agriculture sector and to smallholders in particular should be established and programs developed to leverage financial resources from the commercial banking sector. Governments and the private sector have an opportunity to work together to support the procurement, blending, and packaging of fertilizers. Together they can also support the breeding and multiplication of improved seeds. Government policies should support agro-dealers to ensure that improved seeds and other inputs are available to farmers. The many issues that African countries must address will be beyond the capacity of most countries, even after financial resources in private banks are leveraged. External assistance will be very much needed, especially to develop essential road infrastructure, irrigation, and rural energy. Other issues, including land policy, will also need attention. The road ahead for African agricultural development, especially the attainment of food security, will not be easy. African governments will need to formulate and implement bold pro-poor, pro-smallholder farmer policies that will increase farm productivity, trigger a sustainable green revolution, and end the cycle of food crises in Africa." from Text |
| Keywords: | Food prices, Poverty reduction, Globalization, Food security Developing countries, Agricultural systems, trade, Markets, Natural resources, World food situation, Social protection, Science and technology, Nutrition, Capacity strengthening, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:anress:2008essay3&r=agr |
| By: | Benin, Samuel; Thurlow, James; Diao, Xinshen; McCool, Christen; Simtowe, Franklin |
| Abstract: | "Malawi has experienced modest economic growth over the last decade and a half. However, agricultural growth has been particularly erratic, and while the incidence of poverty has declined, it still remains high. The Malawian government, within the framework of the Agricultural Development Plan (ADP), is in the process of implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which provides an integrated framework of development priorities aimed at restoring agricultural growth, rural development and food security. This paper analyzes agricultural growth and investment options that can support the development of a comprehensive agricultural development strategy consistent with the principles and objectives of the CAADP, which include achieving six percent agricultural growth and allocating at least ten percent of budgetary resources to the sector. Economic modeling results indicate that it is possible for Malawi to reach the CAADP target of six percent agricultural growth. However, achievement of these goals will require additional growth in most crops and agricultural sub-sectors, meaning that Malawi cannot rely solely on growth in maize or tobacco to reach this growth target. Broader-based agricultural growth, including growth in pulses and horticultural crops, will be important if this target is to be achieved. So, too, is meeting the Maputo declaration of spending at least ten percent of the government's total budget on agriculture. In fact, even under a more optimistic and efficient spending scenario, the Government of Malawi must increase its spending on agriculture in real value terms by about 20 percent per year between 2006 and 2015, and account for at least 24 percent of its total expenditure by 2015 if the CAADP goals are to be met. Although agriculture has strong linkages to the rest of the economy, with agricultural growth typically resulting in substantial overall growth in the economy and rising incomes in rural and urban areas, simply achieving the CAADP target of six percent will not be sufficient to halve poverty by 2015, i.e. achieving the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG1). To achieve this more ambitious target, agriculture and non-agriculture would need an average annual growth rate above seven percent. This growth requirement is substantial, as is the associated resource requirements, indicating that the MDG1 target may be beyond reach. However, achieving the CAADP target should remain a priority, as this goal has more reasonable growth and expenditure requirements, and will substantially reduce the number of people living below the poverty line by 2015 and significantly improve the well-being of both rural and urban households." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, GDP, Poverty, Public investment, MDGs, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:794&r=agr |
| By: | Cockerill, C.A.; Chilton, S.M.; Hutchinson, W.G. |
| Abstract: | A number of studies have tested economic models of household decision-making, yet there is no consensus regarding which is most appropriate for practical application. One area where the choice of household decision model has potentially important implications is the valuation of child health or safety. Few child health valuation studies have investigated household decision-making models, typically adopting the simplifying unitary model. This study aims to determine the implications of household decision making models on the magnitude of a child safety premium. To achieve this, a stated preference survey is conducted amongst farm households in Northern Ireland to ascertain mothers’ and fathers’ individual preferences regarding the value of reducing the risk of non-fatal farm accidents to their child relative to themselves. A number of interesting results emerge. Firstly, no significant difference is found between child values elicited from mothers and fathers. Secondly, the premium, which suggests that fathers are willing to pay twice as much for their child than self, is consistent with previous findings. Finally, the affect of different household models on the value of the premium will be investigated. Results show that the premium magnitude varies, with midpoint values of 1.25 from the bargaining model, 1.5 from the collective model and 2 from the unitary model. |
| Keywords: | Consumer/Household Economics, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7983&r=agr |
| By: | Nin Pratt, Alejandro; Yu, Bingxin |
| Abstract: | "We analyze the evolution of Sub-Saharan Africa's agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) over the past 40 years, looking for evidence of recent changes in growth patterns using a nonparametric Malmquist index. Our TFP estimates show a remarkable recovery in the performance of Sub-Saharan Africa's agriculture during the 1984–2003 period after a long period of poor performance and decline. That recovery is the consequence of improved efficiency in production resulting from changes in the output structure and an adjustment in the use of inputs, including an overall net reduction in fertilizer use but increased fertilizer use in most of the best-performing countries. Policy changes African countries conducted between the mid-1980s and the second half of the 1990s together with technological innovations available at that time appear to have played an important role in improving agriculture's performance. As TFP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is mainly a result of catching up to the frontier, we expect growth to slow in the coming years unless African countries accelerate the incorporation of innovations into the production process and increase the speed of technical change." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Efficiency, Malmquist index, Total factor productivity, Technical change, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:787&r=agr |
| By: | Carletto, Calogero; Kirk, Angeli; Winters, Paul; Davis, Benjamin |
| Abstract: | More than two decades after non-traditional export crops (NTXs) were introduced to the central highlands of Guatemala to link farmers to global markets and foster rural development, this study uses duration analysis to explore how time-varying household characteristics and external trends play into both the adoption and diffusion processes of NTX among smallholders. Adoption was widespread and rapid, which led the project to be hailed as a pro-poor success, reaching all but the smallest landholders. Potential benefits of NTXs have proven to be high, but constraints to sustained adoption also numerous, particularly in the second decade of the period considered. Over time, more than two-thirds of adopters eventually dropped out, reverting back to more traditional crops, or leaving agriculture altogether. Based on a second round of a 20-year panel survey carried out by the authors, the analysis suggests that smallholders are quite responsive to price incentives when making their repeated decision to continue adopting overtime. Also, in line with previous findings, land size does not seem important in the decision to adopt. However, land quality emerges as a significant factor in prolonging NTX production over time. Overall, the findings suggest that, in the long-run, NTX production does not appear to have been as pro-poor as initially hoped, and that institutions and policy interventions were able to only partially offset these difficulties in favor of less endowed farmers. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7962&r=agr |
| By: | Xiaodong Du; David A. Hennessy (Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD)); William M. Edwards |
| Abstract: | Iowa's farmland consists of over 16% hay crops and pastureland, a signifcant portion of which is under cash rental contracts. This study investigates the comparative relationships between cash rental rates for cropped land and non-cropped land, where the latter includes hay and pastureland. We find that higher crop prices resulting from biofuel demand induces land use conversion from non-cropped land to crop production and thus bids up non-cropped land rents. Compared with changes in cropped land cash rents, non-cropped farmland rents could increase by a higher percentage. Non-cropped land cash rental rates are largely determined by crop and feeder cattle prices, population density, soil quality, and proportion of non-cropped land in a specific area. A primary effect of ethanol subsidies is the redistribution of income between corn growers and livestock producers, whereby higher livestock feed costs together with increasing hay and pastureland cash rents harm the dairy and feedlot beef sectors. Our study shows that, because of the positive effect on rents, the policies have an indeterminate effect on landowners operating in the cow-calf sector. |
| Keywords: | biofuel, pastureland, cash rents, random effects model. |
| JEL: | C5 G1 Q1 |
| Date: | 2008–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ias:cpaper:08-wp479&r=agr |
| By: | Hill, Berkeley; Blandford, David |
| Abstract: | Economists have rarely considered the implications of taxation systems for the agricultural sector. Management specialists and accountants have usually approached the issue from the perspective of how farmers and landowners can avoid it. Little has been written on the extent to which the special treatments that agriculture commonly receives in national tax systems impact on the sector and its performance. This paper considers these broader issues and builds on an inventory of tax treatments compiled for the OECD by one of the authors. Tax concessions can act as forms of support to incomes and wealth accumulation, though the identification and quantification of this support present fundamental conceptual difficulties and practical problems. Taxes are often advocated as instruments of environmental policy, and these may have income implications. Concessions given by capital taxes, in particular, constrain structural adjustment. Differential tax treatments can also impact on patterns of international trade by distorting comparative advantage, as perceived by farm operators. Some of these effects are of major importance to agricultural adjustment and to policy. This paper examines the main issues involved in achieving a more adequate understanding of the tax treatments applied to agriculture. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7976&r=agr |
| By: | Jennifer Coates; James Wirth; Fayera Abdissa; Berhanu Wendeferew; Mulugeta Girma |
| Keywords: | agriculture, food policy, Ethiopia |
| JEL: | I38 Q18 |
| Date: | 2008–07–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fsn:wpaper:39&r=agr |
| By: | Sassi, Maria |
| Abstract: | Economic and agricultural convergence across the EU regions has for a long time attracted the attention of economists and more so in the recent decade following the EU enlargement. Empirical contributions have referred explicitly or implicitly to the Solow’s model of economic growth testing absolute and conditional b-convergence. The recent literature suggests that the prevailing neoclassical and sectoral approach is not suitable to face the implication of structural change on economic convergence whose understanding is key within the current process of significant marginalization of agriculture and partly of industry in favour of the service sector. In this context the aim of the paper is the understanding the size and evolution of this change, the way in which it has affected aggregate economic convergence and if the agricultural sector has influenced the process despite its small and decreasing contribution to total GDP comparing the results from the neoclassical and Paci, Pigliaru approach |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, International Development, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7961&r=agr |
| By: | Henseler, Martin |
| Abstract: | Replaced with revised version of paper 08/13/08. |
| Keywords: | CAP reform scenario, agricultural production system, regional model, model transfer, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7968&r=agr |
| By: | Jackson, Elizabeth; Quaddus, Mohammed; Islam, Nazrul; Stanton, John; Hoque, Zohurul |
| Abstract: | Australian wool producers have been slow to adopt price risk management strategies to stabilise the income from their wool sales. The highly volatile auction system accounts for 85% of raw wool sales while the remainder is sold by forward contract, futures and other hedging methods. Qualitative analysis was used to find behavioural factors associated with the adoption of price risk management strategies (specifically futures and forward contracts) for selling raw wool. Consideration was given to Diffusion of Innovations and the Theory of Planned Behaviour as theoretical frameworks in order to answer the research question: Are there any non-traditional behavioural factors that need to be incorporated into existing frameworks to determine adoption of price risk management strategies for selling raw wool? In contrast to these prominent theories, data from four focus groups conducted with wool producers in regional Western Australia showed that trust, habit and social cohesion were the major behavioural determinants that governed the adoption of price risk management strategies. The significance of this paper lies in its multi-disciplinary approach to understanding the dimensions of farm-level decision making. |
| Keywords: | Qualitative analysis, trust, habit, social cohesion, forward contracts, wool., Agricultural Finance, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7985&r=agr |
| By: | Lally, Breda; Riordan, Brendan; van Rensburg, Tom |
| Abstract: | Two policy instruments, input taxes and regulations, can be used to deal with nitrate pollution. However, in practice command and control (CAC) measures such as input regulations and management practices, as outlined in Action Programmes under the EU Nitrates Directive, rather than economic instruments, are commonly used to deal with nitrate pollution from agricultural sources. Action Programmes are to meant to ensure that the applications of nitrogen to farmland are within limits calculated to avoid a level of nitrate emissions to water supplies that would put them above the concentration limit of 50mg/litre specified in the Directive. The premise of the Action Programmes is that farmers should take all reasonable steps to prevent or minimise the application to land of fertilisers in excess of crop requirements. To this end the Irish Action Programme specifies that the amount of livestock manure applied in any year to land on a holding, together with that deposited to land by livestock, cannot exceed an amount containing 170 kg nitrogen per hectare (ha) and also sets limits on the application of inorganic (manufactured) nitrogen. However, the objective of the Nitrates Directive, at least in terms of organic and inorganic nitrogen application rates, could theoretically be achieved by imposing a tax on nitrogen inputs. This paper tests the hypotheses that the objectives of the Nitrates Directive, in terms of organic and inorganic N application rates, would be more effectively and more equitably achieved by regulation, than by a tax. The results of the analysis indicate that this is the case. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7981&r=agr |
| By: | Fleming, Euan; Fleming, Pauline |
| Abstract: | The ability of African countries to achieve sustained improvements in agricultural incomes depends on their ability to generate total factor productivity (TFP) change in their agricultural sectors and adjust to movements in agricultural output and input prices. The single factoral terms of trade index measures these changes, calculated as changes in the product of TFP and the agricultural terms of trade. Estimates of the single factoral terms of trade index for the selected commodities over the period 1970-2002 are reported and discussed for 33 African countries for which data sets are available. The index is estimated for producers of coffee, cocoa, copra, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, palm oil, rice, cotton and sugar using annual agricultural sector data. Few countries managed to achieve an increase in the index over this period and it declined in many countries. In the light of the empirical evidence assembled, three broad strategic 2 2 options are considered, covering agricultural trade reform, economic diversification strategies and strategies to improve total factor productivity in commodity production. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7980&r=agr |
| By: | Mary Evans (Department of Economics and Center for Business and Economic Research, University of Tennessee); Lirong Liu (Department of Economics and International Business, Sam Houston State University); Sarah L. Stafford (Department of Economics, College of William and Mary) |
| Abstract: | Several rationales recently proposed to explain the willingness of firms to voluntarily conduct environmental audits suggest the potential for environmental audits to impact compliance outcomes in the long run. Using a unique facility-level dataset from Michigan, we examine both the determinants of environmental auditing and the effects of environmental auditing on long term compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Our empirical methodology accounts for the potential endogeneity of the audit outcome and censoring of the future compliance measure. We find that larger facilities and those subject to more stringent regulations are more likely to audit. We also find that facilities with poor compliance records are less likely to audit. However, we find no significant long-run impact of auditing on RCRA compliance among these Michigan facilities. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Auditing, Environmental Compliance, Voluntary Environmental Initiatives, Self-Policing |
| JEL: | K32 K42 Q52 Q58 |
| Date: | 2008–09–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cwm:wpaper:78&r=agr |
| By: | Jean, Sebastien; Laborde, David; Martin, Will |
| Abstract: | "The formula approach used in many trade negotiations involves large formula cuts in high tariffs, with flexibilities that allow smaller cuts for selected products. Difficulties in evaluating the effects of these exceptions can create major problems. We use a political-economy welfare function and detailed data on the current WTO agricultural negotiations to assess the implications of this approach for welfare and for market access. We find that some previous rules of thumb greatly underestimate the impacts of such exceptions. Indeed, treating even a small number of tariff lines as sensitive and subjecting them to reduced cuts has a sharply adverse impact on welfare, and a smaller but still negative impact on market access." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agricultural trade, Efficiency, Trade negotiations, Market access, Sensitive products, tariffs, WTO, Globalization, trade, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:788&r=agr |
| By: | Srinivasan, C.S.; Crost, Benjamin |
| Abstract: | Starting with a brief overview of trends in plant variety protection (PVP) in the UK since inception of PVP legislation, this paper assesses the strength of incentives for innovation provided by the PVP regime. We modify and extend models from the patent literature that attempt to infer the private value of innovations from the behaviour of titleholders in relation to the annual renewal of protection. Our results suggest that the average private return to protection from new wheat varieties is fairly modest and that the distribution of these returns is highly skewed. This implies that a large proportion of PVP certificates have very little economic value. The move towards stronger forms of protection for plant variety innovations and the (successful) clamour from the industry for imposition of royalties on farm-saved seed of protected varieties can be understood as a response to the declining returns from variety innovations in agricultural crops brought about by increasing competition and accelerated turnover of varieties. Anecdotal evidence regarding the declining viability of conventional plant breeding for agricultural crops in the UK is also supported by our results. |
| Keywords: | Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7987&r=agr |
| By: | Daniel M. Kammen; Alexander E. Farrell; Richard J. Plevin; Andrew D. Jones; Mark A. Delucchi; Gregory F. Nemet |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we review some of the basic energy balance and climate change impact issues associated with biofuels. For both the basic energy and greenhouse gas balances of producing and using a range of fuels, and for the increasingly debated and important issues of non-greenhouse gas impacts such as a land, fertilizer and water use, we conclude that an improved framework for the analysis and evaluation of biofuels is needed. These new methodologies and data sets are needed on both physical and socioeconomic aspects of life-cycle of biofuels. We detail some of components that could be used to build this methodology and highlight key areas for future research. We look history and potential impacts of building the resource base for biofuel research, as well as at some of the land-use and socioeconomic impacts of different feedstock-to-fuel pathways. |
| Date: | 2007–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:itfaaa:2007/2-en&r=agr |
| By: | Hattam, Caroline; Holloway, Garth |
| Abstract: | The adoption of organic production has increased dramatically over recent years, especially in less developed countries. However, little information is available about who adopts, the difficulties they face in converting and how these factors vary over time. Using small-scale avocado producers (<15ha) from Michoacán, Mexico as a case study, this paper explores the factors affecting the time-to-adoption of organic production and certification, drawing from five parametric descriptions of the data. These models are implemented using a Bayesian approach and advances in Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The results indicate that additional sources of income, together with membership of producers’ associations, higher levels of education and experience of export markets, other than the US, have a positive effect on the adoption decision. Labour requirements and administrative capacity appear to be unimportant, while information sources and the frequency of contact with these sources have a varied, but largely negative effect on the probability of adoption. These findings raise a number of questions about the future of organic production in Mexico and the avocado zone, not least how to overcome credit and information constraints, but more importantly whether aiming for the organic market is a viable production strategy for small-scale producers. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7979&r=agr |
| By: | Cheng, Fuzhi |
| Abstract: | "This paper reviews recent agricultural policy changes in China and presents estimates of domestic support for the period 1996-2005. A set of relevant alternative subsidy-definition scenarios and their effects on the calculated levels of support are analyzed, and a projection of domestic support through 2013 is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of new WTO rules that may be negotiated in the Doha Round and their implications for China. Based on standard WTO subsidy calculation methods, our results indicated that China's domestic support for the period 1996-2005 has been well below the limits agreed at its WTO accession. The market price support (MPS) component of the aggregate measure of support (AMS) in China has been below zero, and this has dwarfed the relatively small but positive non-product specific AMS and led to a zero current total AMS after de minimis. China has no AMS commitments but can provide trade-distorting domestic support to agricultural producers up to 8.5 percent of the value of production (or RMB561 billion). Thus there appears to be substantial room for China to extend its amber box subsidy measures through heavy use of the de minimis provision. We project domestic support notifications through 2013 based on specified assumptions about domestic policies, including changes in administered prices and commodity program coverage. New rules potentially negotiated in the Doha Round are expected to provide more constraints on subsidies. Due to China's developing country status, with no AMS commitments under the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture the impacts of these new constraints are shown to be limited, although our projections indicate that China may exceed its WTO commitment levels under certain price and commodity coverage scenarios." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agricultural policies, WTO Doha round, WTO compliance, Notification of domestic support, China agricultural support policies, Globalization, Markets, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:793&r=agr |
| By: | Parke Wilde; Joseph Llobrera; Flannery Campbell |
| Keywords: | food planning |
| JEL: | I38 I32 Q11 Q18 |
| Date: | 2008–08–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fsn:wpaper:42&r=agr |
| By: | Jennifer Coates; Beatrice Lorge Rogers; Patrick Webb; Daniel Maxwell; Robert Houser; Christine McDonald |
| Keywords: | poverty, welfare, humanitarian response |
| JEL: | F35 O19 I38 |
| Date: | 2008–04–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fsn:wpaper:41&r=agr |
| By: | Nkamleu, Guy Blaise; Sylla, Kalilou; Zonon, Abdoulaye |
| Abstract: | Empirical relationships between the rates of growth and total factor productivity growth, physical input accumulation, as well as institutional and agro-ecological change is evaluated using an international panel data set on 26 African countries and covering the period 1970-2000. The analysis employs the broader framework provided by empirical growth literature and recent developments in TFP measurement. Results suggest a positive evolution of the total factor productivity during the studied period. This positive performance of the productivity of the agricultural sector was due to positive technological progress rather than technology absorption. However, growth accounting computation highlights the fact that factor accumulation accounts for a large share of agricultural output growth and fertilizer has been the most statistically important physical input contributor to agricultural growth. The study also highlights the extent to which agricultural growth contributors vary across countries and regions in relation with different country conditions, institutions and politico-historical factors. |
| Keywords: | Growth accounting; total factor productivity; factor accumulation; capital absorption; africa |
| JEL: | O47 N5 |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:11102&r=agr |
| By: | Sirieix, L.; Salançon, A.; Rodriguez, C. |
| Abstract: | This survey studies the way in which French consumers perceive fruits and vegetables, be they local, domestic or imported, resulting from conventional field or greenhouse agricultural methods, in terms of a health and hedonic, then a sustainability, point of view. The method employed, focus groups with individual questionnaires and the use of real-to-life scenarios, allows to get findings concerning the knowledge of the various cultivation methods, attitudes concerning these various methods, the role of information, to expose three representational profiles and, the results of the producer scenario, distributor scenario and consumer scenario study. On a general level, this study brings to light the negative image associated with greenhouse growers but consumer perception varies according to the representational profiles (Traditionalists, Spendthrifts and Responsible). ...French Abstract : Cette étude s'intéresse à la façon dont les consommateurs français perçoivent les fruits et légumes, locaux, nationaux ou importés, issus de l'agriculture conventionnelle ou de production sous serre, du point de vue de la santé, des aspects hédoniques et de la durabilité. Des focus groups complétés par des questionnaires individuels et par une étude de scénarios ont permis de mettre en évidence les niveaux de connaissance et les attitudes concernant les différentes méthodes de production, le rôle de l'information, de présenter trois profils de représentation et les réponses des consommateurs face aux scénarios producteur, distributeur et consommateur. De façon générale, cette étude montre que l'image associée à la production sous serre est négative, mais les perceptions varient selon les profils de représentations (Traditionalistes, Economes, Responsables). |
| Keywords: | SUSTAINABILITY; CONSUMER; FOOD CONSUMPTION; SCENARIOS METHOD; FOCUS GROUPS; AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION METHODS; DURABILITE; CONSOMMATEUR; CONSOMMATION ALIMENTAIRE; METHODE DES SCENARIOS; METHODES DE PRODUCTION AGRICOLES |
| JEL: | D1 D8 M31 Q01 |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:umr:wpaper:200807&r=agr |
| By: | Trung, Le Dang; Tam, Tran Ngo Minh; Baulch, Bob; Hansen, Henrik |
| Abstract: | This study examines whether there is spatial integration between and within paddy markets in the North and South of Vietnam. The empirical model developed uses estimates of transfer costs to generalize Ravallion’s model of spatial market integration to allow for threshold effects. A sequential testing strategy is used to test for market segmentation, the number of thresholds, long-run integration, informational efficiency, and the ‘Law’ of One Price within an error-correction framework. We find no threshold effects and weak evidence of paddy market integration between northern and southern Vietnam. There is, however, evidence of both threshold effects and stronger market integration within the Red and Mekong River deltas. Whenever price spreads exceeds their thresholds at least 60% percent of price changes are transmitted between regional markets within a month. Nonetheless, the instantaneous version of the ‘Law’ of One Price only holds for a few regimes and market pairs. These results suggest that national level policies cannot be relied upon to stabilize or support paddy prices in Vietnam. Instead, policies need to be designed with the specific production, consumption and marketing characteristics of northern and southern Vietnam in mind. |
| Keywords: | Marketing, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7974&r=agr |
| By: | Sebastien Jean; David Laborde; Will Martin |
| Abstract: | The formula approach used in many trade negotiations involves large formula cuts in high tariffs, with flexibilities that allow smaller cuts for selected products. Difficulties in evaluating the effects of these exceptions can create major problems. We use a politicaleconomy welfare function and detailed data on the current WTO agricultural negotiations to assess the implications of this approach for welfare and for market access. We find that some previous rules of thumb greatly underestimate the impacts of such exceptions. Indeed, treating even a small number of tariff lines as sensitive and subjecting them to reduced cuts has a sharply adverse impact on welfare, and a smaller but still negative impact on market access. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural trade; trade negotiations; market access; sensitive products; WTO |
| JEL: | F13 P16 Q17 |
| Date: | 2008–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cii:cepidt:2008-18&r=agr |
| By: | Tun-Hsiang (Edward) Yu; Chad E. Hart |
| Abstract: | This report is divided into two sections. The first part reports the statewide results for each of five surveyed groups: Iowa Grain Marketers, Iowa Grain Handlers, Iowa Corn Processors, Iowa Soybean Processors, and Iowa biodiesel producers. The state-level results provide a general idea of the grain and biofuel flows that occurred and the transportation that was utilized in the biofuel-boom era. In order to gain further insights into the regional level data, we present the survey results of grain marketers and handlers in each crop reporting district (CRD) in the second part of the report. |
| Date: | 2008–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ias:cpaper:08-sr102&r=agr |
| By: | Ramon Espinasa |
| Abstract: | As a region the Caribbean countries are net exporters of hydrocarbons. However, all exports of natural gas and crude oil are concentrated in one country, Trinidad and Tobago. The rest of the region taken as a whole is net importer of hydrocarbons. The largest countries in the region are heavily dependent on imported crude oil and products as their main source of primary energy. The trend has intensified over recent years. Net-importing countries in the region have more than doubled their annual per capita consumption of oil over the last two decades. Trinidad and Tobago could supply the region’s hydrocarbon needs. However, very little effort has been made by the importing countries to substitute gas from Trinidad and Tobago for oil from other extra regional sources. There are a number of initiatives under way to reduce the region’s dependence on imported hydrocarbons: Eastern Caribbean Gas Pipeline (ECGP); Eastern Caribbean Geothermal Energy Project (Geo-Caraïbes); Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP); Petrocaribe Energy Cooperation Agreement and Production of Biofuels. The IDB together with CARICOM and the Caribbean Development Bank are concentrating efforts in to promote the development of biofuels in the region, with specific programs in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Furthermore, there individual country efforts to implement mid-term plans to increase their energy efficiency and diversify their Energy Matrices away from oil, among these countries it is worth highlighting: Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados. Finally, the IDB is sponsoring a number of technical studies with the objectives of developing renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency. Beyond these initiatives, an avenue that is worth exploring is enhancing regional integration, especially through small-scale trading of natural gas between Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean. |
| JEL: | F15 N76 O54 Q41 |
| Date: | 2008–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:wpaper:2010&r=agr |
| By: | von Braun, Joachim; Sheeran, Josette; Ngongi, Namanga |
| Abstract: | "The dramatic rise and volatility of food prices over the last year have shaken the global food system. Governments and the international development community generally have responded to various aspects of the food crisis, but questions remain about whether the right actions are being pursued, how best to respond, and what the future holds. The three essays here by Namanga Ngongi, president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Josette Sheeran, executive director of the World Food Programme, and Joachim von Braun, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute, respond to these critical questions. They point to the dangers and pitfalls of misguided policies, but also to the very real opportunities for responding in a way that prevents future crises and assures food security now and in the long term." from Text |
| Keywords: | Food prices, Poverty reduction, Globalization, Food security Developing countries, Agricultural systems, trade, Markets, Natural resources, World food situation, Social protection, science and technology, Nutrition, Capacity strengthening, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:anress:2008essays&r=agr |
| By: | Dillon, Emma; Matthews, Alan; Thorne, Fiona |
| Abstract: | The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate alternative control strategies for a number of simulated outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in four agriculturally diverse Irish regions, examining for the first time, the potential role of emergency vaccination in the country. The recent EU Directive (2003/85/EC) on FMD control permits the use of emergency vaccination as part of an FMD control strategy. While the slaughter of infected animals and “dangerous contacts” (susceptible animals on epidemiologically linked holdings) remains the principal tool for tackling an outbreak, the potential use of vaccination as an adjunct to the basic culling policy is now being considered. Using an integrated approach, combining epidemiological and economic modules, the alternatives of stamping-out both alone and in conjunction with emergency vaccination are examined using hypothetical outbreaks and their control costs compared. Overall, it cannot be said, a priori, that one control option is better than the other. Choice of control strategy would appear to be highly dependent on herd density, production type and other region specific issues. This analysis has focused on control costs only; taking wider economy costs into account may however change this overall conclusion. |
| Keywords: | Foot-and-Mouth disease, alternative control strategies, transboundary animal diseases, emergency vaccination, Livestock Production/Industries, Q1, Q17, Q58, |
| Date: | 2008–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aes007:7969&r=agr |
| By: | Deressa, Temesgen; Hassan, R. M.; Alemu, Tekie; Yesuf, Mahmud; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | "This study identifies the major methods used by farmers to adapt to climate change in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia, the factors that affect their choice of method, and the barriers to adaptation. The methods identified include use of different crop varieties, tree planting, soil conservation, early and late planting, and irrigation. Results from the discrete choice model employed indicate that the level of education, gender, age, and wealth of the head of household; access to extension and credit; information on climate, social capital, agroecological settings, and temperature all influence farmers' choices. The main barriers include lack of information on adaptation methods and financial constraints. Moreover, the analysis reveals that age of the household head, wealth, information on climate change, social capital, and agroecological settings have significant effects on farmers' perceptions of climate change." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Adaptation, Perception on climate change, Agriculture, Climate change, Nile Basin of Ethiopia, |
| Date: | 2008 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:798&r=agr |