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on Agricultural Economics |
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Issue of 2015‒01‒31
166 papers chosen by |
| By: | Kropp, Jaclyn |
| Abstract: | The Agricultural Act of 2014 brings significant changes to U.S. farm policy, eliminating Countercyclical (CC), Fixed Direct, and Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) programs, and introducing new Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) programs, which provide payments calculated using historic (base) acreage. These payments support field crops, excluding cotton. As a result, producers with base acres associated with cotton production will be allowed to relocate these “generic base” acres annually and receive support for whatever supported crop they plant on these generic base acres. Thus, profit maximizing producers with generic base may stop planting cotton and instead plant crops supported by PLC and ARC programs. Using USDA data, this paper investigates the potential distortions associated with the reallocation of generic base acres as farmers “plant for the program.” |
| Keywords: | generic base, production distortions, Price Loss Coverage, Agricultural Risk Coverage, agricultural support, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics, Q18, Q12, Q15, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196855&r=agr |
| By: | Kan, Iddo ; Kimhi, Ayal ; Kaminski, Jonathan |
| Abstract: | We develop an empirical farmland allocation model based on explicit profit functions that is linked to a market demand model. The model accounts for corner solutions, enabling estimation with disaggregated data, and thereby allows treating prices as exogenous. The integrated model enables assessing the impact of climate change on agriculture under partial equilibrium in food markets, while incorporating the production responses of the micro units. For Israel, we obtain adverse simulated effects of climate change on farm profits, food prices and consumer’s surplus, which are considerably lower compared to the case in which price-feedback effects on agricultural supply are overlooked. |
| Keywords: | climate change, adaptation, agricultural land allocation, structural analysis, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183024&r=agr |
| By: | Luitel, Kishor ; Knight, Thomas ; Hudson, Darren |
| Abstract: | New crop insurance coverage offered by the 2014 Farm Bill will be available to cotton farmers beginning in 2015. Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) and Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) are new crop insurance options, which are designed to protect farmers from shallow losses. STAX is only available for upland cotton producers, while SCO is available for all major farm program crops. The objective of this project is to assess the benefits of the new crop insurance offerings for cotton producers in the Texas High Plains. Representative dry land and mixed, irrigated and dry land farms were developed using consensus evaluations of panels of producers in two distinct areas of the High Plains. Our simulation analysis examined producer welfare benefits of alternative combinations of underlying yield or revenue insurance coverage and STAX or SCO. The results suggest that Revenue Protection combined with STAX is the optimal insurance selection for both risk neutral and risk averse producers. |
| Keywords: | Farm Bill 2014, cotton representative farm simulation, crop insurance, STAX, SCO Endorsement., Agricultural and Food Policy, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty, Q18, D81, D78, D61, |
| Date: | 2016–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196882&r=agr |
| By: | Mahy, Louis ; Dupeux, Bérénice ; Van Huylenbroeck, Guido ; Buysse, Jeroen |
| Abstract: | One of the new political instruments of the European Common Agricultural Policy-reform is the crop diversification measure. To comply with this measure, arable farmers will have to grow a minimum number of crops on their land, in given proportions. In this paper a non-parametric simulation model is developed to predict land cover changes while tackling the self-selection problem. Farmers’ behaviour is based on their closest peer‘s behaviour. A comparison between the results on diversity, measured through the Shannon Diversity Index, and the policy impact on farms, shows a clear trade-of and a potential for targeting. |
| Keywords: | Crop diversification, policy, impact analysis, model, Shannon diversity index, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182797&r=agr |
| By: | Haile, Mekbib ; Kalkuhl, Matthias ; von Braun, Joachim |
| Abstract: | This article estimates global supply response for key agricultural commodities. The findings reveal that, while higher output prices are incentives to improve global crop supply, output price volatility plays otherwise. Depending on respective crop, the results indicate that own price supply elasticities range from about 0.05 to 0.35. The findings suggest that output price-risk has negative correlations with crop supply, implying that farmers shift land, other inputs and yield improving investments away to crops with less volatile prices. The recent output price volatility seems to significantly reduce production of wheat and – to a lesser extent – rice. |
| Keywords: | food prices, price volatility, supply response, price expectation, Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182725&r=agr |
| By: | Britz, Wolfgang ; Dudu, Hasan ; Ferrari, Emanuele |
| Abstract: | Food waste has been started to be recognized as an important factor threatening a sustainable food system. However most of the studies in the literature ignore the costs of reducing food waste. In this study we develop a framework to analyse the effects of food waste reduction on the whole economy when associated costs are taken into account in a regional CGE model. Our results suggest that the level of cost is quite important on determining the final impact. Food waste reduction may cause severe loss of competitiveness for agriculture and food production if costs are not taken into account. |
| Keywords: | Food waste, Regional Modelling, CGE Modelling, Leisure – Labour trade-off, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186677&r=agr |
| By: | Kirchner, Mathias ; Mitter, Hermine ; Schönhart, Martin ; Schmid, Erwin |
| Abstract: | We present an integrated modelling framework (IMF) to analyse climate change impacts on biophysical processes and farm management responses at the spatial resolution of 1km2. The IMF is applied to the Austrian agricultural sector for the period 2025-2040. The model results show that national agricultural producer surplus changes only marginally between -1% and +1% depending on the climate scenario. The regional results reveal that eastern cropland regions are more negatively affected than alpine grassland regions, which intensify production. This leads to changes in opportunity costs for agri-environmental programs, which calls for more targeted measures to increase efficiency and adaptation potential. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change, Agriculture, Integrated Modelling, Adaptation, Spatial Analysis, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182944&r=agr |
| By: | Carvalho, Glauco R. ; Costa, Rafael |
| Abstract: | The dairy sector is an important segment of the Brazilian agribusiness. From the demand side, dairy products are the second most important in terms of household expenditure on food. From the supply side, Brazil is the 4th largest country in milk production with more than 32 billion liters per year. Moreover, nearly 1.3 million of dairy farmers are in operation, most of which characterized as small family farms. The rural credit is the main mechanism in terms of dairy policy. A program called PRONAF was created in 1996 to support small farmers by offering them special financial provisions, such as low interest rates. However, in 2013 the Brazilian Government through Central Bank imposed mandatory farm insurance as a condition to access rural credit. The impact of this policy on the dairy sector is unknown and this paper aims to evaluate such a policy. A structural econometric model of the Brazilian dairy sector is used to quantify the effect of that change on the production, consumption and milk price. The impact will be considered relative to a ten-year baseline scenario ending in 2022. Annual equilibrium prices are solved by minimizing the squared difference between supply and demand for four different markets: cheese, butter, milk powder, and fresh dairy products. Contributions to policy makers, private companies, and future researches are expected. |
| Keywords: | insurance, policy analysis, structural model, Agricultural and Food Policy, Livestock Production/Industries, C50, C22, Q18, |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196871&r=agr |
| By: | Latruffe, Laure ; Piet, Laurent ; Dupraz, Pierre ; Le Mouel, Chantal |
| Abstract: | We investigate the determinants of agricultural land price in several regions in France during 1994-2011 using individual plots transaction data, with a particular emphasis on agricultural subsidies and nitrate zoning regulations. We found a positive but relatively small capitalisation effect of the total subsidies per hectare. The magnitude of capitalisation depends on the region, the type of subsidy, and the location of the plot in a nitrate surplus zone or not. Only land set-aside premiums significantly capitalise into land price, while single farm payments have a significant positive capitalisation impact only for plots located in a nitrate surplus zone. |
| Keywords: | Farm land price, agricultural subsidies, capitalisation, regulations, nitrate surplus area, France, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182749&r=agr |
| By: | Reyes, Byron ; DeYoung, David ; Maredia, Mywish |
| Keywords: | Seed system, evaluation, common beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, agricultural research, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, improved varieties, Bean Technology Dissemination Project, key informant interviews, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, O3, O130, Q16, Q55, Q18, Q12, |
| Date: | 2014–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:midasp:196539&r=agr |
| By: | Khanal, Aditya ; Mishra, Ashok |
| Abstract: | We analyze the factors influencing farmer’s diversification decisions while taking into account the simultaneous decision making. Using a national data on farm-level in the US and a multivariate analysis, our study suggests that agricultural, structural, environmental, and income diversification strategies are interlinked. |
| Keywords: | farm households, diversification, multivariate, interlinkage, complementarity, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196977&r=agr |
| By: | Balmann, Alfons ; Sahrbacher, Christoph |
| Abstract: | Within the reformed CAP, Germany decided to support small and young farmers by higher hectare payments. Because of heterogeneous farm structures with smaller farms in the south and large in the east, this causes regional redistributions. Agent-based simulations show that these policies create incentives for small farms to continue production but cannot provide perspectives. As small farms compete usually with other smaller farms additional support fulminates in small farm dominated regions in higher land prices and a structural conservation. Moreover, large farms are not harmed by reduced payments as they mainly compete with other large farms which are equally affected. |
| Keywords: | Common Agricultural Policy, redistribution, young farmer, structural change, agent-based modelling, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183066&r=agr |
| By: | Myyrä, Sami ; Liesivaara, Petri |
| Abstract: | Approach to agriculture risk management has extended in the EU and the possibilities of public support for yield risk management have increased. Crop insurance products are supported in EU’s Common Agricultural policy (CAP). The problem in policymaking is finding the balance between crop insurance supply and demand, because adequate data on farm-specific yield density functions are rarely available. We used a choice experiment (CE)to evaluate the willingness of farmers to buy crop insurance products. Demand for crop insurances was revealed, but we found that farmers anchor their willingness to pay for crop insurances to the price levels introduced. |
| Keywords: | Crop insurance, Choice experiment, split sample, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182855&r=agr |
| By: | Cho, Sung Ju ; McCarl, Bruce A. ; Wu, Ximing |
| Abstract: | Climate change, coupled with biofuels development and other factors may well be changing US land usage patterns. We use a spatial econometric approach to estimate the drivers of US land use transitions in recent years. We consider transitions between six major land uses: agricultural land, forest, grassland, water, urban, and other uses. To examine drivers, we use a two-step linearized, spatial, multinomial logit model and estimate land use transition probabilities. Our results indicate that climate change is a driver of land use change and that movements to and from agricultural land and grassland exhibit opposite responses with climate change portending a movement out of cropland into grassland. These results indicate that adaptation to climate change through land usage change is ongoing but with spatial dependence. |
| Keywords: | Land use change, climate change adaptation, spatial econometrics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Q54, Q15, C31, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196684&r=agr |
| By: | Dutta, Ritwik ; Saghaian, Syed |
| Abstract: | A Chronological Study of TFP and Agricultural Growth in U.S. Agriculture |
| Keywords: | Total Factor Productivity(TFP), Trans-logarithmic Production Function, Agricultural Productivity, Intermediate Inputs, Residual Measure, Food Security and Poverty, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Q19, Q20, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196953&r=agr |
| By: | Peneva, Mariya Marinova ; Kazakova-Mateva, Yanka Kostadinova ; Mishev, Plamen Dimitrov |
| Abstract: | In the last hundred years, great changes have taken place in the farming systems all over the world. They were economically driven and beneficial but they also lead to a range of negative side effects. At the same time consumer awareness regarding food quality and safety grew, together with rising willingness for nature conservation and rural identity preservation. The paper focuses on the High Nature Value (HNV) farming as an environmental solution for long-term conservation and protection of biodiversity and its broader impact on the economic and social sustainability of agriculture and rural development at regional level. |
| Keywords: | High Nature Value Farming, Local Food Production, Sustainability, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182916&r=agr |
| By: | Garcia-German, Sol ; Garrido, Alberto ; Bardaji, Isabel |
| Abstract: | The rise of price levels and volatility of world agricultural commodities since 2006-2008 was followed by increased and more volatile food price inflation around the world. Using error correction models, this paper evaluates the velocity and extent to which world agricultural commodity price movements affect consumer food prices in the 28 EU's Member States. Results show a significant long run relationship between world agricultural commodity prices and food consumer prices in over half of the Member States. They present varying long run price transmission elasticities and a slow adjustment of prices. In general first members of the Eurozone have lower transmission elasticities than the others. |
| Keywords: | Commodity prices, Consumer food prices, Error correction models, Price transmission, European Union, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183039&r=agr |
| By: | Regmi, Madhav ; Paudel, Krishna ; Mishra, Ashok |
| Abstract: | We assessed the food security situation in Bangladesh based on 2011-2012 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey data using two commonly measured indicators: Food Consumption Score (FCS) and Household Hunger Scale (HHS). Results obtained from ordered probit regression models indicated that remittances play an important role to improve the food security of a household. Other significant variables in the model were wage earn outside of farm, male operated household, remittance, and literacy. Increasing income from other than the agriculture sector significantly raises the probability of a household being food secure. Government should make the agriculture sector strong and provide employment opportunities for households to work outside of the farm. |
| Keywords: | food security, remittance, Bangladesh, Agribusiness, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, O13, O19, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:197033&r=agr |
| By: | Partio, Hannah ; Pouta, Eija ; Kuhmonen, Tuomas |
| Abstract: | During the last decade, citizens have put a lot of attention to agricultural policy dimensions like multifunctionality, animal welfare, food safety, food security and environmental issues. Based on quantitative survey data set (n=1,623), this research examines Finnish citizens ́ concerns about various dimensions of agricultural policy. Principal component analysis resulted in a solution of four components. It seems that most worries by citizens relate to policy dimensions, which may cause personal risks in a long-term and which lie beyond personal control. Concerns that are more distant were not very worrying. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural policy dimensions, citizens, public concern, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182914&r=agr |
| By: | Laroche Dupraz, Catherine ; Huchet Bourdon, Marilyne |
| Abstract: | The novelty of this paper is to use national rate of assistance (NRA) to assess the impact of domestic support on food security vulnerability to trade. We first build a theoretical framework linking the vulnerability of food security to trade and national policy intervention in agriculture. Second, we measure the impact of national policy responses to 2008 price surge using the NRA on importable food products for 42 countries over the period 1995-2010. Our results suggest that most developing countries have used their possibility to play with the NRA level to compensate the effects of the 2008 food price surge. |
| Keywords: | national rate of assistance, food security, exchange rate, food trade, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182691&r=agr |
| By: | Vande Velde, Katrien ; Maertens, Miet |
| Abstract: | Research on the impact of smallholder contract-farming largely focuses on exportoriented high-value commodities. Little is known about the possibility of contract-farming for upgrading in staple food chains. While theoretical insights predict contract-farming to be infeasible for lower-value staple food crops, empirical evidence from such sectors is extremely scarce. In this paper, we provide evidence on smallholder contract-farming in the rice sector in Benin. We use cross-sectional household data and propensity score matching methods to analyze the impact of contract-farming on selected farm performance indicators. The findings indicate that contract-farming has a positive impact on rice productivity and income. |
| Keywords: | contract-farming, farm productivity, staple food, rice, Benin, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182682&r=agr |
| By: | Tocco, Barbara ; Davidova, Sophia ; Bailey, Alastair |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the determinants of exit from agriculture under the implementation of CAP payments in four selected EU countries (France, Hungary, Italy and Poland) in the period 2005-08. The main results suggest that total subsidies at the regional level reduce the out-farm migration of agricultural workers in the two New Member States, Hungary and Poland. Conversely, the non-significant results for the ‘old’ Member States may be interpreted as the result of opposing effects of coupled payments and rural development support. The diverse impact of CAP on the likelihood of leaving agriculture in the four countries reflects the heterogeneity across European Member States, which does not allow a common and simple generalisation of the effect of the CAP on labour allocation. |
| Keywords: | Common Agricultural Policy, Farm Exit, European Union, Agricultural and Food Policy, Political Economy, J43, Q12, Q18, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182816&r=agr |
| By: | Regmi, Madhav ; Paudel, Krishna ; Khanal, Aditya ; Koirala, Krishna |
| Keywords: | Consumption, rural, urban, quantile regression, Namibia, household, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Q12, |
| Date: | 2015–01–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196689&r=agr |
| By: | Ferrière, Nathalie ; Suwa-Eisenmann, Akiko |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses empirically the impact of food aid on production, sales and purchases. We estimate the discrete choice and the level choice using the Ethiopian rural household survey. The panel dimension allows us to deal with food aid selection. Running a panel Tobit with sample selection and endogeneity we find that food aid reduces the probability of being a producer. It increases the one of being a seller and decreases the one of being a buyer only after 2004 that corresponds to changes in the criteria of food aid allocation. Food aid does not affect the level choice. |
| Keywords: | Food aid, production, sales, purchases, Ethiopia, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182693&r=agr |
| By: | Benedek, Zsófia ; Fertő, Imre ; Baráth, Lajos ; Tóth, József |
| Abstract: | The local food movement is rapidly evolving in Hungary. Three market types can be identified: traditional, farmers’ and organic markets. Results show that farmer- and farmspecific characteristics as well as attitudes greatly and variously influence the decision of small-scale farmers on finding the proper market type. A relatively young, educated and innovative farmer group is interested mostly in selling at farmers’ markets. The outcomes are important in the light of the coming EU funding schemes as small-scale farmers using different marketing channels may require targeted supporting frameworks and solutions. |
| Keywords: | short food supply chain, local food system, farmers’ market, organic farming, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182747&r=agr |
| By: | Kozar, Maja ; Pintar, Marjeta ; Volk, Tina |
| Abstract: | The paper outlines the most noticeable economic effects of the 2004 accession of Slovenia to the European Union (EU) on its agri-food sector. The main national statistical data are used to compare the situation in the Slovenian agri-food sector in the pre- and postaccession period. The main expected effects were related to joining the vast Common market through increased market competition and opportunities, as well as through the structural and organizational adjustments of a relatively small agri-food sector to it. Unexpectedly, these adjustments were halted in general, resulting most evidently in the increased export of raw agri-food products and import of processed products. Slovenian agri-food chain, especially the food industry, remains heavily challenged by its relatively poor competitive and organizational performance, both even more pronounced a decade after the EU accession. |
| Keywords: | agriculture, agricultural policy, EU accession, Slovenia, accession effects, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:187278&r=agr |
| By: | Luo, Tianyuan ; Escalante, Cesar |
| Abstract: | Changes in agricultural population can significantly influence the progress of mechanization, which provides efficient momentum to the further development of agriculture. We examine the effect of the declining agricultural population on mechanization and determine the variables that have decisive power over mechanical adoption decisions. This analysis of a panel data of top six out-migration provinces in China under a fixed effect model, we find that the overly fast and unusual decline in agricultural population actually slowed down the progress of mechanization, and the many years of large scale out-migration encouraged by government actually jeopardized sustainable agricultural development. Results underscore the need for considerable attention on the growth of annual farm incomes and agricultural products import that could have substantial effects on agricultural mechanization decisions. |
| Keywords: | agricultural population, mechanization, farm exit, import, Consumer/Household Economics, Labor and Human Capital, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196791&r=agr |
| By: | Zimmermann, Andrea ; Britz, Wolfgang |
| Abstract: | Due to their diversity and voluntariness, agri-environmental measures (AEMs) are among the Common Agricultural Policy instruments that are most difficult to assess. We provide an EU-wide analysis of AEM adoption and AEM support received per hectare using a Heckman sample selection approach and single farm data. Our analysis covers 23 Member States over the 2000-2008 period, assesses the entire portfolio of AEMs and focuses on the relationship between AEM participation and farming system. Results show that participation in AEMs is more likely in less intensive production systems, where, however, per hectare premiums tend to be lower. Member States group into three categories: high/low intensity farming systems with low/high AEM enrollment rates, respectively, and large high diversity countries with medium AEM enrollment rates. |
| Keywords: | Agri-environmental, CAP, farm, EU, estimation, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183073&r=agr |
| By: | Chege, Christine G.K. ; Andersson, Camilla I.M. ; Qaim, Matin |
| Abstract: | Many developing countries are experiencing a food system transformation, with a rapid growth of supermarkets. Research has shown that smallholder farmers can benefit from supplying supermarkets in terms of higher productivity and income. Here, we analyze impacts on farm household nutrition and show that participation in supermarket channels has sizeable positive effects: calorie, vitamin A, iron, and zinc consumption are all increased by 15% or more. We also analyze impact pathways, using simultaneous equation models. Supermarket-supplying households have higher incomes, a higher share of land under vegetables, and a higher likelihood of male control of revenues. Furthermore, income and the share of land under vegetables have positive impacts, while male control of revenues has negative impacts on dietary quality. The total nutrition effects of supermarket participation could be even more positive if women were able to keep their control over farm revenues in the process of commercialization. The methods developed and used may also be useful for other impact studies to better understand agriculture-nutrition linkages. |
| Keywords: | supermarkets, smallholder farmers, nutrition impact, dietary quality, gender, Kenya, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182724&r=agr |
| By: | Freshwater, David ; Leising, Jordan |
| Abstract: | In the paper we provide an explanation of the persistence of the commodity titles in US farm bills that is grounded in core theories of the policy process from the political science literature. The political science literature explains policy continuity and policy change from a number of different perspectives and we use these to explain why the commodity titles of farm bills have persisted in the face of considerable opposition and how in response the Agriculture Committees have introduced incremental change to the content of farm bills to facilitate each bill’s passage. Unlike the standard approach of agricultural economists which focuses on the broader national economic efficiency impacts of farm programs, we concentrate on, narrower local political forces that affect individual Members of the Congress, and on the legislative process that created each farm bill. |
| Keywords: | agricultural policy, farm bill, political economy, policy change, Agricultural and Food Policy, Political Economy, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196794&r=agr |
| By: | Bolotova, Yuliya |
| Abstract: | During the recent decade the organizations of agricultural producers in the national dairy, potato, egg and mushroom industries implemented various pre-production and production restriction practices with the primary objective of agricultural output price stabilization. The buyers of the affected agricultural commodities have challenged the legal status of production restrictions in a number of recent and current antitrust lawsuits, arguing that the Capper-Volstead Act, a limited antitrust exemption, does not protect production restrictions. Using the theory of oligopoly, this research evaluates potential market effects of agricultural production restrictions by comparing the organizations of agricultural producers with classic illegal cartels, which harmful effects antitrust law aims to prevent. The available empirical evidence on the market and price effects of agricultural output control practices is discussed in light of the theoretical analysis. |
| Keywords: | Antitrust, Capper-Volstead Act, cartels, cooperatives, output control agreements, Sherman Act., Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, Industrial Organization, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Marketing, D4, D7, K2, L1, L2, L4, Q1., |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196848&r=agr |
| By: | Eaton, Derek |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the effects of varying appropriability or strength of IPRs for agricultural seeds. Farmers are modelled as heterogeneous producers, purchasing seed from an innovating monopolist in a vertical product differentiation framework. The effects of IPRs on innovation are endogenized and the welfare of consumers assessed through the price for food. The theoretical analysis reveals some novel aspects of the traditional innovation versus diffusion tradeoff. Less productive producers, and also consumers, are better off with a moderate level of appropriability and lower level of innovation. The model is extended to a two country setting consisting of North and South. |
| Keywords: | innovation, intellectual property, product differentiation, trade, Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182643&r=agr |
| By: | Kirchweger, Stefan ; Eder, Michael ; Kantelhardt, Jochen |
| Abstract: | In order to increase competitiveness of their farms, dairy farmers select certain strategies regarding input use. We identify these strategies in an agricultural bookkeeping dataset and assess economic impacts of the strategy selection under volatile prices situations using cluster analysis and direct covariates matching. We find one low-input cluster with low levels of input use and three clusters with rather higher input levels. Those clusters differ in site conditions, farm size and milk production but have similar farm income. Furthermore the results indicate that low-input farms are competitive under volatile markets. |
| Keywords: | Dairy Farming, Farm Competitiveness, Farm Strategies, Cluster Analysis, Matching Method, Livestock Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182971&r=agr |
| By: | Guastella, Giovanni ; Moro, Daniele ; Sckokai, Paolo ; Veneziani, Mario |
| Abstract: | Following the decoupling of agricultural support from productions, the likelihood that payments get capitalised into farmland rent or sale prices has increased. In this study, the issue of capitalisation is examined for the case of regions in the EU and the three year (2006- 2008) time span following the introduction of the reform is considered in an attempt to disentangle the effect of the decoupling. Evidence put forward in this study confirms the results of previous literature at the micro-level, suggesting that an additional 1% granted to farmers translates into an increase of 0.22% in farmland rents. |
| Keywords: | European Union, subsidies capitalisation, land rents, spatial panel econometrics, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182755&r=agr |
| By: | Corsi, Alessandro ; Salvioni, Cristina |
| Abstract: | We analyse the determinants of off-farm labour participation of farmers. For estimation, we use different dynamic models, accounting for both heterogeneity and state dependence, as well as for the initial conditions. Our results suggest that, when keeping into account all these features, the present work state is almost totally explained by the previous state and by idiosyncratic characteristics, which implies a strong persistence. Variables concerning personal characteristics are not found to be significant in the dynamic setting. Finally, the variables related to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy have little or no statistically significant effect. |
| Keywords: | off-farm work, farm household, state dependence, panel data, CAP reform, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182652&r=agr |
| By: | Sarr, Sait ; Gyawali, Buddhi ; Banerjee, Swagata "Ban" |
| Abstract: | This study evaluates factors affecting the participation of small socially disadvantaged producers in federal and state cost-share programs. Data were collected from a survey of 100 producers in 21 Kentucky counties. Results suggest education, age, and farm size had significant influence on their participation in cost-share programs in Kentucky. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196992&r=agr |
| By: | Bajramović, Sabahudin ; Nikolić, Aleksandra |
| Abstract: | Complexity of the political system in Bosnia and Herzegovina reflects to entire economy of the country, especially to sensitive sectors as agriculture. Current agricultural BIH policy managed on entity and Brcko District level faces numerous challenges and dilemmas. Apart from insufficiently clear commitment to CAP EU convergence, major dilemmas are those related to further shaping of institutional-regulatory framework as well as selection of strategic course of sector development. Having in mind lack of common BIH agricultural policy and sector institutional weaknesses, our intention is to answer following two questions: (i) does it reflect to direct support of producers and (ii) are BIH farmers in unequal and uncompetitive position? In order to analyze actual situation it was used APM tool (Agri-Policy Measures) developed within FAO-SWG project. Based on outputs of this analysis we made recommendations and suggestions on the way of proceeding in such circumstances. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural policy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Budgetary support, Common Agricultural Policy, EU, Agricultural and Food Policy, Public Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186675&r=agr |
| By: | Minviel, Jean Joseph ; Latruffe, Laure |
| Abstract: | Predicting and investigating the impact of subsidisation on farm technical efficiency are becoming critical issues in applied policy analysis. This paper presents a meta-regression analysis of empirical results on this issue, based on logistic regressions and data gathered from a systematic literature review from 1972 to 2014. The review reveals that subsidisation is commonly negatively associated with farm technical efficiency. Estimation results show that the direction (negative, positive or null) of the observed effects is sensitive to the way subsidies are modelled in the empirical studies, but robust to farming systems studied, estimation methods used, and geographical areas considered. |
| Keywords: | technical efficiency, subsidies, farms, meta-regression analysis, multinomial probit model, Agricultural and Food Policy, Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182767&r=agr |
| By: | Röder, Norbert ; Henseler, Martin ; Liebersbach, Horst ; Kreins, Peter ; Osterburg, Bernhard |
| Abstract: | Agricultural production contributes 11% to the total German greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We evaluate the efficiency of three different land use based GHG mitigation measures: production of feedstocks for biomethane production, short rotation coppices and peatland restoration. We evaluate these measures with respect to cost efficiency (GHG mitigation costs), mitigation potential and impact on agricultural production. We use the regional supply model RAUMIS to investigate the different mitigation measures at the sector and regional level. We extended the modeling framework of RAUMIS to integrate the effects of leakage and indirect land use change. Compared to the production and use of feedstock for bio-energies, peatland restoration is the most cost efficient measure and has the least impact on German agricultural production. |
| Keywords: | agricultural production, regional supply model, agro-economic model, peatland restoration, bioenergy, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182674&r=agr |
| By: | Mitter, Hermine ; Heumesser, Christine ; Schmid, Erwin |
| Abstract: | Agricultural vulnerability is assessed by (i) modelling climate change impacts on crop yields and gross margins, (ii) identifying crop production portfolios for adaptation, and (iii) analyzing the effect of agricultural policies and risk aversion on adaptive capacity. We combine, spatially explicit, a statistical climate change model, the bio-physical process model EPIC and a portfolio optimization model. Under climate change, optimal portfolios include higher shares of intensive crop managements which increase crop yields and gross margins by 2-3%. Abolishment of decoupled but higher agri-environmental payments would reduce nitrogen fertilizer inputs by 23-33%, but also crop yields and gross margins by 18-37%. |
| Keywords: | climate change impact, adaptation, agricultural vulnerability, portfolio optimization, agri-environmental policies, Consumer/Household Economics, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182702&r=agr |
| By: | Magrini, Emiliano ; Montalbano, Pierluigi ; Nenci, Silvia ; Salvatici, Luca |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to assess the causal impact of trade policy distortions on food security. This is an hot issue since restrictions to agricultural trade have been generally applied by national governments, especially in developing countries, as a tool to insulate domestic markets from international prices turmoil. The added value of this work is twofold: i) the use of a non parametric matching technique with continuous treatment, namely the Generalised Propensity Score (GPS) to address the self selection bias; ii) the analysis of heterogeneity in treatment (by commodities) as well as in outcome (i.e., different dimensions of food security). The outcomes of our estimates show clearly that trade policy distortions are, overall, significantly correlated with the various dimensions of food security under analysis. Specifically, countries supporting the primary sector tend to be better off in all the dimensions of food security (food availability, access, utilisation and stability. However, the maximum level of food security is associated with moderate protection policies. |
| Keywords: | Food security, International trade, Trade measures, Impact evaluation, GPS, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182726&r=agr |
| By: | Toma, Luiza ; Barnes, Andrew Peter ; Sutherland, Lee-Ann ; Mathews, Keith ; Stott, Alistair |
| Abstract: | This study analyses the impact of a priori identified determinants of adoption of innovative animal health and welfare technologies by Scottish livestock farmers. The analysis uses a dataset of 1,764 observations for livestock farmers collected through a large scale survey of Scottish agricultural holdings, and structural equation modelling to test influences on technology adoption intentions and behaviour. Having made changes to business; perceived effects of technology and information on business; being recipient of a single farm payment; age; economic characteristics; access to/perceived usefulness of information; and perceived difficulty to change have significant influence on both technology adoption behaviour and intentions. |
| Keywords: | technological uptake, animal health and welfare innovations, behaviour and intentions, structural equation modelling., Agricultural and Food Policy, Health Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183049&r=agr |
| By: | Hodjo, Manzamasso ; Acharya, Ram N. |
| Abstract: | Rice is one of the major food crop produced and consumed in Togo. Although it has the potential to produce more than it needs, Togo imports nearly 50 percent of domestic consumption. Realizing its potential for increasing household income and food security, the government has been encouraging domestic production through various farm support programs since early 1990s. Although these programs have achieved some success in increasing production, it has failed to keep up with the soaring market demand. Moreover, despite consistent efforts from the government, only about 20 percent of the land suitable for rice cultivation was producing paddy until 2007. Although most native varieties are in high demand and receive significantly higher prices than imported varieties, factors such as limited access to modern inputs, lack of market information, and rising cheap imports are the primary constraints for steady growth in domestic rice production. In this light, this study aims to evaluate the impact of rising imports on domestic rice production in Togo. A source differentiated import demand function is used to evaluate the impact of importing broken, brown, and milled rice on domestic production. Preliminary results show that imported broken rice is considered as an inferior good in Togo. |
| Keywords: | Rice, Production, Imports, Support programs, Togo, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196823&r=agr |
| By: | Mantino, Francesco |
| Abstract: | This paper focuses on the notion of localised agricultural and agro-food system as unit of analysis (LAFS). LAFSs appear to be as quite resilient and dynamic systems. As we will see, the analysis of exports in the last years can provide enough evidence of their strong resilience and capability to respond to economic crisis. This dynamics does not seem understandable by only using either classical variables (size of farm holdings, intensity of capital investment, human capital, rate of technological progress, etc.) or geographical factors (soil fertility, irrigation, plain versus mountain location, etc.). Organisation is a key variable to explain their diverse economic performances. Between the market and the hierarchic structure there are so many possible types of organisational modes, which strictly depend from the strategies set up by economic agents. The analysis provides evidence of diffused dynamism of these systems, both in terms of demographic characteristics, labour productivity and exports in international markets. Relevant differences among these local systems can be explained by geographical location (especially between North and South Italy) and infrastructural endowments. But relevant differences, according to recent studies on governance of rural areas, are also as far as cooperation and integration variables are concerned. To explore the nature of these variables, a parallel survey was implemented in 20 Italian areas to identify and reconstruct the institutional maps of the food chain supply (farming system, food industry, type of distribution and market channels), the main actors working in it and the main forms of vertical and horizontal integration/cooperation. This allowed to understand the structure of the food chain supply and which kind of governance is characterising agriculture and agro-food sector in these rural areas. The survey allows conceptualising four possible modes of rural integration/cooperation, depending from the organisation that has been set up within the single LAFS: 1) LAFSs with lack of governance; 2) LAFSs with contractual arrangements dominated by the processing industry and/or by the large-scale retail; 3) LAFSs with contractual arrangements involving effective cooperative structures and/or producers organisations; d) LAFSs where Consortia of cooperatives and/or producers Organisations were able to bring in innovative forms in marketing phase. |
| Keywords: | Rural development, Agro-food systems, Governance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Agricultural policies – Food Policies Q18, Regional development Planning and Policy R58, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183537&r=agr |
| By: | Fusco, Daniela ; Giordano, Paola ; Moretti, Valerio ; Pierangeli, Fabio |
| Abstract: | The aim of the paper is to investigate main structural characteristics of Piemonte farms with an attention to those already existing at the previous Census (2000), analyzing the rule played by the CAP supports by different sectors. The paper provides a Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) and a Cluster Analysis (CA) run on an innovative dataset produced by the matches between three different sources: Agricultural Census 2010, Agricultural Census 2000 and CAP Payments. Finally, the paper contributes to the current discussion on the CAP 2014-2020 trying to figure out the potential impact at farm level by cluster obtained in the analysis. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Census, Piemonte, CAP, multiway analyses, SPAD, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182912&r=agr |
| By: | Carvalho, Carvalho R. ; Richardson, James W. ; Bryant, Henry L. |
| Abstract: | Brazil is the fourth largest country in milk production and both production and consumption of dairy products are growing fast. However, it is unknown how the dairy sector reacts to exogenous shocks. A structural econometric model of the Brazilian dairy sector is used to analyze the consequences of biofuel policies on the production, consumption, and price of milk. The paper aims to evaluate how the Renewable Fuel Standard policy in the U.S. and the sugar cane policy in Brazil affect the dairy industry in Brazil. The policies are analyzed relative to a ten-year baseline scenario ending in 2022. Data from 1980 to 2012 are used to estimate the Brazilian dairy sector model. Annual equilibrium prices are solved by minimizing the squared difference between supply and demand for four different markets: cheese, butter, milk powder, and fresh dairy products. Both RFS and sugar cane acreage expansion have negative impact on milk production in Brazil and positive effect on consumer price. However, the impact of US’ RFS program is small. The model estimates appear to perform well in representing the actual dairy sector. The milk production forecasts were reasonable and the effects of shocks were well supported by the economic theory. |
| Keywords: | Policy analysis, dairy market, structural econometric model, partial equilibrium., Agricultural and Food Policy, Livestock Production/Industries, C50, C54, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196787&r=agr |
| By: | Lakner, Sebastian ; Kirchweger, Stefan ; Hoop, Daniel ; Brümmer, Bernhard ; Kantelhardt, Jochen |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates the impact of subsidies and of para-agriculture on the technical efficiency of organic farms in Switzerland, Austria and Southern Germany. The data-set consists of bookkeeping data with 1,704 observations in the years 2003 to 2005. Technical efficiency is modelled using a stochastic distance-frontier model combined with a Metafrontier-model. The results show almost no efficiency differences among the farms in the three countries. Para-agriculture shows a strong impact on farm’s efficiency and output in Austria and Switzerland, whereas in Germany the effect is rather small. The study confirms that agricultural subsidies have a direct impact on farm’s efficiency. |
| Keywords: | Technical Efficiency, Organic Farming, Grassland Farming, Para-Agriculture, Environmental Economics and Policy, Productivity Analysis, Q12, Q18, D24, C54, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182763&r=agr |
| By: | Pruitt, J. Ross ; Holcomb, Rodney B. |
| Abstract: | Consumer expenditures on purchases of food away from home have risen in recent years to nearly half of consumer food budgets. Using the monthly National Restaurant Association Restaurant Performance Index, we seek to determine the factors that influence this index. Macroeconomic factors and health concerns influence restaurant performance. |
| Keywords: | Restaurant performance, food away from home, health, nutrition, food safety, Agribusiness, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing, D12, Q11, Q13, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196720&r=agr |
| By: | Guastella, Gianni ; Moro, Daniele ; Sckokai, Paolo ; Veneziani, Mario |
| Abstract: | Previous empirical literature suggests that agricultural subsidies are capitalized into farmland rents and that the introduction of the 2003 decoupling reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, attaching the subsidy to land only, might have even extended the phenomenon of capitalization. Employing the FADN dataset for Italy we investigate this issue using methodologies accounting for selectivity, endogeneity and individual heterogeneity simultaneously. The evidence suggests that selectivity bias causes inconsistent estimation of parameters and wrong inference. Results reveal instead that, in Italy, there is no incidence of both coupled and decoupled payments. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186375&r=agr |
| By: | Bolotova, Yuliya |
| Abstract: | This research evaluates the effects of the key changes that took place in the design of Class III milk pricing within Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMOs) on milk price behavior and dairy farm profitability over three milk pricing regimes: Minnesota-Wisconsin price series (1960s – 1995), Basic Formula Price (1995-1999) and Multiple Component Pricing (2000-present). An autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH) model is estimated to evaluate the effects of changes in the dairy industry institutional environment on the Class III milk price level and volatility over the analyzed period of time. The empirical evidence presented in the paper indicates that changes in the level of Class III milk price were rather minor in magnitude. However, changes in the milk price volatility were dramatic. There is empirical evidence indicating that the private Exchange spot cheese price is the main determinant of the Class III milk price, which is consistent with the design of Class III milk pricing during the analyzed FMMOs milk pricing regimes. |
| Keywords: | dairy farm profitability, Federal Milk Marketing Orders, milk price volatility, regulated pricing., Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Industrial Organization, Marketing, L1, K2, Q1, |
| Date: | 2015–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196779&r=agr |
| By: | Di Falco, Salvatore ; Veronesi, Marcella |
| Abstract: | Recent literature shows that deviations from normal rainfall and temperature systematically increase the occurrence of human conflicts. We investigate whether land certification can offset the effect of climate anomalies on land use conflicts. We use a large panel dataset from farm-household surveys conducted in Ethiopia in years 2005 and 2007. We exploit both the exogenous variation in climatic factors and the random assignment of property rights to answer our research question. We find robust evidence that farm-households with land tenure are less prone to land disputes and more resilient to climate anomalies than farm-households without tenure security. |
| Keywords: | climate, conflicts, land certification, property rights, tenure security, Land Economics/Use, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183083&r=agr |
| By: | Sali, Guido ; Corsi, Stefano ; Monaco, Federica ; Mazzochi, Chiara |
| Abstract: | In highly urbanized contexts a strategy for improving food provision and a sustainable use of resources is needed. In order to ensure this, specific interventions should be supported by a background analysis, deepening the potentialities of the local system in responding to urban food demand. The paper proposes a methodology to describe and assess these capacities in a metropolitan agro-food system from a multidimensional perspective, through an approach combining productive and economic aspects, and describing simultaneously the conformity of productions to food demand, and their contribution to the economic balance of the territory. The methodological approach introduced has been applied to Milan Metropolitan Region. |
| Keywords: | metropolitan area, food balance, food self-sufficiency, self-sufficiency indexes, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2014–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186373&r=agr |
| By: | Scaringelli, Myriam Anna ; Giannoccaro, Giacomo ; Prosperi, Maurizio ; Lopolito, Antonio |
| Abstract: | In recent decades, one of the problems affecting the environment has been the increased use of plastics in agriculture, often illegally performed by open burning in the fields. The adoption of biodegradable products may represent an important opportunity to increase the environmental sustainability of agricultural sector. The goal of this study is to estimate the farmers’ willingness to pay for innovative biodegradable mulching films. A sample of 120 horticultural farms in the Province of Foggia (Apulia Region, Italy) has been surveyed by a questionnaire. The survey results demonstrate a substantial interest by farmers towards products made with innovative materials. |
| Keywords: | Biodegradable mulching film, willingness to pay, innovations, farmers stated preferences, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182981&r=agr |
| By: | Heerman, Kari E.R. ; Arita, Shawn ; Gopinath, Munisamy |
| Abstract: | This article compares the effects on global agricultural trade patterns of Asia-Pacific regional economic integration led by the United States versus that by China. Our analysis employs a Eaton-Kortum type model in which agricultural producers have access to technology with heterogeneous productivity. Unlike the standard Eaton-Kortum model, product specific-productivity is linked to a country’s land and climate characteristics and trade costs are product-specific. We derive a structural relationship between the probability a country has comparative advantage in a given export market for an individual agricultural product and the bilateral costs of trading that product controlling for the product-specific unit costs of production from a general equilibrium framework. We specify the relationship as a random coefficients logit model to estimate a country-specific distribution of trade costs and productivity across agricultural products. We use these estimated distributions to explore the set of bilateral relationships from which Asia-Pacific integration is likely to generate the largest shifts in agricultural trade patterns. |
| Keywords: | Asia-Pacific integration, agricultural trade, free trade agreements, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189819&r=agr |
| By: | Simola, Antti |
| Abstract: | Applied general equilibrium (AGE) modeling is a versatile tool for guiding public policies. However, the standard treatment of production function in AGE models is not completely satisfactory. It is commonly based on nested CES functions that are rigid and empirically hard to estimate. In this paper, I will show that by applying a more general functional form - CRESH - the agricultural sector can be presented more realistically in AGE models. |
| Keywords: | AGE modeling, production function, Agricultural and Food Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182791&r=agr |
| By: | McCormack, Michele Ann ; O'Donoghue, Cathal |
| Abstract: | The current structure of agricultural production is still influenced by historical coupled payments, even though it has been eight years since decoupled payments were introduced. Much of the expansion in the Irish cattle herd that occurred during the era of the MacSharry reforms is still visible. In this paper we consider the incentives associated with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) over time in relation to production. Our primary focus is on subsidies that were available to the beef sector, and we investigate the behavioural pressures associated with these incentives. We have developed a Hypothetical microsimulation model using a typical farm, based on plausible values taken from the Teagasc National Farm Survey (NFS) 1995. We are investigating if subsidies available to the beef sector in Ireland through the CAP since 1984 resulted in non-linearity in the Direct Payment Schedule faced by cattle farmers, and if so where were these kinks and what were the behavioural pressures associated with these incentives? Identifying non-linearity in the Direct Payment Schedule indicates where incentives occurred. Large kinks are associated with large incentives at that point. We calculated a total payment for each subsidy from 1984 to 2014, and constructed a Direct Payment Schedule that varies by stocking rate. We find that subsidies, and in particular the CAP reform payments of the MacSharry era introduced large discontinuities or kink points in the Direct Payment Schedule of beef farmers, indicating that there were large incentives for farmers to produce at or just before these points. |
| Keywords: | Direct Payments, Incentives, Subsidy, CAP, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182733&r=agr |
| By: | Huang, Jikun ; Yang, Jun ; Deng, Xiangzheng ; Wang, Jinxia ; Rozelle, Scott |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189685&r=agr |
| By: | Durand-Morat, Alvaro ; Chavez, Eddie ; Wailes, Eric |
| Abstract: | Genetically-modified (GM) rice is an important technology surrounded with controversy and uncertainty, hence it warrants more in-depth analysis. While GM rice is considered by its supporters as having promising potential, many still remain passionately against its use. This study assesses the impacts of GM rice commercialization on the global rice market. We use the Arkansas Global Rice Model (AGRM) and the RICEFLOW model to provide stochastic and dynamic analyses. Scenarios of adoption, diffusion and acceptance of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) rice by Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the Philippines are compared against baseline projections. The results focus on world trade, world and domestic prices, resource savings, domestic production, consumption, and stocks. Bt rice adoption has the potential to significantly impact the global and national rice economies. Total rice trade, international price, and domestic prices decline as global rice production, consumption, and stocks expand. |
| Keywords: | GM rice, food security, technology change, Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Political Economy, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Q16, Q55, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196979&r=agr |
| By: | Ibrahim, Mohammed ; Florkowski, Wojciech |
| Abstract: | This study employed a probit model to identify the factors that influence the willingness of farmers in northern Ghana to adopt improved peanut varieties. A cross-sectional data of 206 peanut farmers from the Tamale Metropolitan, Tolon-Kumbungu and Savelugu-Nanton districts in the northern region of Ghana were used in the analysis. The estimated results indicate that Tolon-Kumbungu district (location), early maturity, farm size, ownership of a radio and membership in a farm organization significantly influence farmer willingness to adopt improved peanut varieties. |
| Keywords: | improved peanut variety, technology adoption, Ghana, probit model, Agribusiness, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:197049&r=agr |
| By: | Bozzola, Martina |
| Abstract: | We adopt a moment based approach to investigate how individual producers' optimize input usage, in particular irrigation water, taking into account their risk preferences. We rely on a panel data of 122,800 Italian farms, spread over 1981 to 2003. We capture both variation over farms and over time. We show that risk aversion has increased over time, while down-side risk aversion has been more stable and that farmers specializing in different crops exhibit different risk aversion and use irrigation water with diverse efficiency. Higher downside risk aversion is a key determinant in the decision to adopt irrigation technology. |
| Keywords: | risk attitude, method of moments, irrigation, production uncertainty, Environmental Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182771&r=agr |
| By: | Ferro, Gabrielle ; Grogan, Kelly |
| Keywords: | Motor Vehicle, Inspection Programs, Emissions, Ozone, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196870&r=agr |
| By: | Pieters, Hannah ; Curzi, Daniele ; Olper, Alessandro ; Swinnen, Jo |
| Keywords: | Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182716&r=agr |
| By: | Veljanoska, Stefanija |
| Abstract: | The economic literature showed that remittances can replace missing credit and insurance markets. As a result, it is natural to expect that higher amounts of remittances will motivate agricultural farmers to engage in riskier activities. The present study aims to verify the latter hypothesis by answering three distinct questions: do households that receive higher remittances choose to cultivate a riskier crop portfolio, to engage either in crop specialization or in crop diversification and to use riskier input such as fertilizer? I use the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) dataset on Uganda established by the World Bank to test these hypotheses. The results show that higher remittances induce crop specialization and higher probability of fertilizer use. |
| Keywords: | agricultural risk, crop diversity, insurance, remittances, Uganda, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182788&r=agr |
| By: | Boulanger, Pierre ; Philippidis, George |
| Abstract: | This paper presents methodological development of MAGNET, a sophisticated agricultural variant of the well-known GTAP computable general equilibrium (CGE) model for representing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Using original data on EU domestic support, it examines some likely macroeconomic effects in the European Union (EU) of the expected budget over the period 2014-2020. Results suggest that agreed budget cuts, in constant price, have limited impacts on EU and world markets, given the broadly non-distortive representation of present CAP policy. |
| Keywords: | CGE, CAP, domestic support, EU28, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182789&r=agr |
| By: | Kimhi, Ayal |
| Abstract: | Migration patterns in Israeli agriculture have gone through different phases. Labor flowed into farming until the country became self‐sufficient in terms of food supply. Then, self‐employed farmers exited gradually while production continued to increase, destined for export markets. This process intensified considerably when foreign labor was allowed to enter the country. Traditional production theory predicts that migrant workers will drive local workers to lose their jobs, but the Israeli data show that the number of Israeli hired farm workers has actually increased since the arrival of foreign labor. This paper develops a modified theoretical model in which farm labor is heterogeneous, so that changes in the number of foreign and local hired workers are not necessarily opposite in sign. The results of the model are consistent with the observation that the availability of foreign labor has led to an increase in the production and export of labor‐intensive horticultural products. Farms have become larger and more specialized, and this has led to labor specialization, with foreign workers performing the manual tasks and Israeli hired employees performing the managerial and professional ones. We conclude that the inflow of foreign workers has led to an irreversible structural change in Israeli agriculture. Surrendering to the popular demand to reduce the number of foreign workers for the benefit of local workers will actually lessen the demand for local farm workers. |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Labor and Human Capital, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189689&r=agr |
| By: | Drabik, Dusan ; Ciaian, Pavel ; Pokrivcak, Jan |
| Abstract: | This is the first paper to analyze the impact of biofuels on the price transmission along the food chain. Specifically, we analyze the U.S. corn sector and its vertical links to food and ethanol markets. The key result of this paper is that the presence of biofuels affects the price transmission elasticity only when the blender's tax credit is binding and the shock originates in the food market. Our another important result is that the response of corn and food prices to exogenous shocks in the corn or food markets is always lower in the presence of biofuels when the tax credit is binding. However, the results are mixed for the binding mandate. The sensitivity analyses indicate that our results are robust to different assumptions about the model parameters. |
| Keywords: | price transmission, food chain, biofuels, prices, Demand and Price Analysis, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182697&r=agr |
| By: | Wąs, Adam ; Majewski, Edward ; Czekaj, Stefania |
| Abstract: | After a long debate between political bodies of the EU, the final decision about the shape of the CAP in the next programming period has been made. The initial proposal of the European Commission was very ambitious yet, after the announcement of its final version, there is a common belief that green requirements have been watered down. This paper presents the results of impact analysis based on the most recent proposition of CAP reform with a specific focus on “greening” of direct payments. It evaluates changes in the cropping structure and economic results of Polish farms from the perspective of the year 2020. For the analyses, the authors proposed an original farm typology using data taken from 10890 farms from FADN sampled in 2011. A farm optimization model with PMP technique was used to estimate potential effects of the reform for 218 types of Polish farms. The farm model results have been scaled-up to the country level. Results show that a majority of Polish farms are already complying with the new requirements. Adjustment of the remaining farms to the new requirements leads to only small changes in the cropping structure and has negligible impact on income generated by the Polish farm sector. |
| Keywords: | greening, CAP, farm income, Shannon Index, Positive Mathematical Programming, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182699&r=agr |
| By: | Chiputwa, Brian ; Qaim, Matin ; Spielman, David J. |
| Abstract: | Voluntary standards are gaining in importance in global markets for high-value foods. We analyze and compare impacts of three sustainability oriented standards – Fairtrade, Organic, and UTZ – on the livelihoods of smallholder coffee farmers in Uganda. Using survey data and propensity score matching with multiple treatments, we find that Fairtrade certification increases household living standards by 30% and reduces the prevalence and depth of poverty. For the other two certification schemes, no significant impacts are found. Several factors that can explain differential impacts are discussed. Overly general statements about the effects of sustainability standards on smallholder livelihoods may be misleading. |
| Keywords: | coffee, smallholder farmers, Organic, Fairtrade, Uganda, Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182718&r=agr |
| By: | Di-Marcantonio, Federica ; Morales-Opazo, Cristian ; Barreiro-Hurlé, Jesús ; Demeke, Mulat |
| Abstract: | This study examines the relationship between policy, market access, country governance indicators and food production in 41 African countries. Based on a cross-country panel sample, a fixed-random effect models is employed to test the hypothesis that beyond agricultural inputs and macroeconomic reforms other exogenous factors could foster food production. Our findings show that improving food-agricultural inputs enhance production, while conflicts, food aid and geographic location such as landlocked countries negatively affect food production. Exogenous factors influencing production response include rainfall, market access, and education. Both governance and education can indirectly improve food production by enhancing growth, through investment in infrastructures, and human capital. |
| Keywords: | food, production, market, governance, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182683&r=agr |
| By: | Palma, Marco ; Ribera, Luis ; Bessler, David A. |
| Abstract: | This article compiles several sources of drug data to provide an analysis of supply and demand factor influencing the drug trade, including potential effects to agricultural production. All effects were found to be contemporaneously independent with the exception of coca production causing arrests in the U.S. Significant lagged effects were found linking agricultural production and coca production. Seizures and arrests were found to have a lagged deterrent effect on coca production. Seizures and arrests had lagged effects in explaining the variance of each other. It is likely that arrests increase intelligence information, resulting in more seizures and eventually more arrests. |
| Keywords: | coca, cocaine, directed acyclic graphs, drug production, drug trafficking, forecast error variance decomposition., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Labor and Human Capital, K42, Q15., |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189693&r=agr |
| By: | Seidu, Ayuba ; Seale, James |
| Abstract: | A generalized differential demand system is used to provide a detailed demand system analysis of the organic food industry in Denmark to estimate conditional expenditure and price elasticities. The results suggest that cereals, dairy and other organic food aggregates are highly price-inelastic with the exception of the group, fruits and vegetables (FV), which is almost price unitary-elastic holding real income constant or price elastic holding nominal income constant. Also, cereals, FV, and other organic food aggregates are expenditure elastic. Dairy on the other hand is expenditure inelastic. Further, our calculated Morishima elasticity of substitution from the conditional compensated price elasticity estimates suggest that Danish organic consumers are more willing to substitute away from FV given a change in its relative price. The policy implications of the results are then addressed in the face of Danish organic conversion subsidy program. |
| Keywords: | organic food, conditional differential demand systems, 2-stage budgeting, Denmark, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196809&r=agr |
| By: | Femenia, Fabienne ; Letort, Elodie |
| Abstract: | Our main objective is to analyze the effects of policy instruments that could provide agricultural producers economic incentives to the adoption of innovative cropping practices and thereby allow a reduction of pesticide use. To do so, we combine economic data, reflecting the intensive cropping practices currently used in France, and experimental agronomic data, on a low input technology, to estimate econometric models. These models are then used to conduct policy simulations. Our results show that without public incentives producers would not adopt the new technology. We also show that a tax on pesticides generates larger effects when these low input practices are available to farmers. |
| Keywords: | multi-crop ecometric model, low input technology, pesticide taxation, agronomic data, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182743&r=agr |
| By: | Nelson, Mack C. ; Styles, Erika K. ; Pattanaik, Nalini ; Liu, Xuanli ; Brown, James |
| Abstract: | Profit maximizing farm producers attempt to minimize risk in their business by utilizing available cost effective methods and information. This research attempts to identify production barriers to vegetable and fruit producers adopting organic methods of production and determine which of these barriers to organic production influence adoption most. The data for this study is from a 2014 state wide telephone survey of Georgia’s vegetable and fruit producers. Producers were segregated into five groups; those using 100 percent conventional methods, more conventional than organic, those using about 50 percent organic and 50 percent conventional, more organic than conventional, and 100 percent organic method. Results are based on logit analysis of producers’ perceptions of barriers, farm and socioeconomic characteristics. A number of factors including producers’ evaluation of production barriers are shown to influence adoption of organic production methods. Among perception factors and characteristics influencing adoption are organic certification costs, reluctance to adopt new production methods, lower organic yields, liability of organic producers is higher, labor costs, producer age, educational attainment, years of organic farming experience and farm size (measured as gross annual farm sales). |
| Keywords: | organic production, logit analysis, produce, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196868&r=agr |
| By: | Wongprawmas, Rungsaran ; Canavari, Maurizio ; Waisarayutt, Chutima |
| Abstract: | Thai government introduced a food safety label (Q mark) to help consumers recognizing produce with higher level of safety assurance. Producers and retailers are sceptical on whether Thai consumers place value on it, thus they are reluctant to apply to obtain certification and label. This study aims to estimate the value Thai consumers place on food safety labels for fresh produce using a discrete choice experiment approach and a mixed logit (RPL) model. A sample of 350 Thai consumers was surveyed in Bangkok in 2013. Thai consumers are willing- to-pay a premium price for food safety labelled produce over unlabelled ones. |
| Keywords: | food safety label, stated choice experiment, mixed logit, fresh produce, Thailand, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182739&r=agr |
| By: | Bîrhală, Brînduşa ; Möllers, Judith |
| Abstract: | Searching for viable rural innovations that serve the health concerns of consumers and the economic needs of small-scale farms in Eastern Europe, this study deals with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). We are interested in the costs and benefits for both sides involved, the farmers and consumers, when entering into a direct, trust-based market relationship in the form of CSA. The study is theoretically embedded in the concept of solidarity economy. The analysis is based on three cases of farmers pioneering CSA in Romania by offering organic vegetables to their local contracted consumers in the Western part of the country. Our results reveal certain elements that are supportive for the involvement in CSA. Consumers follow more value-based considerations, they are for example convinced of the importance of a healthy diet and of the damaging effects of synthetic agricultural inputs. For farmers the CSA partnership is attractive as long as it offers a price premium and market access. Both, farmers and consumers compensate for market failures when involving in CSA partnerships. |
| Keywords: | Community Supported Agriculture, organic farming, Romania, solidarity economy, rural development, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Public Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182666&r=agr |
| By: | Ratinger, Tomáš ; Medonos, Tomáš ; Hruška, Martin |
| Abstract: | The objective of the poster paper is to identify factors of participation in investment support scheme and to assess economic and other effects of the measures 121 “Modernisation of Agricultural Holdings” and 123 “Increasing of value added” of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 on the Czech farms. A particular attention is paid to the issues of participation in different measures, differentiated impacts of the supports according to the production conditions and deadweight. In general, the selected measures improved performance of supported farms. Evident differences are among impacts in the farm subsamples – in the sub-sample of farms with a higher density of ruminants the economic impacts are statistically significant while in the other case are not. |
| Keywords: | modernisation, value adding, counterfactual analysis, direct nearest neighbour matching, deadweight, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182927&r=agr |
| By: | Ryan, Mary ; O’Donoghue, Cathal ; Upton, Vincent |
| Abstract: | The role of forests in our environment is increasing in importance due to the multifunctional benefits forests provide to urban and rural communities in relation to climate change mitigation, water conservation and the provision of fibre for bioenergy. However, afforestation targets across Europe are not being met. Using Ireland as a case study, we try to understand why farm afforestation rates are falling, despite the availability of generous forestry subsidies. We use a novel technique to examine the afforestation participation decision using a life cycle choice methodology where we apply revealed choice methodology to afforestation for the first time. We find that the model coefficients coincide with expected economic theory relative to the utility maximisation of income, leisure and wealth (long term land value). However, we observe a cohort of farmers who do not plant forestry regardless of income derived, reflecting their preference to maintain the flexibility of the long term value of their land by continuing to farm. |
| Keywords: | Afforestation decision, life-cycle analysis, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182753&r=agr |
| By: | Thapaliya, Sudha ; Interis, Matthew G. ; Collart, Alba J. ; Walters, Lurleen ; Morgan, Kimberly L. |
| Abstract: | Health concerns seem to influence consumers’ decisions for purchasing local foods. Maples et al. (2013), Onozaka, Nurse, and Thilmany McFadden (2010), and Wolf, Apitler, and Ahern (2005) found that health motivation can be a significant driver of local foods purchase, yet it remains unclear what specific health aspects determine consumer purchase decisions. For example, consumers with a delicate health history might be trying to fend off disease. In this study, we explore the effects of specific health variables (family illness incidences focusing six particular diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, back/joint pain, Alzheimer/dementia and cancer,) on buying behavior of local foods. We examine the decisions of whether to visit farmer’s markets, visit farm stands, and participate in community supported agriculture (CSA) using a binary probit model. Results indicate that cancer and obesity are statistically significant to purchase local foods. Other important factors include greater physical activity level, following special diet and availability of farmers’ markets. Findings might help local food sellers in the Southeastern United States gain a deeper understanding of how consumers’ health background and health concerns affect their choice of local food outlets. |
| Keywords: | Health motivation, Local foods, Southeastern consumers, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196803&r=agr |
| By: | Schönhart, Martin ; Schauppenlehner, Thomas ; Schmid, Erwin |
| Abstract: | This article presents an integrated modelling framework (IMF) at field scales including a bio-economic farm optimization model. It is applied on two contrasting Austrian landscapes to analyze climate change and CAP policy reform impacts in 2040. Changing policies reduce farm gross margins by -36% and -5% in the two landscapes respectively. Climate change increases gross margins and farms can reach pre-reform levels on average. Climate induced intensification such as removing of landscape elements and increasing fertilization can be moderated by an agri-environmental program (AEP). However, productivity gains from climate change increase the opportunity costs of AEP participation. |
| Keywords: | integrated land use modelling, agri-environmental program, climate change, landscape, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182680&r=agr |
| By: | Lefebvre, Marianne ; Gomez y Paloma, Sergio ; Viaggi, Davide |
| Abstract: | This article aims to analyse the determinants of EU farmers' intentions to invest in the period 2014-2020. It analysed data of a survey of 780 farmers interviewed in spring 2013, covering 6 EU countries (Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland) and four different farm types (arable crops, livestock, perennial crops and mixed farms). A multivariate probit model is used in order to determine the factors explaining the willingness to invest or not to invest in various farm asset classes (land, building, machinery, training) by the surveyed farmers. The multivariate probit allows taking into account the possibility of simultaneous investments and the potential correlations among these investment decisions. We find that investments in different asset classes are complementary. Farmers willing to invest in one asset class are also willing to invest in other asset classes, after controlling for observable characteristics such as farm size, specialization, farmer's age. This paper contributes to the limited literature on farmers' investment decisions at EU-level. Future versions of the paper will include the marginal effects, as well as improved justification of the methodology and interpretation of the results. |
| Keywords: | Investment, Agriculture, Willingness to invest, EU, multivariate probit, Farm Management, Labor and Human Capital, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182737&r=agr |
| By: | Helming, John ; Reijs, Joan |
| Abstract: | In this paper we analyse the impact of different grazing policies on number of dairy cows in different grazing categories in 2025 by model simulation in the Netherlands. It can be generally concluded that in the absence of intervention there is a strong tendency towards a decline in grazing on Dutch dairy farms. This tendency is not inevitable and it can be counteracted by policies aiming at higher percentages of grazing on dairy farms. External information about differences in costs between alternative and observed grazing technology is used to calibrate the PMP model. This results into a more flexible substitution between alternative technologies. |
| Keywords: | dairy farms, grazing, technology switch, mathematical programming, policies, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182730&r=agr |
| By: | De Cara, Stéphane ; Fournier, Anne ; Gaigné, Carl |
| Abstract: | ’Buying local food’ is sometimes advocated as a means of reducing the ’carbon footprint’ of food products. This statement overlooks the trade-off between inter- and intra-regional food transportation. We investigate this issue by using an m-region, new economic geography model. The spatial distribution of food production within and between regions is endogenously determined. We exhibit cases where locating a significant share of the food production in the least-urbanized regions results in lower transport-related emissions than in configurations where all regions are self-sufficient. The welfare-maximizing allocation of food production does not exclude the possibility that some regions should be self-sufficient, provided their urban population sizes are neither too large nor too small. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural location, Transport, Greenhouse gas emissions, Food miles, Local food, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182678&r=agr |
| By: | Deppermann, Andre ; Offermann, Frank ; Grethe, Harald |
| Abstract: | The persistency of EU policies supporting first generation biofuels despite the clearly emerging picture of ecological benefits of this policy being small or even negative, leads to the conclusion that this policy is driven by other objectives such as its distributional effects. Against this background, the main objective of this article is to analyse income effects of an abolishment of biofuel policies at a disaggregated level for the German agricultural sector. Effects are estimated for different farm types and regions. Furthermore, differences between farm net value added and family farm income are analysed and distributional effects are estimated. |
| Keywords: | biofuel policy, income effects, equilibrium model, farm group model, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182803&r=agr |
| By: | Yeboah, Osei ; Naanwaab, Cephas B. ; Poku, Peter Hilary Amoah |
| Abstract: | With the productivity of US agriculture growing faster than domestic food and fiber demand, U.S farmers and agricultural firms rely heavily on export markets, to sustain price revenues. U.S agricultural exports have been larger than imports since 1960, generating a surplus in agricultural trade. The surplus helps counter the persistent deficit in non-agricultural merchandise trade, ERS - USDA (2013). From its modest beginning during the nineteenth century as a niche market, Asia has grown enormously in importance as a trading partner for the United States, (Foreign Trade Statistics, U.S Census Bureau). For example, by mid-2008, China accounted for 11.2% of all U.S trade behind Canada’s 17.9% share but ahead of Mexico’s 10.7%. This paper econometrically analyzes the export demand of U.S. meat products into these countries using the Export demand model. The model is applied to yearly aggregated data of U.S. meat product exports to some Asian countries from1980 to 2013. Export values were regressed on the per capita GDP of the countries in question, Exchange rates of the currencies of these countries to the U.S. dollar and WTO Membership. Results indicated that, per capita GDP and exchange rates positively affect the quantity of export. |
| Keywords: | chicken, pork, export demand model, beef, turkey., International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196893&r=agr |
| By: | Landi, Chiara ; Bartolini, Fabio ; Rovai, Massimo |
| Abstract: | This paper aims at investigating the factors affecting relative changes in the average farm size over the period 2000-2010. The objective has been pursued applying an empirical investigation in Tuscany region through observation aggregated at municipality level. By applying spatial analysis and spatial econometric techniques, spatial distribution and determinants of different farm size are detected. Results showing the relevance of spatial analysis, pointed out that farm household and territorial characteristics, such as the productivity, single farm payments and being located at plain altitude, positively affect the average farm size since these agricultural holdings are eased to pursue economies of scale. |
| Keywords: | structural change, spatial econometrics, municipality data, average farm size, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182938&r=agr |
| By: | Bogdanov, Natalija |
| Abstract: | Policy objectives and measures of support to less favoured areas have undergone significant changes during the last reforms of the CAP. Regardless of changes in policy objectives and methods of its implementation, the LFA support remains one of the most important implementation mechanisms of rural development support. This paper aims to overview key issues and challenges of agricultural policy in Serbia related to less favoured areas and deprivileged regions, from the perspective of policy framework, budgetary expenditures and implementation mechanisms. Research indicates that Serbian agricultural policy got stuck in productivism ideologies, with insufficient focus on viability of mountain farming and capacity of LFA to cope with the transitional challenges. |
| Keywords: | LFA policy, regional diversity, Serbia, agricultural budgetary expenditures, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186679&r=agr |
| By: | Bonanno, Alessandro ; Bimbo, Francesco ; Castellari, Elena ; Sckokai, Paolo |
| Abstract: | In spite of Italy presenting one of the largest consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) among EU Countries, the number of adult Italians consuming the recommended daily amounts of FV is declining, especially in the South of the country, were the expansion of the food retail industry has been lagging. In this article we assess whether the food retail structure affects the likelihood of adult Italians consuming five or more daily portions of FV, using 9 years of individual-level data on individuals’ lifestyle, including eating habits and perceived access to supermarkets, matched with detailed regional data on the food retail structure. In our analysis we use a Two-Step Instrumental Variable Probit estimator and variables indicating the political climate of the different regions to correct for the potential endogeneity of geographic disparity in retail structures. Results show that increased access and availability of fruits and vegetables affect positively the probability of consuming the daily-recommended amounts of FV. Food retail structure’s effect appears less marked for individuals declaring hurdles in accessing supermarkets. While individuals’ characteristics play an important role in explaining FV consumption probability among individuals declaring no hurdles in accessing supermarkets, transportation and perceived economic conditions are some of the main determinants for individuals declaring access hurdles. |
| Keywords: | Fruits and vegetables consumption, Food access, Retail structure, Two-Step IV Probit, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q18, L81, |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189683&r=agr |
| By: | Caillavet, France ; Fadhuile, Adelaide ; Nichèle, Véronique |
| Abstract: | This article studies taxation schemes which improve the sustainability of food purchases by reducing environmental emissions with focus on nutritional and socioeconomic effects. Food consumption is estimated to be responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe. Among them meats represent 8% of the French shopping basket in terms of weight, and a third in terms of CO2 emissions. For this, we estimate a EASI demand system. From environment and nutrient elasticities, we run two scenarios: an environmental friendly and a nutrient and environmental friendly. From the environmental point of view taxation of animal foods induces a moderate to strong impact on emission reductions. However the nutritional impact is far from neutral and strong favourable effects coincide with undesirable ones. Our results allow to state the terms of trade-off for nutrition with a loss of 25kg CO2 yearly. |
| Keywords: | environment, taxation, animal foods, EASI demand system, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182863&r=agr |
| By: | Djanibekov, Utkur ; Villamor, Grace B. |
| Abstract: | We investigated the economic attractiveness of different land uses and possible payments for carbon in rubber monoculture and agroforest, and biodiversity in agroforest under revenue uncertainty in Jambi, Indonesia. A multi-period programming with Monte Carlo simulation and Brownian motion were used. Findings showed that farm incomes would substantially vary, and to mitigate uncertainty the farmland would be diversified. Further increase in carbon prices would result in enhancing the area of rubber monoculture and would lead to possible trade-off in agrobiodiversity. When the payments for ecosystem services are targeted for agroforest then its returns would increase and reduce farm income variability. |
| Keywords: | Payments for ecosystem services, revenue risk, trade-offs, Land Economics/Use, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182807&r=agr |
| By: | Boeri, Marco ; Brown, Hannah ; Longo, Alberto |
| Abstract: | The recent ‘horse meat scandal’ in Europe has sparked huge concerns among consumers, as horse meat was found in beef lasagne ready to be consumed. This study investigates consumers’ preferences towards characteristics of ready to heat lasagne, including origin of the meat, whether the meat is tested as beef, safety of the lasagne, and nutritional value, using Discrete Choice Experiments in six EU. Our sample of 4,598 consumers makes this the largest cross sectional study of this kind. The results of this study present evidence that consumers in Europe are concerned about the authenticity and origin of the meat. |
| Keywords: | Random Utility Maximisation, food safety, ready meals, horse meat scandal, consumer’s preferences, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182830&r=agr |
| By: | Wang, Nanying ; Houston, Jack |
| Abstract: | China adopted a mandatory labeling policy of Genetically Modified (GM) food products in 2002. The strategy of separating trading was intended by Chinese regulators to protect domestic non-GMO production, provide non-GM soybean growers a higher selling price, and facilitate marketing. On December 22, 2004, the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) introduced a separate futures contract for No. 2 soybeans, which includes GM soybeans. With this change, the No. 1 soybean futures contract defaulted to a non-GM contract. Parcell (2001) defines the difference between the prices of non-GM and GM soybean futures contract soybeans as the price premium for non-GM soybeans. An intervention analysis is used to test the effects of the events on the price premium for non-GM soybeans in each sub-period. We investigate the impacts of three events—two contract specification changes in 2005 and 2010 and one grain law implementation in 2012—focusing on both the direction and size of their impacts. In conclusion the contract specification change from the DCE for the soybean futures contract did affect the price premium between the GM and non-GM soybean futures contracts. Therefore, these two cases of changes can be considered as successful interventions. Hence, there appeared to be informational efficiency in the market. It is also found the law issue has permanently increased the price premium for non-GM soybeans. Studying the market response linkages between the two soybean futures markets is helpful for understanding whether the newly opened GM soybean futures market transmits price information effectively. |
| Keywords: | China soybeans, GMO, non-GMO, Intervention analysis, Impulse response function, Agricultural Finance, Financial Economics, O53, Q14, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196842&r=agr |
| By: | Upendram, Sreedhar ; Wibowo, Rulianda ; Peterson, Jeffrey M. |
| Abstract: | Depleting water resources is a widespread problem across the Kansas High Plains aquifer. The value of irrigation is accentuated due to lack of surface water and low precipitation in western Kansas. Accelerated groundwater withdrawals for irrigation caused a further decline in the saturated thickness of the aquifer. To encourage water conservation and reduce further depletion of the aquifer, federal and state cost-share programs have subsidized irrigation technology upgrades. However, this effort may have been undermined by producers who increased their water usage for irrigation with water-intensive crops. A simulation model comprised of an irrigation scheduling tool coupled with a crop yield simulator are used to predict risk-efficient crop and technology choices, which allows us to estimate the effect of an irrigation technology upgrade on the aquifer. This research characterizes producers’ decisions to maintain economic viability while adapting to limited irrigation conditions. The study will identify the conditions under which technology upgrades will both save water and increase farmers’ returns from irrigation. The study also estimates the threshold payments to farmers to switch to relatively less water-intensive crops that will promote water conservation on the High Plains aquifer. |
| Keywords: | irrigation technology, groundwater extraction, irrigation scheduling, crop choice, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q25, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:197036&r=agr |
| By: | Barnes, Andrew Peter ; Hansson, Helena ; Manevska Tasevska, Gordana ; Shrestha, Shailesh ; Thomson, Steven |
| Abstract: | The long-term viability of farm businesses has been a stated goal for agricultural policy in most developed and developing economies. Recent investigations have found the level and type of diversification to be a significant factor in determining viability. This paper presents an index of short term and long term viability over the period 2000-2012 across Scotland and Sweden. Transition probabilities are presented using a balanced Markov chain approach. We find stability in both viable and non-viable farms over time, irrespective of policy and market change. A multinomial logistic regression finds the influence agaricultural diversification on determining higher levels of viability at the farm level. |
| Keywords: | Viability, Diversification, Multinomial Logistic Regression, Community/Rural/Urban Development, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182654&r=agr |
| By: | Bian, Dacheng ; Segarra, Eduardo ; Benson, Aaron |
| Abstract: | Irrigated agriculture on the Southern High Plains of Texas relies heavily on water extracted from the Ogallala Aquifer, which is functionally non-renewable. Concerns about depletion of the aquifer have led to the implementation of policies designed to slow water extraction and increase the usable life of the resource. Policies have not been uniform across the aquifer, however, leaving some farmers in regions where no effective groundwater extraction policy exists yet, but are only a short distance away from regions where farmers do face regulatory limits on extraction. This paper investigates the effects of policy uncertainty on the extraction of groundwater in those areas where farmers must make irrigation decisions without knowing whether they will be restricted in their irrigation decisions in the future. We build a production model of the major crops in 6 counties in Texas, and use the quantity of corn (an irrigation-intensive crop) produced as a proxy for irrigation use. We find that corn acreage has increased significantly in years in which a policy was in place, but was officially unenforced in 5 of the 6 counties. After controlling for price and climate effects, we conclude that there is strong evidence that policy uncertainty increases groundwater extraction. |
| Keywords: | Policy uncertainty, Resource extraction, Irrigation, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196892&r=agr |
| By: | Kobus, Pawel |
| Abstract: | The paper constitutes an attempt at modelling the farmers’ income distribution. The main objective of the paper was to assess the impact of crop diversity on famers income probability distribution on the basis of real life data(Polish FADN), and to evaluate the size of economic incentives needed in order to encourage farmers to diversify their crop structure. Multiple linear regression and quantile regression models were developed for variance and expected value of farmers’ income. It was revealed that the impact of crop diversity diminishes both variance and expected value of income. However the relation holds only for two of considered principal farming types. |
| Keywords: | agro-biodiversity, crops diversification, income risk, quantile regression, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182847&r=agr |
| By: | Esposti, Roberto ; Listorti, Giulia |
| Abstract: | This study deals with horizontal wheat price transmission from the international markets to the domestic Swiss market. The analysis takes into account trade policies implemented at the borders that might shelter the domestic market from international markets fluctuations, as well as the presence of explosive behavior in some of the price series. Furthermore, the Swiss case is peculiar due to the presence of different border policies for wheat according to its domestic use, food or feed. The paper investigates price transmission in this segregated domestic market under the respective different border policies but still acknowledging possible linkages among the two market segments. Vector Error Correction models with structural breaks are estimated, allowing to account for the influence of periods of market exuberance in the international markets as well as of the consequent policy regime changes. |
| Keywords: | Price transmission, price bubbles, cointegration, trade policy, Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182695&r=agr |
| By: | Teng, Zhijing ; Seale, James Jr. ; Bai, Junfei ; Wahl, Thomas I. |
| Abstract: | This study investigates factors influencing household decisions on food away from home (FAFH) consumption with special interest given to the effects of employer subsidized meals on FAFH consumption. Using data from a new urban food consumption survey and collected by the Center for Chinese Agriculture Policy from 2009 to 2012 in 10 cities, a double-hurdle model is utilized to estimate the demand for FAFH as a whole and by type of facility (restaurant, fast-food outlet, and other facilities). The key findings suggest that households with at least one member receiving subsidized meals are more likely to participate in the FAFH market, but these households spend less when they dine out than their counterparts without employer subsidized meals. |
| Keywords: | Subsidized meal, Food-away-from-home, Urban China, Double-hurdle model, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D12, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196810&r=agr |
| By: | Dong, Zefeng ; Guan, Zhengfei ; Grogan, Kelly A. ; Skevas, Theodoros |
| Abstract: | Agricultural production in greenhouses is an important user of energy and can lead to greenhouse gas emissions. This study uses Data Envelopment Analysis to compute input-based technical efficiency measures and energy efficiency of Michigan greenhouse growers. A two-limit Tobit model is used to investigate the determinants of farmers’ performance. The empirical results indicate that Michigan greenhouse farmers do not use energy and other inputs efficiently. Farmers’ input-specific efficiency can be improved by adopting greenhouse film types other than double layer poly. |
| Keywords: | Horticulture, Data envelopment analysis, Energy use, Tobit model, Efficiency, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Q12, |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196840&r=agr |
| By: | Carpentier, Alain ; Gohin, Alexandre |
| Abstract: | Crop rotation effects and constraints are major determinants of farmers’ crop choices. Crop rotations are also keystone elements of most environmentally friendly cropping systems. The aim of this paper is twofold. First, it proposes simple tools for investigating optimal dynamic crop acreage choices accounting for crop rotation effects and constraints in an uncertain context. Second, it illustrates the impacts of crop rotation effects and constraints on farmers’ acreage choices through simple simulation examples. The proposed models are sufficiently simple for being empirically tractable either in simulation studies or in econometric analyses. |
| Keywords: | acreage choice, crop rotations, dynamic programming, Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182799&r=agr |
| By: | Malak-Rawlikowska, Agata ; Kobus, Pawel |
| Abstract: | The study focuses on the relations between landscape structure and composition, functions and benefits, and its contribution to the regional competitiveness. The Bayesian Belief Network method has occurred to be useful for the analysis of the problem, however, the proper determination of the relationship between the variables in the model, requires a large number of observations based on the assessments of experts. It was found that all considered landscape elements (fields, forests, shelterbelts, and water reservoirs) have a positive influence on regional competitiveness and the potential of agricultural land. The strongest, positive impact on the competitiveness of the region have agricultural fields and pastures. |
| Keywords: | agricultural landscape, benefits, competitiveness, Bayesian Belief Network, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182925&r=agr |
| By: | Biguzzi, Coralie ; Ginon, Emilie ; Gomez-y-Paloma, Sergio ; Langrell, Sergio ; Lefebvre, Marianne ; Marette, Stephan ; Mateu, Guillermo ; Sutan, Angela |
| Abstract: | This article aims to analyse consumers' preferences for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), in comparison to conventional and organic food products. It analyses the case of tomatoes, based on experimental data of 189 French consumers. We find that consumers are more interested in information on the production system than on the characteristics of the final product in terms of pesticide residue levels, and more in IPM than organic. While information on IPM production increases consumers' willingness to buy IPM products, extra information on the residue levels in IPM tomatoes has not significant impact. We find that the reduction of the shelf space for conventional tomatoes benefits equally to organic and IPM, whatever the prices. However, in a scenario of prohibition of conventional crop protection methods, the winning market segment between organic and IPM depends on the price difference between these products. These results contribute to the understanding of consumers' reaction to the transition towards IPM as the standard in European farming. It provides interesting results on the nature of information that should be communicated to consumers to increase understanding of IPM. |
| Keywords: | Integrated Pest Management, Integrated production, Organic, Tomatoes, Experiment, Pesticide, Sustainable Use of pesticides Directive, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183081&r=agr |
| By: | Toikkanen, Heini ; Niemi, Jyrki |
| Abstract: | In this study we estimated vertical price transmission in the Finnish food sector by using the Engle-Granger two-staged co-integration method. The results indicate that the producer price of beef and the consumer price of beef roast are co-integrated and that price transmission is quite effective. Liquid milk does not significantly differ from raw milk. However, the consumer price of liquid milk and the producer price of milk do not follow each other. The producer price and consumer prices of eggs are not co-integrated, either. A highly competitive market situation has existed on both egg and dairy markets during the 21st century. |
| Keywords: | Finnish food market, co-integration, price transmission, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182820&r=agr |
| By: | Blomquist, Johan ; Nordin, Martin |
| Abstract: | This study evaluates the impact of agricultural subsidies (CAP) on unemployment and employment outside the agricultural sector. For the CAP subsidies to have an effect outside the agricultural sector, the subsidies must have a second-order effect. Thus, the Open Economy Relative Multiplier for Sweden is estimated with aggregate municipality data for the years 2001 to 2009. A side-effect of the decupling reform in 2005 was that Sweden was forced to introduce a grassland support which redistributed the payments among the regions. This exogenous redistribution of the CAP is the identifying assumption in this study. The subsidy creates private jobs at a cost of about $20,000 per job, which is consistent with earlier estimates based on US data. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Labor and Human Capital, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182814&r=agr |
| By: | Žgajnar, Jaka |
| Abstract: | This paper presents possible approach how different sources of data at farm level, national statistics and analytical models could be merged in simulation process to analyse income risk at the sector level. Baseline is production structure resumed out of annual subsidy applications as key information per each agricultural holding within the sector. Presented approach utilises potential of random number generator and random distributions of Monte Carlo to roughly reconstruct different sources of risks in different states of nature that may occur with diverse probabilities at the particular farm. In such a manner income situation at sector level is analysed. The developed approach is tested on the 21 farm types further divided into 13 economic classes. Obtained preliminary results suggest that this could be useful approach for rough estimation of income risk and points on some limitations and drawbacks that should be further improved. |
| Keywords: | Income risk, Monte Carlo simulation, Agriculture, Farm types, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186381&r=agr |
| By: | Salazar-Ordóñez, M. ; Rodríguez-Entrena, M. ; Becerra-Alonso, D. |
| Abstract: | Findings about consumer decision-making process regarding GM food purchase remain mixed and are inconclusive. This paper offers a model which classifies willingness to purchase GM food, using data from 399 surveys in Southern Spain. Willingness to purchase has been measured using three dichotomous questions and classification, based on attitudinal, cognitive and socio-demographic factors, has been made by an artificial neural network model. The results show 74% accuracy to forecast the willingness to purchase. The highest relative contributions lie in the variables related to beliefs, especially those link to perceived risks; while the variables with the least relative contribution are age and knowledge on GMO. |
| Keywords: | Genetically Modified Food, Willingness to purchase, Artificial Neural Network, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182940&r=agr |
| By: | Alhashim, Jawad ; Saghaian, Sayed |
| Abstract: | Price transmission studies focus on how price variation at one marketing level affects the prices at other levels, either vertically or horizontally. Price movement among farms, wholesale, and retail levels is indicative of vertical price transmission. Any change in the farmer’s price is reflected in the final consumer’s price. Asymmetric price transmission (APT) can occur anywhere along the supply chain. The objective of this study is to explore the existence of APT for selected fresh vegetable products in Saudi Arabia. This study focused on six perishable products: tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, and garlic. The Wolffram-Houck and an error-correction model were used to analyze monthly average wholesale and retail price data from January 1999 to December 2012. Granger causality tests provided the causality relationship between market levels of cucumbers and squash, which were independent. The results indicate price transmission is symmetric for tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic, while onion prices are transmitted asymmetrically. |
| Keywords: | Market and Prices, Agribusiness, Marketing, Q130 Agricultural Markets and Marketing, Cooperatives, Agribusiness, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196814&r=agr |
| By: | Russo, Carlo ; Perito, Maria Angel ; Di Fonzo, Antonella |
| Abstract: | Private food safety standards (PFSS) are widely adopted by firms in the agri-food system, as they meet an increasing consumer demand for safety and quality. Yet, recent economic literature found that PFSS might serve other purposes than just ensuring food safety. Our paper contributes to this literature, framing PFSS within a contract-theory model. We conclude that PFSS can be used to lower the coordination costs along the supply chain and that their effects go beyond ensuring the production of quality and safety attributes. The model shows that PFSS can reduce the cost of solving moral hazard problems for non-discriminating buyers facing heterogeneous suppliers. |
| Keywords: | Private food safety standard, Supply chain management, Moral hazard, Political Economy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182795&r=agr |
| By: | Sahrbacher, Amanda ; Sahrbacher, Christoph ; Ostermeyer, Arlette |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impacts of financial constraints on the structural development of four European regions. The spatial-dynamic agent-based model used considers individual farms’ investment behaviour while those indirectly interact via land rental markets. Scenarios with different interest rates for borrowed capital and levels of credit restrictions are tested. Results show that higher interest rates slow down the development of otherwise expanding production branches whereas credit restrictions force farms to choose small and cheap investments. Income losses in both cases are compensated by lower rental prices. Impacts on structural change differ considering regional initial situations and their characteristics. |
| Keywords: | farm financing, investment behaviour, credit restrictions, structural change, agent- based modelling, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182720&r=agr |
| By: | Fu, Shengfei ; Klepacka, Anna M. ; Florkowski, Wojciech J. |
| Abstract: | Milk products are a preeminent food category in Poland, providing both employment and dietary benefit. This paper investigates factors affecting household milk consumption in Poland, paying attention to the effect of outmigration. For the analysis of consumption decisions on whole and low fat milk, bivariate two-part model is selected after a comparison to multivariate sample selection model. |
| Keywords: | milk consumption, outmigration, bivariate two-part model, multivariate Heckman sample selection model, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182963&r=agr |
| By: | Revoredo-Giha, Cesar ; Akaichi, Faiçal ; Leat, Philip M.K. |
| Abstract: | A poor diet fostered by a rapid increase in the supply of affordable processed food has been mentioned as one of the major contributors to obesity and non-communicable diseases. Associated to increases in affordability are the promotions used by retailers. Their impact is controversial because promotions have been pointed to as a key factor in expanding the expenditure on caloric-rich processed foods, but they are also used by retailers for selling fruit and vegetables. This article focuses on the effect that retailers’ promotions have on the Scottish diet. In this respect, Scotland is an interesting case because it has one of the worst overweight and obesity records for both adults and children within the OECD countries. Most studies on the effects of promotions have been based on a single or reduced number of food products. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the overall effect of promotions on the Scottish food and drink purchases. This is achieved by analysing a representative scanner panel dataset for the period 2006-13. The methodology consists of exploring the impact of promotions on food expenditure and allocation, using for the latter an augmented with promotions linear AIDS model, while controlling by food access area, which was approximated by deprivation area. Results indicate that promotions seem to have differentiated effects by category and similar results for all the accessibility areas. |
| Keywords: | Scottish diet, retailers’ promotions, demand analysis. 1, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Public Economics, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189695&r=agr |
| By: | Jongeneel, Roel ; Pollman, Nico |
| Abstract: | The latest reform of the CAP, CAP towards 2020, opens up the possibility to arrange agri-environmental service provision via contracting groups of farmers, rather than contracting individual farmers. The Dutch government decided to fully switch to a farmer group service provision system in 2016. The paper analyses the new organisational framework that now is derived and links it to the Dutch tradition of environmental cooperatives. Issues of collective action, transaction costs, information problems, effectiveness, accountability, and procurement efficiency are analysed in a qualitative way. It is concluded that the Dutch model is promising, although not without risks. Its implementation path seems properly chosen. However, in order to fully reap the benefits possible under the new system one need to reduce restrictions and increase incentives. |
| Keywords: | agri-environmental scheme, collective action, transaction costs, procurement, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Political Economy, |
| Date: | 2014–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:186379&r=agr |
| By: | Zivkovic, Sanja ; Hudson, Darren |
| Abstract: | Cooperatives operate under a business model that creates unique challenges in financial management, governance, strategy, and communication. There have been a number of efforts to identify challenges, critical issues and success factors for agricultural cooperatives. One of the issues agricultural cooperatives are facing is the relationship between managers and the board of directors. Directors in a cooperative occupy a crucial position between members and hired management. Acting as a group, directors set the objectives for the cooperative and decide what the cooperative will do while the general manager decides how it can best be done, subject to board review. Success of a cooperative mainly depends on good board/ manager relationships. This study was focused on evaluation of impact of the relationship between the board of directors and managers on performance of agricultural cooperatives. That data originated from a mail survey and personal interviews among managers and chairmen of agricultural cooperatives in Texas. The results showed that size of the cooperative had negative impact on performance while more frequent engagement of the managers in strategic planning, higher level of managers’ job satisfaction, and organizational commitment positively affect the profitability of a cooperative. |
| Keywords: | agricultural cooperatives in Texas, managers, board of directors, relationship, performance, job satisfaction, strategic planning, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196888&r=agr |
| By: | Luik, Helis ; Viira, Ants-Hannes ; Värnik, Rando |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the effects of dairy herd’s genetic level and milk quality on the technical efficiency (TE) of Estonian dairy farms in 2012. A two-stage approach was used that combined data envelopment analysis (DEA), for finding the TE scores, and Tobit regression, for estimating the effects of the chosen variables on farm TE. Our results indicate that relative breeding value for milk production, which is a measure of herd’s genetic level, has a positive effect on farm TE. Milk quality affects TE also positively: higher somatic cell counts decreased and higher content of milk solids increased farm TE. |
| Keywords: | technical efficiency, dairy farms, breeding values, milk quality, DEA, Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182650&r=agr |
| By: | Covre, Julyana ; Clemente, Felippe |
| Abstract: | Brazil is a continental country, with more than 8 million square kilometers and many biomes, which have permanent preservation areas and legal reserves protected by the Forest Code. On the other hand, Brazil is an agricultural country, that increasingly needs of agricultural land. In 2012 after much controversy approved the new Brazilian Forest Code. The article, then, is to evaluate the changes brought by the new Forest Code and the future impact of the same on small and medium farms and the environment. We conclude that the new forest code can have serious consequences for the environment and human life. |
| Keywords: | Brazil, new forest code, agriculture, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183043&r=agr |
| By: | Witzke, Peter ; Van Doorslaer, Benjamin ; Huck, Ingo ; Salputra, Guna ; Fellmann, Thomas ; Drabik, Dusan ; Weiss, Franz ; Leip, Adrian |
| Abstract: | The European Commission started to reflect on a new policy framework on climate and energy for 2030. Identifying the best options for agriculture to contribute to future GHG emission reductions in the EU requires a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of possible policies, technological and management measures. In this context the CAPRI model has been further improved with respect to GHG emission accounting and especially regarding the endogenous implementation of technological mitigation options. In this paper we present the methodology of the new model features and highlight the importance of including endogenous technological GHG emission mitigation options in the model analysis. Results of illustrative emission mitigation scenarios show that different assumptions on the availability and uptake of technologies alter the scenario outcome significantly. The analysis indicates that possible negative impacts of mitigation policies on agricultural production and trade can drastically be reduced when technological mitigation options are available to farmers. This is a strong signal for enhanced research and development in the area of technological mitigation options, as well as policies that promote their diffusion. |
| Keywords: | GHG emissions, climate policy, CAPRI model, EU agriculture, mitigation, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182676&r=agr |
| By: | Menapace, Luisa ; Colson, Greg ; Raffaell, Roberta |
| Abstract: | Using the exchangeability method, we quantitatively elicit Italian farmers' short- and long-run risk perceptions concerning key crop loss hazards whose relevance depends upon climate developments: hail, powdery mildew for winegrowers and apple dieback for apple farmers. We show that long-run perceptions are significantly higher than short-run perceptions and identify climate change beliefs and experience with crop damages as critical factors in explaining this difference. From a policy prospective, our results suggest that an effective outreach service would benefit from offering farmers first-hand on-farm experience with crop risk and a “segmented” approach that takes into consideration farmers’ climate change beliefs. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Exchangeability Method, Subjective risk perceptions, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183086&r=agr |
| By: | Revoredo-Giha, Cesar ; Gaupp, Franziska |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect that weather variables have on the mean and variance of the yields of barley, oats, potatoes and wheat in Scotland, during the period 1935- 2012. Although theoretically grounded on the stochastic production function approach, the paper uses the generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedastic (GARCH) to model the variance of the crop yields. Results indicate that temperature has a positive effect on the mean yield, whilst rainfall has a negative effect on it. In addition, both temperature and rainfall have differentiated results on the crop yields’ variances. |
| Keywords: | Scottish agriculture, climate change impact, weather, GARCH models, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183034&r=agr |
| By: | Wang, Nanying ; Houston, Jack |
| Abstract: | The price variability of agricultural commodities reached record levels in 2008, and again more recently in 2010, raising concerns about this increased price volatility would be temporal or structural. The Chinese soybean futures market is the second largest in the world, after the CME group, in terms of trading volume. There are two soybean futures contracts in China: non-GM and GM. Due to its dominant market share of trading volume, the non-GM contract is the representative of China’s soybean markets (He and Wang, 2011). However, with the emergence of the GM soybean contract in 2004, the components of non-GM futures price volatility might have changed. This study examines the volatility determinants as well as seasonality of non-GM and GM soybean futures prices traded in Dalian Commodity Exchange from 2005 to 2014. Also, we test the comovement between these two soybeans markets. We analyze the volatility by incorporating changes in important economic variables into the Dynamic Conditional Correlation-Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedastic (DCC-GARCH) model. This research provides statistical evidence that the futures prices of soybeans in China are being influenced by the increasing consumption of soybeans, the import quantity of soybean, the trading volume in futures market and weather. We also find spillover effect from non-GM to GM in soybean markets. A better understanding of the volatility determinants provides important additional information for various market participants, including commodity traders, hedgers, arbitrageurs, exchanges and regulatory agencies. |
| Keywords: | China, DCC-GARCH Model, time-varying correlation, macroeconomic, Agricultural Finance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, O53, Q14, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196775&r=agr |
| By: | Nehring, Richard ; Gillespie, Jeffrey ; Hallahan, Charles ; Sauer, Johannes |
| Abstract: | We estimate a production function for U.S. dairy farming to examine the productivity of organic and non-organic dairy production by system and size. Across organic/non-organic systems and size classes, size is the major determinant of competitiveness based on various measures of productivity and returns to scale. |
| Keywords: | Production Function, Organic, Dairy, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196805&r=agr |
| By: | Cechura, Lukas ; Hockmann, Heinrich |
| Abstract: | The paper analyses the food processing industry in Visegrád countries. In particular, it deals with the analysis of heterogeneity in technology and efficiency. The introduced theoretical framework allows to capture inter- and intrasectoral differences in technology as well as the country specifics. The results show that both intersectoral heterogeneity and heterogeneity among firms are an important characteristic of EU food processing industry. Moreover, the country specific effects were pronounced for Czech, Hungarian and Polish dairy sector, Czech feedstuff sector, Polish, Hungarian and Slovak slaughtering sector. Moreover, we found that on average the food processing companies highly exploit their production possibilities. However, some food processing companies are falling behind. This holds for Slaughtering and Dairy sector in all Visegrád countries. |
| Keywords: | Visegrád countries, food processing, heterogeneity, technology, efficiency., Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182662&r=agr |
| By: | Lewis, Karen ; Griffith, Andrew ; Boyer, Christopher ; Rhinehart, Justin |
| Abstract: | Annually, cow-calf producers face the decision of whether to sell their calves at weaning or to retain ownership of them. This study determines how animal characteristics, carcass quality, and a supplemental prepartum feeding program for cows impacts returns to retaining ownership of calves through finishing. Data from 2013-2014 regarding 160 cattle originating in Tennessee and finished in an Iowa feedlot using retained ownership was collected. An ordinary least squares regression indicates animal characteristics and carcass quality have a significant impact on retained ownership returns and the supplemental prepartum feeding program decreased returns. Sensitivity analysis determined how feed costs influence returns. |
| Keywords: | Retained ownership, beef cattle finishing, cow-calf operation, profitability determinants, supplemental prepartum feeding program, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing, Q12, Q13, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196620&r=agr |
| By: | Dharmasena, Senarath ; Wang, Jing ; Bessler, David A. |
| Abstract: | The consumption of milk in China has been increasing over past two decades. Currently, China does not produce enough milk to meet this increase in demand. Consequently a large volume of milk is imported. In this study, import demand for milk in China is explored using demand systems approach formulated through a vector error correction model (VECM). Additionally, import market integration is explored using contemporaneous causality structures developed through artificial intelligence and Direct Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) applied to innovations of VECM. Objectives of this study are to (1) Develop a VECM and test price homogeneity in the cointegration space; (2) Estimate almost ideal demand system model where prices are expressed in relative prices; (3) Calculate Chinese import demand elasticities for milk; and (4) Model import market integration using DAGs. Annual import volume (lbs) and total value ($US) of milk imported to China from Australia, New Zealand, United States and rest of the world, from 1992–2013 are collected from UN COMTRADE database. Calculated milk import demand elasticities shed light on the sensitivity of milk imports to changes in milk price of exporting country. Causality structure based off of innovations of VECM will allow us identify import market integration patterns. Preliminary results from causality structures reveal that the import share from the rest of the world is endogenous, while that of the United States, Australia and New Zealand was found to be weakly exogenous. |
| Keywords: | China milk demand, Directed acyclic graphs, dynamics, import demand, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, F14, C81, |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196792&r=agr |
| By: | Stranieri, S. ; Baldi, Lucia ; Manzoni, V. |
| Abstract: | Shelf-life estimation has become increasingly important due to the growing consumer interest in fresh and safe food products and the European policy indications to consider it as a key issue for the sustainable management of food waste within the supply chains. To date, no legislation on the shelf life date of the most of food products exists (Boxstael et al., 2014). Several studies demonstrate that the technology available in the fresh-cut sector would allow to extend the shelf life date of products without compromising their intrinsic quality attributes and to achieve a more sustainable production by a strong reduction of unsold stock. The aim of the study was to segment consumers on the basis of their attitude towards the extension of the shelf life date in the fresh-cut salad sector. On the basis of the clusters found, the paper discusses if the information concerning such technology is a useful tool to inform consumers on product characteristics or if it entails a risk of information overload. |
| Keywords: | consumer behaviour, information, shelf life date, cluster analysis, fresh-cut salad, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182942&r=agr |
| By: | Jensen, Jørgen Dejgaard ; Smed, Sinne ; Aarup, Lars ; Nielsen, Erhard |
| Abstract: | Denmark introduced a tax on saturated fat in food products with effect from October 2011. This paper makes an effect assessment of this tax for some product categories affected by the new tax: meats and dairy products. This assessment is done by conducting an econometric analysis on monthly food retail sales data from a major retail chain in Denmark (Coop Danmark), spanning the period from January 2010 until October 2012.The econometric analysis suggests that the introduction of the tax on saturated fat led to a decrease in the intake of saturated fat from cream products, but not from minced beef. |
| Keywords: | tax, demand response, price response, beef, cream, retail sales, Demand and Price Analysis, Health Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182865&r=agr |
| By: | Carvalho, Glauco R. ; Bessler, David ; Hemme, Torsten ; Schröer-Merker, Eva |
| Abstract: | Price studies have been extensively investigated in agricultural economics literature. In the grain market, it seems that more information is available in terms of price behavior and relationships across markets. In the dairy market, on the other hand, price information is more limited. There are studies related to milk price relationships, but none explore the short-run and long-run relationship between milk prices across countries. This analysis aims to fill this gap in the literature. Insights from this work, which may help private companies and policymakers on how milk prices behave across the world, are provided. Data are offered by the IFCN Dairy research network, located in Kiel, Germany, and includes monthly price data from the United States, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, India, China, and New Zealand. A Vector Error Correction (VEC) model is used to summarize the long-run relationship among prices from these nine countries. Contemporaneous innovations are modeled as an acyclic graph using recently developed algorithms from the machine literature. Forecast error variance decompositions are also estimated to visualize the relationships among variables in the system. As for validation, out-of-sample forecasts from the estimated Vector Autoregression (VAR) and VEC models are performed and the latter performed better. This forecasting exercise also supports the imposition of a low number of cointegrating vectors, which coheres well with trace tests and information criteria. The United States, New Zealand, and the IFCN milk price play an important role in the international dairy market. |
| Keywords: | price, direct acyclic graph, error-correction., Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade, C32, C51, C52, |
| Date: | 2015–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196692&r=agr |
| By: | Ylimartimo, Anneli ; Siimekselä, Tiina ; Stenman, Tarja |
| Abstract: | In Central Finland, hilly terrain and abundance of waterways cause challenges in controlling nutrient loads from fields to surface waters. This study applied new technologies to study nutrient loads and advanced water protection. Continuous automatic in situ monitoring of water quality produced accurate and real time information about nutrient loads. The loads varied according to weather conditions and topography, and are shifting from spring to year end. Injection of slurry prevented nutrient leaching. The manure balances implied that the amount of manure is not adequate for fertilizing all fields in the region. Local farmers’ attitudes to water protection were positive. |
| Keywords: | water protection in agrarian areas, nutrient load from arable land, continuous automatic in situ monitoring of water quality, Central Finland, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182929&r=agr |
| By: | Grochowska, Renata ; Manko, Stanislaw |
| Abstract: | The paper investigates the trends in the Polish farm incomes between 2004-2011 and some potential changes in the 2015-2020 period. The analysis was prepared based on the Polish FADN database, focusing on field crops, dairy cows, pigs and mixed farms. Our study showed that the production costs increased much faster than value of production in most of the farms in 2004-2011, what resulted in decreasing net income getting from the market. The observed growth in income followed mainly from an increase in the amount of direct payments. The simulations for 2015-2020 indicated a continuation of this tendency in the Polish farms. |
| Keywords: | farm incomes, EU enlargement, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182845&r=agr |
| By: | Zorn, Alexander ; Lippert, Christian ; Dabbert, Stephan |
| Abstract: | Organic food markets substantially rely on a reliable control system. To identify and isolate the effect of different factors potentially influencing the uniform implementation of organic controls, we apply a stepwise estimation of different logit models. Using control data of German farms from five important control bodies we identify, first, risk factors for non-compliance of farms, second, the impact of the control body as well as, third, the potential impact of governmental institutions which are in charge for the implementation of the control system. The results indicate a need for a more harmonized implementation of the German organic control system. |
| Keywords: | Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182837&r=agr |
| By: | Olper, Alessandro ; Curzi, Daniele ; Raimondi, Valentina |
| Abstract: | The aim of this contribution is to study empirically the effect of trade liberalization on productivity growth exploiting a large micro-dataset of more than 20,000 French and Italian food firms, over the 2004-2012 period. This relationship has been studied focusing on import penetration at both industry and upstream sectors level, to investigate the role played by imports in intermediate inputs. Main findings show that import penetration in both final products and intermediate inputs systematically contributed to firm-level productivity growth. Yet, the productivity growth effect induced by import penetration in upstream sectors is 10 times higher than the one at the industry level. Horizontal import competition coming from the EU15 and OECD countries exerts the strongest effect on productivity growth. By contrast, when vertical import penetration is considered, also sourcing intermediate inputs from emerging markets appears important for firms’ productivity growth. Finally, we also find a strong confirmation that the effects of import penetration are increasing with the initial level of firms’ productivity. All these stylized facts may have interesting policy implications. |
| Keywords: | import penetration, intermediate inputs, firm-level TFP, food industry, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Production Economics, F14, F15, F61, L66, Q17, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:assa15:189691&r=agr |
| By: | Bavorova, Miroslava ; Fietz, Anica |
| Abstract: | The publication of food inspection results is one of the innovative measures introduced that use both material and non-material motivation of food businesses to increase regulatory compliance. Disclosure is not a new instrument and has been implemented in, for instance, Denmark, Los Angeles or New York. In Germany, in the last decade a few food hygiene controls results were established (e.g., Berlin Pankow, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Zwickau). In this paper, we present the first results of the empirical study we carried out in NRW at the beginning of 2014. The survey was carried out to answer the question of whether the disclosure of hygiene controls influences the motivation of food businesses to comply with rules. |
| Keywords: | disclosure, transparency, compliance, material and non-material incentives, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182839&r=agr |
| By: | Tambo, Justice A. ; Wünscher, Tobias |
| Abstract: | While farmers have been recognised as one of the key sources of innovation, many studies on agricultural innovations continue to consider farmers as adopters of externally-driven innovations only. Based on cross-sectional data from 409 farm households, this study, in contrast, analyses the innovation-generating behaviour among rural farmers in northern Ghana. Inspired by two innovation theories – induced innovation and innovation systems – we focus on the determinants of innovation behaviour. Employing recursive bivariate probit and endogenous treatment-regression models which control for selection bias, we find that participation in Farmer Field Fora, a participatory extension approach with elements of the innovation systems perspective, is a key determinant of innovation behaviour in farm households. Other important determinants are education, climate shocks and risk preferences. These results are robust to alternative specifications and estimation techniques. |
| Keywords: | Determinants, Farmer Field Fora, farmer innovation, Ghana, innovation systems, Labor and Human Capital, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182810&r=agr |
| By: | Robinson, Derrick ; Hite, Diane |
| Abstract: | This is a preliminary, working paper. Please address all shortcoming and comments to Derrick Robinson. Thank you! |
| Keywords: | Consumer demand, food safety, Gulf Coast, seafood, perception, preference, random utility model, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D120, D180, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196838&r=agr |
| By: | Gouel, Christophe |
| Abstract: | Many countries adjust their trade policies countercyclically to food prices, to such extent that the use of export restrictions by numerous food exporters has occasionally threatened the food security of food importing countries. These trade policies are not consistent with the terms-of-trade motivation often retained to characterize the payoff frontier of self-enforcing trade agreements, as these policies can worsen the country’s terms of trade. This paper analyzes trade policy coordination when trade policies are driven by terms-of-trade effects and a desire to reduce domestic food price volatility. This framework implies that importing and exporting countries have incentives to deviate from cooperation at different periods: exporter when prices are high and importers when prices are low. Since staple food prices tend to have positively-skewed distributions, with more prices below mean than above but with occasional spikes, a self-enforcing agreement generates asymmetric outcomes. Although an importing country suffers less in the trade war than an exporting country, this latter has larger incentives to deviate from a cooperative trade policy because positive deviations from mean price are larger than negative ones. Thus, because of the asymmetry of the distribution of commodity prices, it may be more difficult to discipline exports taxes than tariffs in trade agreements. |
| Keywords: | commodity price stabilization, export restrictions, repeated game, WTO, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182658&r=agr |
| By: | Matsdotter, Elina ; Elofsson, Katarina ; Arntyr, Johan |
| Abstract: | A majority of consumers claim to prefer climate labelled food over non-labelled alternatives. However, there is limited empirical evidence that such labels actually influence consumer behaviour when shopping. In a randomized field experiment, conducted in 17 retrial stores in Sweden, the short run effects of a voluntary climate labelling scheme on milk demand were measured. Results suggest that climate labelling increased demand by approximately 7%. The response is significantly smaller than suggested by consumer surveys, but larger than observed in earlier studies of actual purchasing behavior where quantitative information on climate impact is provided. |
| Keywords: | Climate labelling, milk, voluntary policy instruments, randomized controlled trial, consumer demand, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183076&r=agr |
| By: | Miettinen, Antti ; Korpela, Eeva-Liisa ; Hyytiäinen, Kari ; Kuussaari, Mikko |
| Abstract: | This paper attempts to rank agri-environmental measures based on their long-term contribution on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services as well as on net income received from agriculture and forestry. Environmental fallows proved to be a cost-effective measure in promoting bumblebee abundance and, hence, in increasing the availability of pollination services. An environmental fallow or a biodiversity strip established with a mixture of red clover, timothy and meadow fescue seeds increased total species richness of bumblebees, butterflies and diurnal moths most effectively compared with its costs. Forest biodiversity zones offered a cost-effective way to achieve the conservation goals of habitat-specialist butterflies. |
| Keywords: | agri-environmental scheme (AES), farmland biodiversity conservation, bumblebee, butterfly, cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182686&r=agr |
| By: | Boncinelli, Fabio ; Bartolini, Fabio ; Casini, Leonardo ; Brunori, Gianluca |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates on-farm income diversification determinants, using data from the Italian 2010 census. The determinants are investigated by simulating farmers’ behaviors as a two-step process through the application of the Heckman sample selection model. Model results are quite consistent with previous literature findings and confirm the relevance of risk exposure reduction as on-farm diversification strategy determinants. Results stress also that, besides farm characteristics and structures, spatial location and distances play a prominentrole in explaining the diversification process. Our results seem contrary to the demand-driven effects of diversification but stress that diversification could be considered a broader process driven by territorial potentiality and quality. |
| Keywords: | Diversification, Heckman Model, Sample Selection, Tuscany, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182849&r=agr |
| By: | Mark, Tyler ; Burdine, Kenneth |
| Keywords: | Farm Management, Production Economics, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196878&r=agr |
| By: | Dayde, Charlotte ; Roussy, Caroline ; Chaib, Karim ; Ridier, Aude |
| Abstract: | The goal of this article is to give some guidelines when modeling farmers’ rotation choices through optimization models. To improve the accuracy of such models, researchers can i) sophisticate the utility function or ii) specify the production function and the constraints of the model. Based on an interactive approach involving farmers, a preliminary discrete determinist model is built and tested under changing crops prices. Then, two discrete stochastic modeling approaches are compared; in the first one, yield risk is accounted as main source of income variability and, in the second one, risk is incorporated as a stochastic constraint of monthly inaccessible field days. Results show that risk aversion little affects rotation choice. A stochastic labour constraint accounting for field inaccessibility has considerable more impact on crops choice, especially in presence of imperfect labour market. |
| Keywords: | Crop rotation, Labour constraint, Interactive approach, Discrete stochastic programming, Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183036&r=agr |
| By: | Wauters, Erwin ; D'Haene, Karoline ; Lauwers, Ludwig H. |
| Abstract: | We investigate farmers’ intentions to apply biodiversity conservation practices from psychological perspective, using an adapted version of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), including group norms and putting emphasis on moral norms and self-identity. The study is based on a quantitative survey (n = 106) in Belgium, analyzed using confirmatory factor analyses and path analysis. Results show that the impact of attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioural control on intentions is almost fully mediated through moral norms and self-identity. To have a sustained impact, change actions should strive to embed biodiversity conservation into the social norms and into the good farmer identity of the farming community. |
| Keywords: | biodiversity conservation, farmers behaviour, theory of planned behaviour, path analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182977&r=agr |
| By: | Nasreldin, Osama Ahmed ; Devesa, Teresa Serra |
| Abstract: | This article aims to examine dependence between producer and consumer prices for millet markets in Niger. Links between prices considered are assessed by cointegration analysis and statistical copula methods. Results indicate a positive link between producer and consumer prices, which is stronger the closer the markets are. Evidence of asymmetric price behavior is also found. |
| Keywords: | food staple, asymmetric price transmission, statistical copula, Demand and Price Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182728&r=agr |
| By: | Asci, Serhat ; Borisova, Tatiana ; Dukes, Michael D. |
| Abstract: | Florida’s freshwater withdrawals for public water supply are the fourth largest in the U.S. (Kenny et al., 2009). Groundwater is the primary freshwater source, and given reductions in aquifer levels, water suppliers have been developing price- and non-price strategies to encourage residential water conservation. This study estimates price and income water demand elasticities for high water use residential properties in Central Florida, and compares the effectiveness of conservation pricing and irrigation controller installation in curbing residential water use. Our panel dataset includes monthly water use for 180 properties for January 2003 ̶ May 2009 (11,903 observations). Three stage least square (3SLS) technique is used to estimate average price and income elasticity, while property-level gross irrigation requirements account for weather effects on outdoor water use. Given alternative estimation techniques, the income elasticity is 0.07 and the price elasticity ranges from -0.11 to -0.13. Based on existing literature (Boyer et al., 2014), smart irrigation controller installation results in average 3.5 KGA/month water use reduction. The same water use reduction is achieved by 170% water price increase that is currently politically infeasible. However, moderate price increase can incentivize installation of irrigation controllers by reducing their payback periods. |
| Keywords: | Residential water demand, non-price conservation, smart irrigation controller., Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196768&r=agr |
| By: | Apperson, George P. |
| Abstract: | Agricultural commodity futures markets have experienced dramatic price swings since 2007 as compared to previous periods. Applied economic research has not reached a consensus as to whether market fundamentals or speculative participation has been the cause of the increased volatility. Policy research has concentrated on the legislative intent of the law and how recent financial and commodity market regulation should revert back to the successful policies of the twentieth century. Policy scholars credit financial and commodity market turmoil to changes in regulatory policy, but no specific research has been identified that associates changes in market behavior with changes in regulatory policy. This paper addresses the following research question: why has agricultural commodity futures price volatility changed over time? Applying quasi-experimental analysis methodology with change-point analysis design and econometric modeling, this research uses cotton futures price variability (volatility) as a measurement of commodity market behavior. The findings indicate that commodity futures market regulation is one of many factors that may lead to a change in cotton futures market volatility. |
| Keywords: | commodity, futures, volatility, regulatory policy, punctuated equilibrium, cotton, Agricultural Finance, |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196760&r=agr |
| By: | Lee, Juhee ; Cho, Seong-Hoon ; Kim, Taeyoung ; Yu, Tun-Hsiang ; Armsworth, Paul Robert |
| Abstract: | We seek to determine if the tax-based payment approach is a valid alternative to existing incentive payment approaches for forest carbon sequestration. To achieve the objective, we test a hypothesis that waiving the property tax rate on forestland provides incentives to landowners for afforesting non-forested land or sustaining forests at risk of deforestation. We used a land use change model based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) 88 area as a case study to test the hypothesis. The estimated effects of the waived property tax on forestland from the land use model were then used to simulate changes in afforestation and deforestation under the current level of property tax rate and under the hypothetical zero property tax. The ex-ante forecasts were then used to estimate the amount of carbon sequestered using a carbon model. Finally the estimated carbon sequestrations under the two scenarios were applied to estimate costs of supplying carbon sequestration using the tax-based payment approach. We summarize our empirical results with two key findings. First, the results show that an increase in net return from forestland by waiving the property tax on forestland increases the shares of forestland, which in turn increases accumulation of carbon in the forest ecosystem. Second, our finding suggests that annualized cost of supplying forest-based carbon sequestration was estimated to be $101.48 per ton, should the tax-based payment approach be adopted in the BEA 88. On a per-ton basis, this cost is on the high end of the estimated cost of U.S. forest-based carbon sequestration ($30 to $90 per ton) in the previous literature. Despite its lower cost efficiency, the tax-based payment approach is still worth consideration because the administrative resources and systems needed for utilizing the property tax as a tool to internalize the positive externality of the carbon sequestration of forestland are already in place and thereby can avoid costs in creating complex new institutional arrangements associated with existing incentive payment approaches. |
| Keywords: | Forest-based carbon sequestration, positive externality, incentive payment, property tax rate, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Public Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q23, Q24, H23, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196873&r=agr |
| By: | Jiang, Yuan ; House, Lisa ; Tejera, Christian ; Percival, Susan S. |
| Abstract: | This study investigates demographic, socioeconomic and food attributes factors contributing to the consumption of fresh and processed (jarred/canned) mushrooms. The double-hurdle model is employed to analyze the data. Awareness of mushroom health benefits, mushroom’s attributes, income, household size, race and age are significant determinants of the mushroom consumption. |
| Keywords: | Fresh and processed mushroom consumption, double-hurdle model, Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196902&r=agr |
| By: | Stamenkovska, Ivana Janeska ; Dimitrievski, Dragi ; Erjavec, Emil ; Stojcheska, Aleksandra Martinovska ; Žgajnar, Jaka |
| Keywords: | weighted goal programming, vegetable farms, production planning, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182967&r=agr |
| By: | Alcon, Francisco ; Tapsuwan, Sorada ; Brouwer, Roy ; de Miguel, María Dolores |
| Abstract: | The efficient and sustainable use of water is becoming standard practice in water scarce regions and pro-active policy initiatives are taken to increase supply reliability considering the local context. The aim of this paper is to evaluate farmers’ acceptance of policy strategies to increase water supply reliability in a water scarce river basin in the south east of Spain. Results from a choice experiment study suggest that farmers are willing to pay double water prices to ensure water supply reliability, through government supply guaranteed programs. However, they are averse to any other institutional changes that could assist the government to achieve increased water supply. |
| Keywords: | irrigation water, Spain, choice experiment, water policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:183089&r=agr |
| By: | Heikkilä, Anna-Maija ; Myyrä, Sami |
| Abstract: | The aim of this study was to determine whether the switch from conventional milking systems (CMS) to automatic milking systems (AMS) has positive effects on the productivity growth. Production function analysis was implemented over a rotating panel data of 323 Finnish dairy farms during the period of 2000–2011. The total factor productivity growth was 1.7% per year on farms that stayed in CMS and 3.1% per year on farms that had switched to AMS. The improvement was linked to overall reforms in production technology and an expansion in herd size but the adoption of AMS intensified the positive development. |
| Keywords: | milk production, technology, productivity growth, Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182648&r=agr |
| By: | Gonzalez, Ana Elena Meza ; Wieck, Christine |
| Abstract: | The conditional cash transfer program «Oportunidades» has been implemented in Mexico in order to alleviate intergenerational poverty by investing in human capital through education, health and nutrition. We estimate food and nutrient elasticities of demand with respect to income and price by the virtue of QUAIDS. We find that beneficiary households show a higher diversity of the diet; however, this diversity is not large enough to increment the sources of macro- and micronutrient intake. The value of the beneficiaries’ calorie elasticity also suggests that their need for food may not be entirely satisfied even after the reception of the monetary transfer. |
| Keywords: | conditional cash transfer, Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System, income and price elasticities, nutrient intake, Mexico, Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182834&r=agr |
| By: | He, Chenyi ; Gao, Zhifeng ; Sims, Charles A. ; Zhao, Xin |
| Abstract: | Demand for local food, particularly for fresh vegetable and fruits, keeps increasing. Consumer claimed reasons of purchasing local food often include that local food are fresher, more environmental friendly and can support local community, which implies that the local information can affect consumer’ perception of food quality. Previous research mainly focused on the impact of local information/label on consumer preference as a credence attribute that is not observable even after purchasing the products. However, the local information of food may also influence consumer perception of the other two types of important attributes, search and credence attributes. In this study, we linked sensory test with consumer willingness to pay (WTP) to determine the impact of local information on consumer perception of strawberry search and experience attributes and how these three types of attributes affect consumer choice. Results show that providing local information positively affect some of the search and experience attributes such as color, freshness and flavor. Locality information is not a significant factor to determine consumers’ WTP. In addition, freshness and color have significant impact on consumer WTP before respondents taste the strawberries while flavor and texture became dominant to have most influential impact on consumer WTP after tasting. |
| Keywords: | Strawberry, Local produced, Sensory test, Willingness to pay, Multivariate Tobit model, Agribusiness, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196874&r=agr |
| By: | Erdeiné Késmárki-Gally, Szilvia ; Fenyvesi, László |
| Abstract: | The present study aims to formulate a concept for an electronic marketplace which offers efficient support primarily to small and medium-sized businesses operating as agricultural producers and service providers in order to facilitate their purchase and efficient use of production inputs, product development, the improvement of production, the establishment of business contacts and the sales of produced goods. The concept of the electronic agricultural purchasing marketplace embodies a novel approach to today’s agriculture based on modern technologies offering an opportunity to both agricultural producers and suppliers providing production input materials to maintain communication, perform administrative tasks and trade with each other electronically within a single system that has several unique functions. |
| Keywords: | cooperation, information, market, production system, competition, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182953&r=agr |
| By: | Loizou, Efstratios ; Chatzitheodoridis, Fotios ; Michailidis, Anastasios ; Kontogeorgos, Achilleas ; Mattas, Konstadinos |
| Abstract: | Rural Development policies and measures has since long been a primary aim for public policies in the EU and Greece, such that is the LEADER programme. The assessment of the performance of this policy for supporting an integrated development in a rural region in Greece is the main objective of the current study. Specifically, it is aimed to assess potential economy- wide impacts in the regional economy and capture impacts on the local output, employment and household income, employing regional Input-Output modeling. Results indicate that important impacts can be induced in the regional economy for specific sectors, despite the overall poor performance of the programme for the whole economy. The programme's performance is highly affected by the small budget and its distribution to the economy's sectors'. |
| Keywords: | Rural Development, LEADER, regional I-O modeling, impact analysis, Greece, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182920&r=agr |
| By: | Tolulope Kehinde, Kayode-Adedeji ; Agwu, Dr. Edwin M. |
| Abstract: | This study looked at the relevance of agriculture in the Nigeria society and the need for employment and application of information and communication technology into agricultural sector as a solution to unemployment problems in Nigeria. As information and communication technology is a booming sector of the economy which presently engaged the younger generations of Nigerians, it can as well be used to improve the economic development of Nigeria and Nigerians. Data was gathered through qualitative method with focus group and individual in-depth interview as tools. Participants were selected randomly from a group of students, farmers and traders in Ogun and Lagos States of Nigeria. Findings revealed that although government support was essential in improving the agricultural sector in Nigeria, it was also important for citadels of learning and the private sectors to join hands in creating the much needed awareness amongst the youths on the significance of the agricultures and application of ICT as a veritable but untapped employment opportunity. The study also revealed that there is need to include agricultural studies into present day school curricular as well as create massive awareness through the mass media, especially Nollywood industry to portray the agricultural sector in a good light in order to ensure economic growth and uptake by the younger generations. |
| Keywords: | ICT, Agriculture, Employment, Poverty alleviation, Nigeria |
| JEL: | J21 J24 J43 |
| Date: | 2015–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:61394&r=agr |
| By: | Qushim, Berdikul ; Gillespie, Jeffrey ; McMillin, Kenneth |
| Abstract: | Technical efficiency, scale and scope economies, marginal productive contributions for inputs and outputs, and efficiency drivers were determined for the Southeastern U.S meat goat enterprise. The average technical efficiency was 0.88. We find increasing returns to scale and scope economies for Southeastern U.S. meat goat enterprises. |
| Keywords: | Meat goat, SPF, IDF, Technical efficiency, Scale and scope economies, Returns to scale, Farm Management, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, Q10, Q12, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196818&r=agr |
| By: | Chen, Xuqi ; Gao, Zhifeng ; House, Lisa |
| Abstract: | In the past decades, demand for niche products (including organic, natural, and locally produce) has grown dramatically. Previous literature has shown that people bought organic and natural fresh produce because they perceived the products to be healthier and more nutritious. For locally produced products, supporting the local economy was also suggested as one of major reasons for purchasing besides the health benefits and freshness. When comparing the preferences of organic locally produced, and naturally grown, it has been exhibited that states (regions) have an influential impact. In this study, we used online surveys to determine the consumers’ knowledge and perception for niche fresh produce, as well as used open-ended contingent valuation to elicit consumer willingness to pay (WTP). From preliminary results of the national survey, it is indicated that although consumers stated that they favored locally produced and naturally grown products over organic ones, their WTP for organic products was still the highest in general. However, when delving into the case of each state, we were convinced that the preference was not homogeneous. This research is going to demonstrate such disparity in different regions and analyze the reasons behind it. |
| Keywords: | WTP, preference, disparity, locally produce, organic, region., Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196901&r=agr |
| By: | Cakir, Metin ; Balagtas, Joseph Valdes ; Okrent, Abigail M. |
| Abstract: | Using consumer panel data we explore the impact of food package size on food-at-home consumption. We exploit food manufacturer package downsizing strategy to track shifts in household purchase volume before and after package size changes. Focusing on shelf-stable tuna and peanut butter markets, we design a difference-in-difference analysis to compare the changes in purchase volume of products that are affected by package downsizing (treatment group) to the changes in purchase volume of products that are not affected by package downsizing (control group). Our main finding is that on average smaller package size significantly reduced household purchase volume in both product categories. This result implies that package size is positively correlated with food-at-home consumption, which is consistent with results of the experimental studies showing that larger package sizes lead to higher usage volume compared with smaller package sizes. |
| Keywords: | consumer behavior, food consumption, package downsizing, difference-in-difference, Consumer/Household Economics, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182776&r=agr |
| By: | Mamardashvili, Phatima ; Jan, Pierrick |
| Abstract: | Beside desirable outputs, farming generates environmentally harmful by-products. In this article, we include nitrogen surplus of farms in the representation of the production technology and assessed performance of farms. We measure environmental efficiency (EE) in the framework of a translog output distance function. EE shows by how much a farm can reduce its nitrogen surplus, given multiple inputs and multiple outputs. The study use bookkeeping data on dairy farms in the mountainous region of Switzerland. The analyses show that considering nitrogen surplus has a minor effect on the ranking of farms in terms of technical efficiency. Further, the results indicate relatively low average values for EE, suggesting a need for additional policy measures to reduce farm nitrogen surpluses. |
| Keywords: | efficiency analysis, environmental performance, nitrogen pollution, dairy farms, Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182910&r=agr |
| By: | Yeboah, Osei ; Naanwaab, Cephas B. ; Antwi, Johnson |
| Abstract: | Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is a labeling procedure, passed in the 2008 Farm Bill by the United States Congress requiring all food products to be labeled by their country of origin. According to Brester et al. (2005), COOL will generate an additional cost of 1.24% and 3.41% for US beef and pork consumers, respectively, which will affect their expenditure patterns. This paper seeks to analyze the effect of COOL induced expenditures on US beef and pork products. A system of linear expenditure functions are developed and used to estimate the own price and cross price elasticities as well as the income elasticities. Consumer expenditure (retail quantities and prices) on each product is regressed on per capita GDP and consumer expenditure on a related product such as chicken using quarterly data from 2004 to 2008 to represent pre COOL; and 2009 to 2013 constituting post COOL. The” pre’’ and “post” COOL estimated elasticities are compared. The estimated coefficients were all statistically significant both before and after the implementation of COOL. Generally, consumer expenditure on beef and pork after the implementation of COOL decreased while the consumer expenditure on chicken increased. |
| Keywords: | beef, country of origin labeling, linear expenditure model, pork, chicken., Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196851&r=agr |
| By: | Villanueva, Anastasio J. ; Rodríguez-Entrena, Macario ; Gómez-Limón, José A. ; Arriaza Balmón, Manuel |
| Abstract: | This paper tackles several issues under-studied concerning agri-environmental schemes (AES), namely requirements related to ecological focus areas (EFA) and collective participation. For this purpose, choice experiment was used to assess farmers’ preferences towards AES in olive growing of Southern Spain. A high heterogeneity was found, being identified four different classes of farmers, from potential participants to intermediate and non-participants. Almost half of the farmers would implement EFA at low monetary incentives (€8-9/ha per 1%-EFA) and the rest would do it at moderate to high monetary incentives (€41-151/ha per 1%-EFA). Most of farmers would not participate collectively with an up-to-30% bonus. |
| Keywords: | Environmental public goods, Olive groves, Collective participation, Ecological focus areas, Choice experiment, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182918&r=agr |
| By: | Lanier, Nalley ; Jesse, Tack |
| Abstract: | This study quantified the economic impact of the introduction of RiceTec® hybrid rice in the mid-south (Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi). Third party data were collected from The University of Arkansas and Mississippi State University for yield, head rice yield, and milled rice yield for 23 locations throughout the Mississippi and Arkansas Delta from 2003-2013. Weather data (temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation) were compiled daily for each station so that yield estimates could account for genetic differences in responses to various climatic anomalies. As such, credible yield estimates could be obtained by year, location and variety (hybrid, conventional, Clearfield and Clearfield hybrids) to estimate premiums or discounts relative to a base (in this study the base is conventional and Clearfield lines). Using existing publically available data on percentage of acreage planted to hybrids and Clearfield hybrids a total state “hybrid and Clearfield hybrid premium” in bushels per acre could be estimated. These premiums were multiplied by 2014 USD rice prices to obtain a “total gain” associated to the RiceTec® breeding program. Given that yields were estimated for each “type” of rice an associated standard deviation of yield could also be obtained to illustrate yield variability across these types. From this a simulation was run to simulate 10,000 rice varieties associated with each “type” of rice. University Extension production budgets were then used to estimate cost of production (which included different seed herbicide costs) for each type of rice to obtain a profit function. As such, head-to-head comparisons could be made in terms of profitability between two sets of variety substitutes: (1) hybrid vs conventional and (2) Clearfield vs Clearfield hybrid. Lastly, IMPLAN was used to estimate the “value added” defined as “the sum of employee compensation, proprietary income, other property-type income and indirect business taxes” associated with the additional rice produced attributed to the RiceTec® hybrid program. |
| Keywords: | Hybrid Rice, Clearfield, Rice Breeding, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Q16, Q11, |
| Date: | 2015–02–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:195710&r=agr |
| By: | Krah, Kwabena ; Petrolia, Daniel ; Coble, Keith ; Williams, Angelica ; Harri, Ardian |
| Abstract: | This study employs a stated choice experiment survey to identify producer preferences for contracts to produce Giant Miscanthus. Preliminary results indicate that price offered per ton of harvested Miscanthus, yield insurance availability, and biorefinery harvest have significant positive effects on the probability of a producer accepting a contract to produce Giant Miscahthus. The results show that risk-neutral farmers as more willing to accept contracts relative to risk-loving farmers, ceteris paribus. Farmers who perceive yield risk of Miscathus to be greater than their current crop are less likely to accept Giant Miscanthus contracts. |
| Keywords: | Giant Miscanthus, Contracts Attributes, Choice Experiment, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196994&r=agr |
| By: | Mondelaers, Koen ; Baecke, Myriam ; Lauwers, Ludwig H. |
| Abstract: | In 2015 the quota in the dairy sector will no longer be prolonged, as one of the measures to further liberalize the dairy market. To support farmers in this more volatile market and to increase their negotiation power, the EU has proposed several measures in a Dairy Package, amongst which the possibility to form producers’ organizations (POs) and to negotiate contracts. This paper investigates whether dairy farmers are interested in these POs and contracts and which elements are to be considered. We focus on the case study Flanders as an example of an intensive dairy producing and processing region. A mixed method design, combining qualitative research and choice experiments, was followed. The paper indicates that there is generally a lack of awareness amongst dairy farmers concerning both the concept of POs and contracts. Dairy farmers are in favor of POs to negotiate market access, as processors are against price negotiations. This contradicts the EU objective of empowering the dairy farmers. Dairy farmers are less interested in contracts and prefer long term relationships with their buyers. |
| Keywords: | Dairy farming, market power, producers’ organizations, contracts, Industrial Organization, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182711&r=agr |
| By: | Arata, Linda ; Donati, Michele ; Sckokai, Paolo ; Arfini, Filippo |
| Abstract: | In this paper we develop a new methodological proposal to incorporate risk into a farm level Positive Mathematical Programming (PMP) model. Our model presents some innovations with respect to the previous literature and estimates simultaneously the resource shadow prices, the farm non-linear cost function and a farm-specific coefficient of absolute risk aversion. The proposed model has been applied to three farm samples and the estimation results confirm the calibration ability of the model and show values for risk aversion coefficients consistent with the literature. Finally we simulate different scenarios of crop price volatility to test the model reactions as well as the potential role of an agri-environmental scheme as risk management tool. |
| Keywords: | risk aversion, positive mathematical programming, farm behaviour, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182659&r=agr |
| By: | Lakkakula, Prithviraj |
| Abstract: | The United States accounts for one of the highest per-capita caloric sweetener consumption in the world. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of around 6 to 9 teaspoons of per-capita sweetener consumption per day (equivalent to 23.8 pounds to 35.71 pounds per-capita, per year). The current US per-capita sweetener consumption is approximately 19 teaspoons/day. This high sweetener consumption is often linked to major health ailments such as obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This study uses a supply and demand framework to evaluate the amount of excise tax on major sweeteners (sugar and high fructose corn syrup) sufficient to reduce excess sweetener consumption to the recommended level. Results suggest a maximum consumer tax of 12 cents per pound on both sugar and HFCS sufficient to reduce consumption to the recommended level. Also, a maximum producer tax of 25 cents per pound on sugar and 95 cents per pound on HFCS is suggested to reduce consumption to the recommended level. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Demand and Price Analysis, Health Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196886&r=agr |
| By: | Heidecke, Claudia ; Wagner, Andrea ; Kreins, Peter ; Venohr, Markus ; Wendland, Frank |
| Abstract: | The Weser River Basin will most likely not meet European water framework directive nitrogen concentration targets by 2015. We use the AGRUM model network connecting hydrological and nutrient transport models with a German agricultural sector model to analyse current and future nitrogen surplus developments, water quality aspects and additional agrienvironmental measures to discuss options for WFD targets until 2021. Results show that even with a full implementation of the nitrogen directive and with additional agrienvironmental measures the objectives of the WFD can hardly be met. |
| Keywords: | diffuse pollution / agricultural economic and hydrological modelling / cost of nutrient reduction measures / Weser river basin, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182931&r=agr |
| By: | Vorotnikova, Ekaterina ; Borisova, Tatiana ; VanSickle, John |
| Abstract: | The Strawberry Advisory System (SAS) was developed to improve temporal precision of fungicide application. Based on Net Present Value (NPV), it outperforms the traditional fungicide application method given weather and market conditions typical for Florida (Vorotnikova et al., 2014). This study uses stochastic dominance and efficiency with respect to a function (SDRF and SERF) criterion to rank ten-year NPV for SAS-based and traditional fungicide application methods, given a range of farmers’ risk preferences. SERF is a valuable tool because it incorporates a utility function and a range of decision-maker risk preferences. Data from two production experiments were used: 1) research trials at the University of Florida’s farm, and 2) field experiments at seven commercial strawberry farms, located in different Florida counties. Each experiment included two diseases, anthracnose and Botrytis, and two cultivars, more- and less-disease resistant. The results based on research trials show that for both diseases and cultivars, the SAS-based method is the most preferred given any farmers’ risk aversion levels. However, the results based on results from commercial farms show that while the SAS-based method ranks higher for the more-resistant cultivar, the traditional fungicide application method is preferred for the less-resistant cultivar, for any farmers’ risk preference. |
| Keywords: | stochastic efficiency, risk, production, Agribusiness, Production Economics, Risk and Uncertainty, |
| Date: | 2015–01–15 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:saea15:196846&r=agr |
| By: | Nekhay, Olexandr ; Arriaza Balmón, Manuel ; Zhadko, Konstantin |
| Abstract: | In this paper the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) multicreteria evaluation method has been used to evaluate 4 different competing management options at olive plantations (Olea europaea L.) in mountain areas. All the evaluation process is integrated into a Geographical Information System (GIS) that gave possibility to allocate each of the options geographically. The results suggested that area currently occupied by conventional olive farming should be restructured as (% of area occupation): 35.8% to conventional olive farming, 23.3% to integrated olive farming, 19.1% to organic olive farming and 22.8% transformed to natural use as a Mediterranean forest in order to increase the social welfare of the society. |
| Keywords: | Olive plantations, AHP, GIS, land use optimisation, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182959&r=agr |