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on Agricultural Economics |
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Issue of 2015‒11‒07
94 papers chosen by |
| By: | Assefa, Tsion; Meuwissen, Miranda; Lansink, Alfons G.J.M. |
| Abstract: | With the liberalization of EU agricultural markets, EU farmers are increasingly exposed to global and local market shocks. A major source of market shocks in the livestock sector is animal food scare. By applying the recently developed methodology of volatility response functions of Hafner and Herwartz (2006), we investigated how news of selected food scares affected price volatilities in the German and Spanish pig chains. Overall, the results suggest that the size of the shock matters for price volatility to increase in response to news of a food scare. Our results confirm that if the shock is large enough, news of food scares do increase price volatility. The results highlight the importance of price risk insurance for non-infected farms given the current opportunity to benefit from EU premium subsidies for such type of insurance. |
| Keywords: | Price volatility, food scares, pig chain, Germany, Spain, volatility impulse response functions., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, C5, Q11, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210966&r=agr |
| By: | Deb, Uttam; Pramanik, Soumitra; Khan, Patan; Bantilan, Cynthia |
| Abstract: | The study reconfirmed prevalence of reverse tenancy in dryland agriculture in Southern India in the recent years (2009-11) as was in the mid-seventies. Household level panel data collected from six villages by ICRISAT under its Village Level Studies (VLS) and Village Dynamics Studies (VDS) program were used. Area under tenancy has increased in the recent years, mostly in the form of share cropping. Panel Data Probit analysis revealed that likelihood of a household to be a tenant is positively linked with number of agricultural worker, bullock ownership and male-headed household. Land ownership, age and education of household head, and dependence on non-farm income had negative association. Crop yield and profitability were generally higher in owned land than that of land under tenancy. Reduction of reverse tenancy in dryland agriculture will require risk reducing technologies (drought-resistant varieties, supplementary irrigation) and availability of critical inputs (for example, bullock for intercultural operations). |
| Keywords: | Tenancy, Dryland Agriculture, Panel data, Probit, Profitability, Consumer/Household Economics, Farm Management, Q10, Q15, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211567&r=agr |
| By: | Bellora, Cecilia; Bourgeon, Jean-Marc |
| Abstract: | Biotic elements such as pests create biodiversity effects that increase production risks and impede land productivity when agriculture becomes more specialized. We show in a Ricardian two-country trade setup that production specialization is incomplete under free trade because of the decrease in land productivity. Pesticides allow farmers to reduce these effects, but they are damaging for the environment and for human health. When regulating farming practices under free trade, governments face a trade-off: they are induced to restrict pesticides use compared to autarky because national food consumption depends less on them, but they also want to preserve the competitiveness of their agricultural sector on international markets. We show that at the symmetric equilibrium under free trade, restrictions on pesticides are generally more stringent than under autarky. As a result, trade increases the price volatility of crops produced by both countries, and of some or all of the crops that are country-specific depending of the intensity of the biodiversity effects. |
| Keywords: | agricultural trade, food prices, agrobiodiversity, pesticides, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, F18, Q17, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211216&r=agr |
| By: | Jaleta, Moti; Kassie, Menale; Marenya, Paswel |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the adoption and impacts of improved maize varieties (IMVs) on food security in Ethiopia. Survey data collected in 2011 from 2455 sample households in 39 districts was used in the analysis. Endogenous switching regression model supported by binary and generalized propensity score matching methods was used to empirically assess the impact of IMV adoption on per-capita food consumption expenditure and perceived household food security status. Results show that education of household head, farm size, social network, and better agro-ecologic potential for maize production are the major determinants of household decisions to adopt IMVs. In addition, the average per-capita food consumption is high for adopters and the impact of IMV adoption on per-capita food consumption is slightly higher for non-adopters had they adopted IMVs. Thus, policies and development strategies encouraging further adoption of IMVs could enhance food security of smallholder farmers in maize-based systems. |
| Keywords: | Improved maize, adoption, impact, endogenous switching regression, smallholder, Ethiopia., Food Security and Poverty, C31, C34, D6, D13, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211566&r=agr |
| By: | Benfica, Rui; Boughton, Duncan; Uaiene, Rafael |
| Abstract: | The recent high food price environment is an opportunity for Africa’s smallholder farmers. This paper assesses the relationship between agricultural productivity and market participation/performance in smallholder response to a high food price environment in Mozambique. We use panel data before and after the change in price regime to identify the relative importance of market access/participation versus household and farm-level factors in explaining productivity differences. Conversely, we look at the relative importance of productivity investments and outcomes versus marketing investments in explaining household market performance. Results suggest that creating an enabling environment for greater access to markets can have important effects on productivity of cereals and groundnuts/beans, but direct investments that lead to increased adoption of productivity enhancing technologies are also important to maximize market access benefits. Finally, we highlight investment priorities to strengthening agricultural market participation and performance and improve productivity. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural productivity, endogeneity, intensification, and marketing performance, Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing, C31, C36, D13, and D24., |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211217&r=agr |
| By: | Asfaw, Solomon; McCarthy, Nancy; Lipper, Leslie; Arslan, Aslihan; Cattaneo, Andrea; Kachulu, Mutie |
| Abstract: | This paper assesses farmers’ incentives and conditioning factors that hinder or promote adaptation strategies and evaluates its impact on crop productivity by utilizing household level data collected in 2011 from nationally representative sample households in Malawi. We distinguish between (i) exposure to climatic disruptions, (ii) bio-physical sensitivity to such disruptions, (iii) household adaptive capacity in terms of farmers’ ability to prepare and adjust to the resulting stress, and, finally, (iv) system-level adaptive capacity that serve as enabling factors for household-level adaptation. We employ a multivariate probit (MVP) and instrumental variable technique to model farming practice selection decisions and their yield impact estimates. We find that exposure to delayed onset of rainfall and greater climate variability as represented by the coefficient of variation of rainfall and temperature is positively associated with the choice of riskreducing agricultural practices such as tree planting, legume intercropping, and soil and water conservation (SWC); however, it reduces the use of inputs (such as inorganic fertilizer) whose risk reduction benefits are uncertain. Biophysical sensitivity of plots increases the likelihood of choice of tree planting and SWC. In terms of household adaptive capacity, we find that wealthier households are more likely to adopt both modern and sustainable land management (SLM) inputs; and are more likely to adopt SLM inputs on plots under more secure tenure. In terms of system-level adaptive capacity, results show the key role of rural institutions, social capital and supply-side constraints in governing selection decisions for all practices considered, but particularly for tree planting and both organic and inorganic fertilizer. Finally for productivity, we find that on average use of both modern and SLM practices have positive and statistically significant impact on productivity of maize. For SLM practices that also respond to exposure and sensitivity, these results provide direct evidence of their potential to aide households in adapting to further climate change. Results presented have implications for understanding and overcoming barriers to selection for each practice, distinguishing structural aspects such as exposure and sensitivity from potential interventions at the household or systemic levels linked to adaptive capacity. |
| Keywords: | Q01, Q12, Q16, Q18, Environmental Economics and Policy, Climate change, adaptation, impact, Malawi, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210961&r=agr |
| By: | Trinidade, Carlos; Quedas, M. de Fatima; Ponte, Joao |
| Abstract: | Identity preservation (IP) refers to a system of production, handling and marketing practices that maintains the integrity of and purity of agricultural commodities. Products segregation plays a key role in IP, but an IP system is more demanding, namely due to testing requirements. Labelling regulation for GM containing or derived food and feed in EU, as well as some food manufacturers’ prerequisite of GM-free raw materials, prompted new developments of IP systems that are now part of the modus operandi of major supply chains. A research on the Portuguese maize bread supply chain, a minor maize supply chain in value but large due to the myriad of actors it involves, was conducted in order to understand if and how GM labelling regulation is accomplished. Direct interviews to several stakeholders along the maize bread supply chain evidenced a large heterogeneity in awareness and performance of GM-labeling rules. But results also reflected heterogeneity in awareness and performance regarding other traits, including traits envisaged by Codex Standards or traits associated to traditional maize bread, as it is the case of flint type varieties and, moreover, the IP of maize landraces, traditionally grown for bread making and that are still grown by some farmers. Altogether these results encouraged a comprehensive discussion of implementation of IP systems and suggest that isolating non-GM maize IP and its costs from the comprehensive IP system of each supply chain might be misleading. |
| Keywords: | Identity preservation, maize bread, segregation, Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q13, |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:gmcc15:211495&r=agr |
| By: | Awotide, B.A.; Abdoulaye, T.; Alene, A.; Manyong, V.M. |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of access to credit on agricultural productivity in Nigeria using the Endogenous Switching Regression Model (ESRM)). The first stage of the ESRM reveals that total livestock unit and farm size are positive and statistically significant in determining the farmers’ access to credit. The second stage reveals that total livestock unit and farm size are negative and statistically significant in explaining the variations in cassava productivity among the farmers that have access to credit, while household size, farm size, and access to information assets are negative and statistically significant in explaining the variation in cassava productivity among the farmers without access to credit. Access to credit has a significant positive impact on cassava productivity. Thus, credit institutions should consider boosting their credit services to rural farming households in order to guarantee that more households benefit from it. |
| Keywords: | Credit, Impact, Cassava, Productivity, Farmers, Nigeria, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, O12, Q14, Q16, Q55, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210969&r=agr |
| By: | Alam, Mohammad; Akter, Shaheen; Begum, Ismat |
| Abstract: | Domestic rice procurement program serves the dual purposes of building rice stocks for the public food grain distribution system and of providing income support to farmers. Government of Bangladesh provides a support price higher than the cost of production. However, we examine the effectiveness of rice procurement program and analyse the factors influencing farm level rice stocks, to understand the household level food security. In doing so, we use Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2010 data, historical and field survey data. We find that government stock and market price were negatively correlated with domestic procurement but the planned distribution was positive correlated with it. Results also show that annual household income including farm income increased dueii to procurement program. Moreover, stocks at the farm level vary positively with respect to own price but negatively with respect to consumer price of coarse rice. Keywords: Rice procurement program, farm level stock, effectiveness, Bangladesh |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210942&r=agr |
| By: | Zoela Dimo (Bilkent University, Department of Economics) |
| Abstract: | So far Albania has been in a continuous search for foreign investments mainly in the areas of tourism, construction and manufacturing sectors. However, little interest has been shown to agriculture although it is a promising sector in Albania. The share of agricultural land in total land is only 24 %, but it has even been providing for about 19 % of the total GDP, a share which is higher than other countries of the region. Similarly, the sector has been the main source of employment in rural areas. Despite being a promising sector with a large share in the active population and a contributor to economic growth and poverty easement, agriculture appears to be limited because of the survival nature of farming, the small farm size and the faulty functioning land market. The focus of this paper will be on a careful analysis of the current agricultural situation in fields of organic agriculture, agri-food industry, farm income and employment, food policies, rural development policies, agricultural trade etc. Simultaneously, the paper will constantly keep a record of the European Union policies functioning in Albania with the purpose of making the country a competitive factor in the international arena. Therefore, by having the big picture of agriculture and a careful analysis of each factor in it, the paper will accomplish to present useful strategies which will in return help the amelioration of agriculture in Albania. |
| Keywords: | agricultural trade, organic agriculture, rural development policies, foreign investment |
| JEL: | C50 Q13 Q15 Q18 Q56 |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eyd:cp2015:243&r=agr |
| By: | Buschmann, Christoph; Lotze-Campen, Hermann; Rolinski, Susanne; Biewald, Anne |
| Abstract: | Climate change not only entails gradual changes, but also climate variability is predicted to increase. Extreme weather events are expected to affect food security, among other things because yield losses lead to rising food price volatility. We project the potential effect of heat-stress induced yield losses on food price volatility and global economic welfare. For this purpose we use a non-linear partial equilibrium trade model with which we assess global maize, rice, soy and wheat markets. Maize and rice are affected the most, with partially dramatic price volatility increases. In the case of soy, the increase is lower, but still considerable. For wheat, results are mixed. Depending on the scenario, price volatility slightly decreases or significantly increases. Consequences for global economic welfare also strongly depend on the scenario. Losses either increase moderately or they about double. |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Q02, Q11, Q54, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211377&r=agr |
| By: | Shadibaev, Talat; Mukhamedkhanova, Kamila |
| Abstract: | Expected changes in the demographic pattern, growth of personal income and related transformations of the lifestyle and behavioral stereotypes will eventually lead to the substantial increase in demand for food products, transform people’s food consumption pattern. On the supply side, climate change as well as the accelerated transformations and rapid industrialization could augment negative anthropogenic impact on the environment, affect water supply, quality of land, thus, influencing the crop yield and productivity in agriculture. Therefore, ensuring food security towards 2030 will require more complex approaches, policies and tools. The paper suggests strategies for food policy in Uzbekistan towards 2030 incorporating three key dimensions: 1) food availability; 2) access to food; and 3) balanced and high quality nutrition. |
| Keywords: | Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211577&r=agr |
| By: | Ciaian, Pavel; Drabik, Dusan |
| Abstract: | We will build a tractable partial equilibrium model that captures the most important features of the EU biofuel, energy, and biofuel feedstock markets. We consider two representative crops: wheat and rapeseed. Wheat is used for both human consumption and ethanol production (where it yields DDGS as a co-product). Rapeseed is crushed first, yielding joint products: rapeseed oil and meal. Oil is then consumed by humans and is also used in biodiesel production; rapeseed meal is used as animal feed. Waste oil is used for second-generation biodiesel. Because the European Union imports a lot of biofuels and biofuel feedstocks, we allow for trade in these commodities. We explicitly model the multiple counting toward the overall mandate for secondgeneration biofuels produced from non-food crops. |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211546&r=agr |
| By: | Mahoukede, Kinkingninhoun-Medagbe; Aliou, Diagne; Gauthier, Biaou |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to assess the impact of the use of credit in rice farming on productivity and income in Benin. It applies the potential outcomes framework to data collected from 342 rice farmers in Benin to estiamte the Local Average Treatment Effect (LATE). Findings show that the use of credit in rice farming has positive and significant impact on farmers' rice yield, rice output, rice income, per capita rice income, annual household income and per capita annual household income. Therefore, facilitating access of rice farmers to agricultural credit is a good strategy for supporting rice sector development, and therefore contributing to food security and poverty alleviation in Benin. Moreover, the impacts were higher for female farmers than male farmers. Therefore, it is important to control for heterogeneity in impact assessment studies in order to appreciate the real effect of interventions on different social categories in the target population. |
| Keywords: | Rice, Credit, Gender, Impact, Income, productivity, Benin, Local Average Treatment Effect, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Financial Economics, C21, C26, I31, Q12, Q14, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211635&r=agr |
| By: | Hitayezu, Patrick; Wale, Edilegnaw; Ortmann, Gerald |
| Abstract: | On-farm tree cultivation is considered an important strategy to mitigate detrimental environmental impacts of agricultural land-use change (ALUC). In South Africa, however, little is known about farm-level incentives and constraints that govern ALUC decisions among small-scale farmers. To address this knowledge gap, this study employs a mixed multinomial logit (MMNL) model by using a combination of revealed and stated preference data. After correcting for endogeneity, the estimated results show that decisions about ALUC are rationally derived and driven by clear but heterogeneous preferences and trade-offs between crop productivity, food security and labour saving. The results further show that the decision to plant sugarcane is constrained by landholding, whilst farmland afforestation is negatively influenced by household size. Decisions to convert land use are also driven by the behaviour of peer groups and agro-ecological conditions. Based on these findings, important policy implications for sustainable land use are outlined. |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211736&r=agr |
| By: | Rovane Battaglin Schwengber (IPC-IG); Eduardo Pontual Ribeiro (IPC-IG); Fábio Veras Soares (IPC-IG); Rodrigo Octávio Orair (IPC-IG) |
| Abstract: | "A majority of people living in rural areas depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Investing in smallholder farming can be a sustainable way to revitalise agricultural production based on local and diverse food systems. Inclusive agricultural growth has the potential to reduce rural poverty, mitigate the effects of volatile global food prices and boost the domestic economy (IPC-IG 2013)." (?) |
| Keywords: | Scale of Institutional Public Procurement, Food, Brazil |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipc:wpaper:134&r=agr |
| By: | Ricroch, Agnes E.; Henard-Damave, Marie-Cecile |
| Abstract: | Most of the genetically modified (GM) plants currently commercialized encompass a handful of crop species (soybean, corn, cotton and canola) with agronomic characters (traits) directed against some biotic stresses (pest resistance, herbicide tolerance or both) and created by multinational companies. The same crops with agronomic traits already on the market today will continue to be commercialized, but there will be also a wider range of species with combined traits. The timeframe anticipated for market release of the next biotech plants will not only depend on science progress in research and development (R&D) in laboratories and fields, but also primarily on how demanding regulatory requirements are in countries where marketing approvals are pending. Regulatory constraints, including environmental and health impact assessments, have increased significantly in the past decades, delaying approvals and increasing their costs. This has sometimes discouraged public research entities and small and medium size plant breeding companies from using biotechnology and given preference to other technologies, not as stringently regulated. Nevertheless, R&D programs are flourishing in developing countries, boosted by the necessity to meet the global challenges that are food security of a booming world population while mitigating climate change impacts. Biotechnology is an instrument at the service of these imperatives and a wide variety of plants are currently tested for their high yield despite biotic and abiotic stresses. Many plants with higher water or nitrogen use efficiency, tolerant to cold, salinity or water submergence are being developed. Food security is not only a question of quantity but also of quality of agricultural and food products, to be available and accessible for the ones who need it the most. Many biotech plants (especially staple food) are therefore being developed with nutritional traits, such as biofortification in vitamins and metals. The main international seed companies continue to be the largest investors in plant biotechnology R&D, and often collaborate in the developing world with public institutions, private entities and philanthropic organizations. These partnerships are particularly present in Africa. In developed countries, plant biotechnology is also used for non-food purposes, such as the pharmaceutical, biofuel, starch, paper and textile industries. For example, plants are modified to specifically produce molecules with therapeutic uses, or with an improved biomass conversion efficiency, or producing larger volumes of feedstocks for biofuels. Various plant breeding technologies are now used in the entire spectrum of plant biotechnology: transgenesis producing proteins or RNAi. Cisgenesis (transgenes isolated from a crossable donor plant) and intragenesis (transgenes originate from the same species or a crossable species), null segregants are also used. To date, the next generation precision gene editing tools are developed in basic research. They include: clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), oligonucleotide- directed mutagenesis (ODM), transcription activator-like effects nucleases (TALENs) and zinc-finger nuclease (ZFN). |
| Keywords: | Biofortification, biofuels, climate change, editing, food security, GMO, transgenesis, Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:gmcc15:211484&r=agr |
| By: | Mehmet Tarakcıoğlu (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) |
| Abstract: | The recent developing interest in Geographical Indications (GIs) products are mostly related to the changes in consumer demand and governmental agricultural policy in response to rising income, increasing globalization of food supply chain which also stipulates increasing concerns about food quality and safety issues with a diverse agricultural market structures across countries. But, this rising trend observed presents a significant challenge in the trade of food products that are considered to be inherently linked to, or determined by, the nature of the geographic environment in which production takes place (e.g., climate conditions, soil composition, local knowledge, etc.). Hence, asymmetric information characterizes these markets in which the producers know more about the quality of the products than consumers and product quality attributes are unknown until after consumption, or never revealed. Whereas the trade origin of goods in private domain can be indicated by a trademark, agricultural and food products are considered to need a proof of reputation for quality and safety features in addition to their trade origin. Therefore, geographical origin which is in public domain and descriptive in nature is used to help differentiate the products among similar goods by communicating the specific qualities associated. As a result of functions they play, the geographical indications have gained recognition as a distinct form of trade related intellectual property rights. These products have one important feature in common as availability of a specific link between the place of production and the product’s quality, characteristics, or reputation and this quality-origin nexus is established through legal protection under different national jurisdictions with a global framework of the Agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Notwithstanding to the different prevailing approaches of either European Union (EU)-led sui generis or United States (US)-led trade mark based system of legal protection that is also a subject of discussions in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, GIs systems are generally introduced with an origin labelling and associated quality control as a means against the above mentioned quality uncertainty in the markets. The welfare implications of GIs for consumers and producers are mainly dependent upon the impact of the extent of the geographical differentiation on consumer demand as well as the structure of related markets. A broad literature on GIs has focused on consumers’ attitudes, perceptions for and price premiums of GI labelled products. Most of the existent studies investigates the price effects of GIs which have also impact on the other parts of supply chain. The results of a meta-analysis of studies analysing the effects of GIs/origin show that studies focus on price impacts and many use hedonic approaches to give the implicit prices for GI label/distinct product origins or apply contingent valuation and other choice modelling techniques to indicate the willingness-to-pay measures. There are also few theoretical modelling studies which derive the impact of GIs, especially dynamics of transition. Other meta-analyses also show that the price impact is a key variable in empirical analyses and that the price premium consumers are willing to pay for GIs is often used as an indicator. But, extensive analytical works on implications of GIs on different parts of the related supply chain are lacking and the existing studies draw different conclusions about welfare implications of GIs with different modelling approaches and findings. Accordingly, it is the objective of this study to provide an analytical framework for the analysis of the GIs labelling program. A methodological approach is developed by combining an equilibrium displacement modelling framework and contingent valuation methodology to provide a measurement of GIs program impact in the defined market structure. The equilibrium displacement model of a possible market structure for GIs products is developed to identify the way in which the introduction of GIs labelling with quality control will affect the prices and quantities of GIs and mass products in the related markets. The model is developed for a segmented market with differential qualities and quality control which extends the previous literature by including the factor markets in such a multi-stage structure, which is consistent with the market structure of GIs products mostly being processed foods. The framework developed also offers the use of contingent valuation based choice experiment methodology to measure a possible changes in consumer demand in response to the introduction of GIs labelling. The framework developed in this study can be applied to estimating the impacts of a variety of GIs based labelling program as well as governmental promotion and support programs as implemented at regional or national level. |
| Keywords: | Geographical Indications, Labelling, Equilibrium Displacement Model, Welfare Analysis |
| JEL: | O34 Q12 Q13 Q17 Q1 |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eyd:cp2015:203&r=agr |
| By: | Bojnec, Stefan; Ferto, Imre |
| Abstract: | The article investigates agri-food export competitiveness of 23 countries on global markets using revealed comparative advantage (B) index in the 2000-2011 periods. Results indicate that main global agri-food exporting countries have revealed comparative advantages. The panel unit root tests suggest convergence in the dynamics of the B indices. Mobility indices indicate relatively low mobility in the B indices at the product level. The Kaplan-Meier survival rates of the B indices on long-term are among the highest for the Netherlands, France, Belgium, the United States, Argentina and New Zealand. The level of economic development, the share of agricultural employment, subsidies to agriculture, and differentiated consumer agri-food products increases the likelihood of failure in comparative advantage, while agricultural land abundance and export diversification reduces. |
| Keywords: | global agri-food export – revealed comparative advantage – panel unit root tests – intra-distribution dynamics – duration analysis – discrete time models, Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Development, F01, F14, C23, C41, Q17, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211360&r=agr |
| By: | Benfica, Rui; Kilic, Talip |
| Abstract: | We investigate how household agricultural involvement affects food consumption and dietary diversity in Malawi. Ceteris paribus, a 10% increase in onfarm income share increases food consumption/capita by 2.9%, calorie intake/person/day by 1.7%, and leads to small improvements in dietary diversity. There are significant differences in the relationship between on-farm income shares and caloric shares: a positive and significant relationship with the shares from energy dense/low protein cereals/grains, but not significant with shares from nuts/pulses and sugars. Negative relationships are found with shares from roots/tubers, vegetables/fruits, oils/fats, and meat/fish/milk. While food consumption and dietary diversity increase with agricultural involvement, the quality of diets is an issue. As purchased calories are associated with richer/high quality diets, particularly protein rich, households with lower dependency on agriculture meet those diets more easily, highlighting the importance of crop and income diversification to dietary diversity. Nutrition education and crop diversification programs can improve food security and nutritional outcomes. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural involvement, consumption, dietary diversity, and endogeneity, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Consumer/Household Economics, C31, C36, D12, D13, D24, and I13, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211218&r=agr |
| By: | Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob; Chamberlin, Jordan |
| Abstract: | Recent scholarship has shown that land rental and sales markets are increasingly important within customary tenure systems in Africa (e.g. Holden et al. 2009). The theoretical role of such markets in enhancing equitable access and production efficiency is of particular relevance for Africa’s agrarian economies, which are characterized by highly skewed distributions of land access (even within smallholder sector), low levels of productivity and high levels of poverty. Empirical assessments of land market performance have generally not found conclusive evidence of their impacts on the smallholder farm sector. This session will review several important recent empirical assessments of rural land rental markets in Eastern and Southern Africa, focusing on case studies in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia, and West Africa, in Côte d’Ivoire. We will attempt to synthesize what we know about the current status of rental market development in the region, focusing on addressing several key questions: What are the temporal and spatial trends of rental market development? Who is participating in these markets? What are the impacts on smallholder efficiency, equity and household welfare? In addition to summarizing the available evidence, we will attempt to clarify the most appropriate ways for agricultural policy to engage with land market development and will highlight areas requiring further research. |
| Keywords: | International Development, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211453&r=agr |
| By: | Baba, S.H.; Wani, M.H.; Saraf, S.A. |
| Abstract: | This study investigates dynamics of land-use shifts, agricultural land-use, and its intensity in relation with urbanization and other factors in Jammu & Kashmir, a mountainous state of India. Results revealed an unfavourable increasing trend in the undesirable ecology class (barren) and declining trend in desirable land-use (forests, pastures and miscellaneous trees) which are likely to have serious long-term ecological implications. Inter-sectoral budgeting analysis revealed that shifts in land are occurring from desirable towards undesirable ecological sector. The regression estimates revealed negative role of urbanization and land scarcity in improvement of cropping intensity. Agricultural density and rice area are significant determinants of unproductive land-use. The pressures on the state’s land resources will be high in future and may be seriously felt owing to various mountain specificities characterizing J&K state. The study emphasized on the evolution of suitable institutional mechanism for scientific management, and conservation of land resources in the state. |
| Keywords: | Land –use change, agriculture, agricultural land-use intensity, urbanization, mountains, Agricultural Finance, Land Economics/Use, O13, O18, Q15, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211192&r=agr |
| By: | Beach, Robert; Zhang, Yuquan; Baker, Justin; Hagerman, Amy; McCarl, Bruce |
| Abstract: | This study used a partial equilibrium model focusing on U.S. agriculture to investigate the climate change implications for U.S. livestock production. Climate change impacts on crop productivity, grazing land productivity, and livestock animals’ biophysical growth were factored into the model to examine the market equilibrium changes under alternative climate change scenarios. Results suggest that the U.S. livestock sector would be negatively influenced by climate change, with meat and milk prices increasing and exports decreasing. Livestock producers would expand the use of grazing and raise more animals to meet market demand given reduced productivity per head. Profit margins for meat and milk production would however decline due to increases in input prices than more than outweigh the gains from higher output prices. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, Livestock Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211207&r=agr |
| By: | Alem, Yonas (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University); Eggert, Håkan (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University); Ruhinduka, Remidius (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University) |
| Abstract: | We use rich survey data to investigate the impact of a climate-friendly rice farming method known as the system of rice intensification (SRI) on the welfare of rain-dependent small-holder farmers in Tanzania. SRI reduces water consumption by half, which makes it a promising farming system in the adaptation to climate change in moisture-constrained areas, and it does not require flooding of rice fields, resulting in reduced methane emissions. Endogenous switching regression results suggest that SRI indeed improves yield in rain-dependent areas, but its profitability hinges on the actual market price farmers face. SRI becomes profitable only when the rice variety sells at the same market price as that of traditional varieties, but results in loss when SRI rice sells at a lower price. We argue that the effort of promoting adoption of such types of climate-friendly agricultural practices requires complementary institutional reform and support in order to ensure their profitability to small-holder farmers. |
| Keywords: | Adaptation to climate change; Endogenous switching regression; Impact evaluation; System of rice intensification; Tanzania |
| JEL: | D13 J32 O33 Q12 |
| Date: | 2015–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0630&r=agr |
| By: | Arovuori, Kyosti |
| Abstract: | The objective of this study is to empirically analyze the effectiveness of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU, given the general economic and structural conditions under which the policies operate. The effectiveness of policies is measured in terms of the impacts of the policies on the stated policy objectives. The results show that policy target variables have developed in the desired direction. However, agricultural policies have kept more resources in the agriculture sector compared to a situation without policies, which has reduced the pace of productivity growth in terms of labour use and had a negative indirect impact on farmers’ incomes. Agricultural policy reforms have led to less stabilized markets in terms of increased price volatility. |
| Keywords: | policy effectiveness, CAP, instruments, objectives, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210960&r=agr |
| By: | Rovane Battaglin Schwengber (IPC-IG); Eduardo Pontual Ribeiro (IPC-IG); Fábio Veras Soares (IPC-IG); Rodrigo Octávio Orair (IPC-IG) |
| Abstract: | "Despite the drastic reduction of poverty in Brazil, its incidence and severity is still greater for families living in rural areas, even more so when the head of the household works in agricultural activities. Family farming encompasses 84 per cent of rural establishments in the country yet represents only 24 per cent of total agricultural land. In 2013, for instance, 9 per cent of the people living in rural areas were extremely poor, in contrast to 4 per cent for the entire population. Where the head of the household was considered to work primarily in agriculture, this percentage increased to 11 per cent (Schwengber et al. 2015). Structured demand policies use government resources as a tool to provide a stable market and price benchmarks for family farmer production." (?) |
| Keywords: | Scale of Public Procurement, Food, Implications, Inclusive Agricultural Growth |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipc:opager:305&r=agr |
| By: | Cevriye Aysoy (Central Bank of Turkey); Semih Tümen (Central Bank of Turkey); Duygu Halim Kırlı (Central Bank of Turkey) |
| Abstract: | The market for fresh food is often characterized by a large number of intermediaries delivering the product from the farmer to the retailer. The existence of these intermediaries, especially the informal ones, is often claimed to introduce market frictions that push fresh food prices up. We test the hypothesis that scaling down these frictions reduces the level of prices. Our data comes from a policy reform in Turkey concerning the supply chain regulations in the market for fresh fruits and vegetables. Starting from January 1st, 2012, a new law is enacted (i) to remove informal intermediaries, (ii) to reduce the farmers' cost of access to formal intermediaries such as wholesale market places, and (iii) to provide the farmers with the option to directly sell their products to retailers -- bypassing the wholesale intermediaries. This policy reform resembles a natural experiment that exogenously reduces the supply chain barriers in the market for fresh fruits and vegetables. Using quasi-experimental methods, we show that the policy reform has strikingly reduced the prices in the wholesale market, while there is almost no price effect in the retail market. This suggests that a non-negligible fraction of the wholesale markups has been transferred to the retailers. Ignoring the general equilibrium effects, consumers have not received any direct benefits. Our results, as a whole, suggest that there is significant asymmetry between the pricing behavior of retailers, wholesalers, and farmers in the market for fresh fruits and vegetables. |
| Keywords: | Supply chain reform, fresh food prices, markups, asymmetric pricing, quasi-experimental design |
| JEL: | C21 L52 Q11 Q18 |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eyd:cp2015:11&r=agr |
| By: | Chauvin, Nicolas; Porto, Guido; Mulangu, Francis |
| Abstract: | We study the interplay between market structure and domestic complementary factors in the production and consumption decisions of agricultural families in Tanzania. We study changes in market structure and in key parameters of the model that capture various household constraints and institutional access. In general term, the effect of more competition on farm gate prices depends on the initial level of competition in each crop. For many crops, in particular food crops, there is already a lot of competition and further changes in the level of competition will not affect farm gate prices much. In some other specific cases, in particular in cash crops, the initial level of competition is low and more competition is likely to have larger impact on producer prices. In terms of the effect of complementary policy and other factors affecting the allocation decision of farmers, the largest impacts often come from an increase of international price. The response of prices to this shock and others in the model is cushioned to a very large extent by the market structure. |
| Keywords: | Supply chains, Tanzania, Food crops, Cash crops, Market Structure, Poverty, Agricultural Finance, Consumer/Household Economics, Q12, Q13, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211569&r=agr |
| By: | Bartoli, A.; Cavicchioli, D.; Kremmydas, D.; Rozakis, S.; Olper, A. |
| Abstract: | The growing demand of green maize for biogas production in Northern Italy has triggered an intense debate concerning land rents, maize prices and their possible negative consequences on important agri-food chains. The aim of this work is to quantify the extent to which the rapid spread of biogas raised the maize price at regional level, increasing the demand of land for energy crops. For this purpose we built a partial-equilibrium model simulating the agricultural sector and the biogas industry in Lombardy, under two alternative subsidization schemes. Results show that policy measures implemented in 2013 – reducing the average subsidy per kWh – may contribute to enforce the sustainability of the sector and decreasing its competition with agri-food chains: maize demand for biogas would decrease, compared to the old scheme, lessening the market clearing price and reducing land demand for energy purposes. |
| Keywords: | biogas, land use, market simulation, mathematical programming, policy anaylsis, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use, C61, Q11, Q21, Q42, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211198&r=agr |
| By: | Chegao, Ana; Rodrigues, Monica; Quedas, Fatima; Andrade, Eugenia de |
| Abstract: | Maize is one of the three most important crops in the world. It is used as feed, food, food ingredient and additive, and for industrial processing. Recently, its use as raw material for biofuels reaches 50% of the USA production. In addition to its economic importance, several maize lines were genetically engineered to express agriculturally desirable traits, including tolerance to pests and to herbicides, to increase crops productivity. Although, worldwide, several transgenic maize events may be cultivated, in European Union (EU), only one maize event is authorized for cultivation, the MON 810 event. Therefore, according to the European farmers’ freedom of choice between conventional, organic and GM crop cultivation, European guidelines were developed to help those Member States who intended to cultivate MON 810 maize, to develop either national laws or best practices to ensure coexistence between GM crops and conventional and organic farming. Although, in 2009, fifteen countries had already developed coexistence rules, the uncertain regulatory system concerning both plant-breeding methods, namely those creating GM crops bearing more than one transgene (stacked traits), and thresholds for the presence of adventitious GM seeds in conventional seed lots complicated maize seed trade. In EU, a maize variety having stacked events cannot be cultivated as coexistence only applies to GM crops bearing the single event authorized for cultivation. Besides, the adventitious presence of GM seed in conventional seed lots must meet the requirements of conventional maize growers and their customers The most used methods to screen for the presence of unauthorized maize events in seeds, based on real-time PCR, show many severe impediments. There is no certified reference material for the quantification of screening elements as for the P35S promoter or T-nos terminator; the detection limit of screening methods do not provide the information needed to ensure the absence of non-unauthorized GM seeds in conventional maize seed lots; there is no means to known if an event is stacked or not in ground seeds. We made a review of the situation in Portugal, both at the seed importation level and at the national grain production. We found that Nk603 maize is being stacked together with MON 810 as adventitious presences in conventional seed lots. Additionally, we found that analytical results may vary substantially among laboratories as many 3 producers request the quantification of GM material despite of the transgene identification. We compared results obtained with commercial Kits for the quantification of P35S with event-specific methods. |
| Keywords: | GMO, MON 810, NK603, stacked-transgenes, maize, coexistence, real-time PCR quantification methods., Crop Production/Industries, Land Economics/Use, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:gmcc15:211473&r=agr |
| By: | Ayenew, Habtamu; Estruch, Elisenda; Sauer, Johannes; Abate-Kassa, Getachew; Schickramm, Lena; Wobst, Peter |
| Abstract: | Promoting decent rural employment, by creating new jobs in rural areas and upgrading the existing ones, could be one of the most efficient pathways to reduce rural poverty. This paper systematically investigates the role of decent rural employment on agricultural production efficiency in sub-Saharan African countries, taking Ethiopia and Tanzania as case countries. The analysis applies an output-oriented distance function approach with an estimation procedure that accounts for different technological, demographic, socio-economic, institutional and decent rural employment indicators. Data of the most recent round of Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) for the two countries are used, and a set of indicators are derived to proxy core dimensions of decent rural employment. The findings of our analysis support the idea that integrating decent rural employment aspects in rural development policies and strategies can contribute to improve agricultural production efficiency in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Keywords: | decent rural employment, distance function, efficiency, poverty reduction, Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211187&r=agr |
| By: | Kiran, Shashi; Umesh, K.B. |
| Abstract: | Agricultural activity is subject to a wide range of risks due to the variable economic and biophysical environment in which farming operates. Agriculture risks arise due to uncertainty over factors determining returns to agricultural production. Crop insurance is one of the risk mitigating strategies for farmers. The objective of the study was to estimate WTP by the rainfed maize farmres to crop insurance premium and also factors influencing their WTP. The study revealed that farmers were willing to pay 0.34 percent more premium than the prevailing rate to insure their crop. The average probability of WTP of farmers for crop insurance premium was 0.53. Age was the important factor influencing their WTP. It was observed that farmers' awareness about the products and procedures of crop insurance was poor. Hence, efforts should be made to increase the awareness and help farmers to take advantage of crop insurance. |
| Keywords: | Risk, Crop insurance, Premium, Willingness to pay, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210867&r=agr |
| By: | Ciaian, Pavel; Guri, Fatmir; Rajcaniova, Miroslava; Drabik, Dusan; Paloma, Sergio |
| Abstract: | We analyze the impact of land fragmentation on production diversification and its implications for food security of farm households in rural Albania. Albania represents a particularly interesting case for studying land fragmentation as the fragmentation is a direct outcome of land reforms. The results indicate that land fragmentation is an important driver of production diversification of farm households in Albania. We find that land fragmentation stimulates significantly more diversification for subsistence farm households than for market-oriented households. Our findings have two key policy implications: (i) the consolidation policies that relocate and enlarge plots would have a significant impact on reducing agricultural production diversification; and (ii) land fragmentation contributes to the food security improvement by increasing the variety of foodstuffs produced by subsistence farm households. |
| Keywords: | Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211539&r=agr |
| By: | Hristov, Jordan |
| Abstract: | Using a mixed input-output framework, this study examined potential changes in sector output and water requirements at national level in Macedonia arising from climate change. By defining three climate change scenarios and exogenously specifying the warming shocks for five key agricultural sub-sectors, the direct and indirect effects on the economy in terms of output and water demand were quantified. In general, the results indicated that except for cereals and grapes, agricultural production would benefit from the low climate change scenario, while there would be negligible effects on the rest of the economy. In contrast, the medium and high climate change scenarios would most likely negatively affect agriculture, with severe losses in grape, apple and cereal production, but again with low effects on other economic sectors. These results on the potential economic and physical impacts of climate change can help decision makers formulate future adaptation measures for the Macedonian agriculture sector. |
| Keywords: | agriculture, climate change, crop production, mixed input-output model, water consumption, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, C00, C55, D57, O13, Q15, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211747&r=agr |
| By: | Huan-Niemi, Ellen; Niskanen, Olli; Rikkonen, Pasi; Rintamaki, Heidi |
| Abstract: | The objective of this paper is to provide insights for researchers and policy makers concerning the impact of specific mitigation measures for greenhouse gas emissions at the farm level. Both quantitative simulations and qualitative expert judgements are used to analyse the impacts of four different mitigation measures for greenhouse gas emissions in Finland. The quantitative effects projected by the farm level modelling can provide the expert panel an opportunity to evaluate the acceptability at the farm level and the effectiveness of these mitigation measures to reduce emissions from agriculture. The results indicate that the potential to reduce emissions from Finnish agriculture is limited with current technology and the cost is high for implementing these measures at the farm level. The possible emissions reduction in Finland from these measures would contribute to less than one tenth of the reduction target for sectors excluded from the Emissions Trading System. |
| Keywords: | quantitative method, qualitative method, greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture, Finland, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, F53, Q18, Q54, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211751&r=agr |
| By: | Chin, Denise |
| Abstract: | Urbanization, growing incomes and changing diets have facilitated the supermarket revolution in Malaysia. Contract farming has been used as a tool to incorporate farmers into the modern supermarket supply chain, mediated by Malaysia’s Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA). This study examines the influence of supermarkets on Malaysia’s traditional food supply chain, and the emergence of the supermarket-farmer relationship with smallholder farmers through contract farming, as a result of the new supply chain. Based on an extensive literature review and interviews with FAMA and supermarket representatives, this study finds that the supermarket dominance is present but the relationship between supermarkets and farmers is distant and indirect. While FAMA’s contract farming is a useful effort to increase farmer involvement in the supermarket supply chain, there has been little participation from supermarkets due to their efficient network of suppliers that can adhere to their high quantity and quality demands better than small farmers can. |
| Keywords: | Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211464&r=agr |
| By: | Bignebat, Celine; Piot-Lepetit, Isabelle |
| Abstract: | Staple crop production in developing countries contributes decisively to food safety. In Sub- Saharan Africa however, the Green Revolution, aiming at sustaining agricultural productivity growth was mostly viewed as not successful, compared to what happened in Asian countries. There is a widespread agreement on the fact that this statement is especially related to the food marketing environment and to transaction costs. Stagnant food crop productivity and poor market performance may then be at stake. The paper aims at identifying the relative importance of marketing and production behaviours. It focuses on the case of maize in Sub- Saharan Africa. The results show that, beyond production choices, two aspects should be taken into account in order to understand commercialisation decisions: the role of intermediation and that of storage. |
| Keywords: | transaction costs, market access, agricultural production, Africa, Crop Production/Industries, International Development, D13, O13, Q12, P32, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211341&r=agr |
| By: | Bhaduri, Anik; Djanibekov |
| Abstract: | The study investigates different institutional and economic factors that can induce farmers to adopt efficient irrigation technologies in the irrigated agriculture of Uzbekistan. To investigate the effect of different policies on the investment of efficient irrigation technology, we simulate different scenarios of institutional design of the cotton procurement policy and land tenure security using a farm-based optimization model that maximizes the total net benefit of a farmer. The results indicate that a flexible water price can increase the adoption rate of efficient irrigation technologies by 20% compared to fixed water price levels. However, the high water supply variability may nevertheless delay the adoption of an efficient technology. Likewise, the removal of the cotton yield-based target could increase the adoption rate of water-efficient technologies. Finally, farmers are likely to respond much stronger to flexible water pricing, when the risk of losing land is lower. |
| Keywords: | water pricing, agricultural institutions, water-use efficiency, farm model, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, C61, Q12, Q15, Q16, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211336&r=agr |
| By: | Eaton, Derek |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the effects of varying appropriability or strength of IPRs for agricultural seeds. The paper is motivated by the agricultural sector in which an innovator uses genetic resources to produce new crop varieties to be marketed to a farm sector that exhibits heterogeneity in its ability to profit from the innovation. 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, Q16, L13, F12, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211581&r=agr |
| By: | Coderoni, Silvia; Esposti, Roberto |
| Abstract: | This paper firstly proposes a methodology to reconstruct the agricultural GHG emissions and the consequent Carbon Footprint (CF) at the farm level. This allows investigating how the emission performance of Italian farms evolves over time, distinguishing among typologies of farms and territories. Secondly, the paper attempts to put forward some hypotheses explaining the observed heterogeneous evolution of the farm-level CF. In particular, the attention focuses on the possible role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The empirical analysis concerns a balanced panel of Italian FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) farms observed over years 2003-2007. Results, although interesting and encouraging, deliver unclear and ambiguous evidence on the role of the CAP on the observed CF performance and evolution. Several improvements seem needed to achieve more conclusive evidence to make this assessment more sound and robust, in order to inform the debate and the decisions about the proper policies to mitigate agricultural GHG emission. |
| Keywords: | agricultural greenhouse gases emissions, carbon footprint, farm-level data, CAP, Environmental Economics and Policy, O130, Q120, Q150, Q540, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211548&r=agr |
| By: | Csaki, Csaba; Jambor, Attila |
| Abstract: | 10 years have passed since the 2004 accession round to the European Union. The tenth anniversary provides a good opportunity for stocktaking and assessing the developments of the New Member States in light of the latest data available. The aim of this paper is identify the winners and losers of accession in the agri-food sector of the New Member States by ranking individual country performances. Results suggest Poland, Estonia and Lithuania to be winners of EU accession regarding agricultural, agri-environmental and rural performance, while Slovakia, Latvia and Hungary appear to be the losers in this regard. |
| Keywords: | 10 years have passed since the 2004 accession round to the European Union. The tenth anniversary provides a good opportunity for stocktaking and assessing the developments of the New Member States in light of the latest data available. The aim of this paper is identify the winners and losers of accession in the agri-food sector of the New Member States by ranking individual country performances. Results suggest Poland, Estonia and Lithuania to be winners of EU accession regarding agricultural, agri-environmental and rural performance, while Slovakia, Latvia and Hungary appear to be the losers in this regard., Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211552&r=agr |
| By: | Arouna, Aminou; Adegbola, Patrice; Raphael, Babatunde; Diagne, Aliou |
| Abstract: | In developing countries, smallholder farmers face many constraints including lack of information, access to credit and to markets. To overcome these constraints, resource-poor farmers can engage in contract farming. However, contracts farming need to meet farmers’ demand in order to be sustainable. This study aimed to analyze the preferences of rice farmers for agricultural contracts in Benin. Stated choice data were collected from 579 rice farmers. In order to account for heterogeneity, data were analyzed using mixed logit model. Results showed that producers preferred contracts under the following terms: short term contract (one season), payment at delivery, group selling and having processor as partner. However, the contract preference is different for men and women. The study suggests that this difference and the attribute of preferred contract need to be taking into account for the design of best-fit contract farming by rice value chain actors and policy makers in Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Keywords: | Rice, stated preferences, contract farming, mixed logit, Benin, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, C5, C90, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210957&r=agr |
| By: | Rizoc, Marian; Cupak, Andrej; Pokrivcak, Jan |
| Abstract: | We investigate the food security situation of Slovak households in terms of both access to food and quality of the diet consumed by estimating food demand system and diet diversity demand models using household budget survey data over the period 2004-2010. In most samples demand for meat and fish and fruits and vegetables is expenditure and own-price elastic. On average all five food groups investigated are found to be normal goods. Rural and low-income households appear more expenditure and price sensitive compared to the urban and high-income ones. Results from quantile regressions indicate that income has a positive while uncertainty has a negatively effect on the diversity of the diet as the effects are stronger in more vulnerable, low income and rural consumer subsamples. Overall the food security situation in Slovakia appears to have improved over time, since the country’s EU accession. |
| Keywords: | Food security, demand, QUAIDS, elasticity, diet diversity, Slovakia, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, D12, I12, O52, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211553&r=agr |
| By: | Tambo, Justice; Wunscher, Tobias |
| Abstract: | With numerous challenges hindering smallholders’ adoption of externally developed technologies, it is often argued that farmer innovation can play an essential role in rural livelihoods. Yet a rigorous assessment of the impact of farmer innovation is lacking. We address this issue by analyzing the effect of farmer innovation on household welfare, measured by income, consumption expenditure, and food security. Using household survey data from northern Ghana and applying endogenous switching regression, we find that farmer innovation significantly increases household income and consumption expenditure, and reduces food insecurity. However, we find that the positive productivity and income effects of farmer innovation do not significantly translate into nutritious diet, measured by household dietary diversity. Overall, our results show positive and significant welfare effects of farmer innovation, hence, support increasing arguments on the need to promote farmer innovation as a complement to externally promoted technologies in food security and poverty reduction efforts. |
| Keywords: | Farm Management, International Development, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211682&r=agr |
| By: | Guerrero-Escobar, Santiago; Juarez-Torres, Miriam; Martinez-Cruz, Adan |
| Abstract: | This research develops several indicators for assessing local vulnerability to climate change in the agricultural sector of Tocantins, Brazil, where the Inter-American Development Bank is carrying irrigation investments via the Development Program for the Southwest (PRODOESTE). Vulnerability to climate indicators are constructed from exposure and sensitivity indicators and estimated using panel data on yields and farmers’ profits as a function of climatic variables. Our baseline assessment indicates that those municipalities where PRODOESTE operates present medium to high levels of precipitation and temperature vulnerability, relative to the rest of Tocantins. In particular, temperature vulnerability is higher than precipitation vulnerability. We also find that vulnerability will increase in all municipalities due to climate change and it will be higher in the long-run and in more extreme climate change scenarios. Finally, irrigation is evaluated as a potential adaptation strategy and it is found to reduce climate vulnerability in the long-term, indicating that PRODOESTE’s irrigation investments may be successful at reducing vulnerability due to climate change. |
| Keywords: | Local Vulnerability in Agriculture, Climate Change, Irrigation Projects, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q1, Q51, Q54, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211694&r=agr |
| By: | Saini, Eugenia; Lema, Daniel |
| Abstract: | The main objective of this paper is to estimate the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth in the Argentine agricultural sector. First, the paper examines trends and changes in aggregate agricultural production, sources of growth and productivity over the period 1913-2010. It then analyzes the productivity growth in the two main subsectors in argentine agriculture, grains and livestock, for the period 1961-2010. TFP was calculated using the Törnqvist index, which is a discrete approximation to the Divisia index. The data used to estimate the output and input indexes are prices and quantities for 4 grain crops, livestock, and for four inputs —labor, land, capital and fertilizers. The results for aggregate agricultural sector show that the annual rate of annual for the period 1913-2010 was 1.8% and 0.3%, for products and inputs respectively. Therefore, the TFP grew at an average annual rate of 1.5%. Finally, the paper examines the dominant growth profile, either extensive (factor accumulation and utilization) or intensive (productivity gains), in particular during the last two decades, in the grain and livestock subsectors. |
| Keywords: | Q16, D24, Q18, Agribusiness, Productivity Analysis, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211727&r=agr |
| By: | Hirvonen, Kalle; Hoddinott, John |
| Abstract: | We study relationship between pre-school children's food consumption and household agricultural production. Using a large househod survey from rural Ethiopia, we find that increasing household production diversity leads to considerable improvements in children's diet diversity. However, we also document how this non-separability of consumption and production does not hold for households that have access to food markets. These findings imply that nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions that push for market-integration are likely to be more effective in reducing undernutrition than those promoting production diversity. |
| Keywords: | agricultural household models, child dietary diversity, food markets, count data, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, O12, Q12, Q18, D12, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211734&r=agr |
| By: | Aubert, Magali; Enjolras, Geoffroy |
| Abstract: | This article deals with the presumed relationship between environment-friendly practices, such as organic farming, and the adoption of short food supply chains (SFSC) at farm level because they meet the consumers’ expectations in terms of quality and proximity. Calling on the literature, we formulate hypotheses about the close link between the environmental quality of production and vertical integration. They are tested using an econometric model with simultaneous equations considering the 2010 census of French farms which provides a full overview of strategies implemented by producers. We focus the analysis on wine-growing and arboriculture which correspond to farms most concerned by organic farming. The results show that when a farmer practices organic farming, the farm becomes integrated and conversely when a farm is integrated, the farmer is likely to adopt organic farming. This complementarity of producers’ choices offers certain perspectives for the improvement of SFSC while considering environment-friendly practices. |
| Keywords: | Organic farming, Short food supply chains, FADN, France, Farm Management, Food Security and Poverty, Q12, Q13, Q15, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211623&r=agr |
| By: | Forbes-Brown, Shelicia; Mcheels, Eric; Hobbs, Jill |
| Abstract: | In Canada, all fluid milk and cream products must be sourced from Canadian producers under the supply management policy governing the Canadian dairy sector, while other processed dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream can be made using imported milk components. Recently, the Dairy Farmers of Canada launched a 100% Canadian Milk label for products that contain only milk and milk ingredients produced in Canada. This paper uses a Discrete Choice Experiment from a Canada-wide survey of dairy consumers to elicit their willingness-to-pay for ice cream carrying the 100% Canadian Milk label. The results show that Canadian consumers are willing to pay more for ice cream products that carry the label. Consumer knowledge of the dairy sector affects their willingness to pay for this labelling information. Implications for the use of the Canadian origin label and suggestions for further research are discussed. |
| Keywords: | Willingness to Pay, Ice cream, Stated Preference, Country of Origin, Random Parameters Logit (RPL) model, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q13, Q17, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211636&r=agr |
| By: | Mirzabaev, Alisher |
| Abstract: | The majority of rural households in Central Asia have strong dependence on farming incomes for their livelihoods. Any adverse shocks on agricultural production, for example, through extreme weather events, could have negative consequences on their food security. The analysis of the nationally representative agricultural household surveys using quantile regressions by instrumentalizing for endogeneity between consumption and production decisions confirms that poorer households are more vulnerable to the impacts of farming income shocks. Every 1% decrease in the level of their farming profits is likely to lead to 0.52% decrease in their food expenses. A similar decrease for the richest 10% of agricultural households would translate to only 0.39% decrease in food consumption. Key measures to enhance food security among the poor agricultural households in Central Asia were found to be improving market access and diversifying crop portfolios. |
| Keywords: | Central Asia, poverty, market access, crop diversification, Agricultural Finance, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211575&r=agr |
| By: | Maciejczak, Mariusz |
| Abstract: | The coexistence between genetically modified (GM) and non-GM based agricultural supply chains is an economic institution that defines rules of the games, the objectives of which are set more broadly than economic rationality and efficiency. Institution of coexistence covers the formal rules as well as informal constraints devoted principally to identity preservation and segregation, and the ways how they are imposed and enforced in the GM and non-GM based supply chains from agri-food sector. They applies to the dynamic process of formulation, selection and adaptation of behaviors and rules, which form the institutional orders in local, regional and international dimensions, under the circumstances of constant changes in the socio-economic systems. The paper is an attempt to describe the coexistence as an economic institution in the light of New Institutional Economics. Using the results of foresight technique it also examine how the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership under negotiation between the European Union and the United States could re-define both legal regulations and market-based standards of coexistence. In the Delphi method panels participated stakeholders from both GM and non-GM based agri-food supply chains, who forecasted that the institution of coexistence will be re-defined by the rules that TTIP would set up. |
| Keywords: | economic institution, co-existence, GMO, TTIP, Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, B52, L51, O43, |
| Date: | 2015–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:gmcc15:211478&r=agr |
| By: | Steven M. Helfand; Marcelo M. Magalha?es; Nicholas E. Rada |
| Abstract: | The role of farm size has recently come to the forefront of agricultural development debates. Agricultural development policy often focuses on small farms given evidence of their role in poverty reduction and of higher yields. Yet policy has also focused on large farms due to their share of output, efficiency gains from vertical and horizontal integration, and potential employment generation. Brazil offers an interesting case study because of its wide spectrum of farm sizes and the country's dual agricultural policy focus towards large commercial agribusiness enterprises, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, and family farms, led by the Ministry of Agrarian Development. Our purpose is to examine the role that farm size may have in Brazil's agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) growth, which has accelerated at one of the world's fastest rates over the last twenty years. The data are drawn from the agricultural censuses of 1985, 1995-96, and 2006, aggregated at the municipality level into five farm-size classes. The findings of this study point to heavy technical efficiency losses across all size classes, creating a substantial drag on national agricultural TFP growth. Moreover, because farms in the middle of the size distribution achieved the slowest technical change and TFP growth bookended by faster growth in the smallest and largest farm-size classes we identify an unexpected and unexplored source of inefficiency, namely medium-sized farms. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural technology adaptation, Agricultural technology transfer, Agricultural information, Agricultural policy, Agricultural productivity, agricultural productivity, Agricultural Policy, Land Tenure, Brazil |
| Date: | 2015–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:91256&r=agr |
| By: | Adjognon, Serge; Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis |
| Abstract: | This paper uses plot level data to analyze network effects on the adoption of a targeted fertilizer application technique amongst rice producers in Niger State, Nigeria. A Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) of farmers’ probability of using the Urea Deep Placement (UDP) technology is estimated using a Spatial Instrumental Variable Probit estimation approach. The results reveal the existence of significant and positive spatial correlation in rice farmers’ adoption of UDP in the study area. These results have important implications for the design of appropriate and cost effective extension programs, in order to facilitate the diffusion of agricultural technologies in developing countries. |
| Keywords: | Spatial, Adoption, Social network, agriculture, UDP, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, O13, O33, Q16, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210934&r=agr |
| By: | Lachaud, Michee; Bravo-Ureta, Boris; Ludena, Carlos |
| Abstract: | This study estimates a Climate Adjusted Total Factor Productivity (CATFP) for agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Climatic variability is introduced in SPF models by including average annual maximum temperature, precipitation and its monthly intra-year standard deviations, and the number of rainy days. Climatic conditions have a negative impact on production becoming stronger at the end of the 2000s compared to earlier periods. An Error Correction Model is applied to investigate catch-up and convergence across LAC countries. Argentina defines the frontier in LAC and CATFP convergence is found across all South American countries, Costa Rica, Mexico, Barbados and The Bahamas. Using IPCC 2014 scenarios, the study shows climatic variability induces significant reductions in productivity over the 2013-2040 period. Estimated productivity losses due to climatic variability range from USD 12.7 to 89.1 billion in the LAC region depending on the scenario and the discount rate. |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Total Factor Productivity, Climate Effects, Convergence, Forecasting, Latin America, Caribbean, Agricultural Finance, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, D24, Q54, O47, E27, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211721&r=agr |
| By: | Arslan, Aslihan; McCarthy, Nancy; Lipper, Leslie; Asfaw, Solomon; Cattaneo, Andrea; Kokwe, Misael |
| Abstract: | We examine a set of potentially climate smart agricultural practices, including reduced tillage, crop rotation and legume intercropping, combined with the use of improved seeds and inorganic fertiliser, for their effects on maize yields in Zambia. We use panel data from the Rural Incomes and Livelihoods Surveys merged with a novel set of climatic variables based on geo-referenced historical rainfall and temperature data to explore the changing effects of these practices with climatic conditions. We estimate the impacts on maize yields, and also on the exhibition of very low yields and yield shortfalls from average levels, as indicators of resilience, while controlling for household characteristics. We find that minimum soil disturbance and crop rotation have no significant impact on these yield outcomes, but that legume intercropping significantly increases yields and reduces the probability of low yields even under critical weather stress during the growing season. We also find that the average positive impacts of modern input use (seeds and fertilisers) are significantly conditioned by climatic variables. Timely access to fertiliser emerges as one of the most robust determinants of yields and their resilience. These results have policy implications for targeted interventions to improve theproductivity and the resilience of smallholder agriculture in Zambia in the face of climate change. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, climate smart agriculture, food security, maize yields, panel data., Environmental Economics and Policy, O13, Q01, Q12, Q16, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210962&r=agr |
| By: | De Groote, Hugo; Gitonga, Zachary; Kimenju, Simon; Keter, Fredric; Ngigi, Obadiah |
| Abstract: | So far few African countries have accepted genetically modified (GM) crops, despite their high potential for increasing food production. The opinion of African consumers is missing in the debate, especially in rural areas, so a survey was conducted among rural consumers in the major maize growing areas of Kenya to gauge their acceptance of GM food. A third of respondents were aware of GM crops, mainly from the radio in rural areas. Most respondents would buy GM maize meal at the same price as conventional maize, and even pay a premium. The rural population of Kenya lacks access to the relevant information to make informed decision and contribute to the debate on the use of GM crops in Africa. A concerted, public policy effort is therefore needed, where the wider use of radio to reach the rural population should be explored. Provided with balanced information, rural consumers show a high degree of acceptability of GM maize. |
| Keywords: | Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, International Development, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211565&r=agr |
| By: | Chamberlin, Jordan; Sitko, Nicholas; Hichaambwa, Munguzwe |
| Abstract: | We explore the determinants of land titling by smallholder farmers in Zambia, and evaluate the impacts of titling on land productivity investments. We examine plot-level outcomes, and test for gendered differences in titling impacts. We find generally positive impacts of titling on investments, including strong gender-specific pathways of impact. Although female-headed households are less likely to make investments than male-headed households, female title holders are significantly more likely to make investments than male title holders (at least for labor intensive investments). We posit that these results are related to the systematically weaker rights of women in customary tenure systems, under which the security-enhancement of formal land title plays a relatively greater role in incentivizing long-term farm investments. Our results suggest the importance of facilitating access to titling mechanisms (and other tenure security mechanisms) by female farmers. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Economics and Policy, International Development, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211451&r=agr |
| By: | Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Valbuena, D.; Erenstein, O.; Haileslasie, A.; Germaine, I.; Shehu, M.; Ayedun, B.; Akinola, A.A. |
| Abstract: | The study compares and contrasts crop residue uses in 3 case study sites along an agricultural intensification gradient in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Niger and Nigeria. It draws on data collected from 24 villages involving 480 households and employs a Tobit model to analyse the determinants of crop residue uses. . Internal service as livestock feed constituted the largest share across sites and crops–averaging 34-59% for cereal stover biomass and 70-80% for legume haulms. Internal service as soil amendment/mulching was largely limited to the most extensive systems. Sales of crop residues were the main external service/output. Internal service use was positively influenced by livestock ownership and contact with extension services. The overall pressure on crop residue use was especially high in the more intensive systems of the Kano region raising questions about system sustainability and livelihood security thereby calling for appropriate innovations to facilitate sustainable intensification. |
| Keywords: | Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210941&r=agr |
| By: | Deppermann, Andre; Offermann, Frank; Puttkammer, Judith; Grethe, Harald |
| Abstract: | European Union (EU) policymakers have persistently supported first-generation biofuels despite the clearly emerging picture of small or even negative ecological benefits. This leads to the conclusion that support is driven by other objectives, for example income effects. Against this background, the main objective of this article is to analyse the income effects of abolishing biofuel policies, as well as to explore the link between these effects and lobbying decisions taken by farmers’ associations representing different groups of German farmers. Income effects are estimated for different farm types and regions, and differences between farm net value added and family farm income are analysed. To understand the link between income effects and lobbying decisions, our quantitative results are compared with the biofuel policy positions of different farmers’ associations. Our results suggest that, in the long run, average income effects are small, especially if the ownership of production factors is accounted for in the income calculation. Many farms show losses, but others even benefit from lower rental costs and experience positive income effects. Farmers’ associations seem to be able to well assess the income effects of EU biofuel policy for different types of farms. |
| Keywords: | biofuel policy, income effects, equilibrium model, farm group model, political economics, Agribusiness, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211570&r=agr |
| By: | Jacopo, Bonan; Stefano, Pareglio; Valentina, Rotondi |
| Abstract: | The paper assesses the impact of a small-scale agricultural extension project implemented in rural Ethiopia and aimed at introducing the culti- vation of horticultural gardens along with some innovative techniques, products and inputs. Our main outcome of interest is the level of adoption of new horticultural products. We also assess the consequent impacts on the level of revenues from sale and diet diversification. We use a mixed impact evaluation design combining across-villages comparisons, through difference-in-differences estimations, with a within village randomized control trial. To this aim, we make use of micro-data collected through surveys administered to 602 households in two time periods (2013 and 2014). We find that the project contributes to production diversification as the number of house- holds growing vegetables increases by about 30%. Overall, such changes do not seem to in uence in a relevant way the total revenues from sales of agricultural products and do not consequently affect household welfare. We do not find significant changes in the consumption of vegetables and only marginal increase in fruit uptake. This leads to an overall irrelevant impact on diet diversification. |
| Keywords: | Rural Development, Extension Services, Home Gardening, Food Security, Nutrition |
| JEL: | D04 O13 Q16 |
| Date: | 2015–10–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mib:wpaper:312&r=agr |
| By: | Ayinde, O.E.; Ilori, T.E.; Babatunde, R.O. |
| Abstract: | This study assessed the impact of government agricultural policies on the prices of major staple food in Nigeria. It described the trend of the major staple food prices and determined the effect of government agricultural policies on the major staple food prices in Nigeria. Secondary data were sourced from various organizations and used for this study. These data were transformed from their nominal value to real value and analyzed using descriptive statistics, unit root test, ordinary least square model, cochrane-orcutt, least absolute deviation estimators and simultaneous equation model. The study revealed that the prices of most of the major staple foods were at the peak value between 1991 and 1993 while their prices were at the lowest value between 1978 and 1983. The study observed that the price of cowpea is most volatile seconded by maize. The study further established that the prices of staple foods were inter-related. Also, it was showed that agricultural credit guarantee scheme funds (ACGSF), agricultural policies during structural adjustment period (SAP) and post-structural adjustment period (PSAP) were statistically significant while the agricultural input subsidy scheme was statistically insignificant. The study recommended painstaking formulation and implementation of agricultural policies and re-structuring of agricultural of input scheme. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural policy, staple food, prices and government, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211188&r=agr |
| By: | Assefa, Tsion; Lansink, Alfons G.J.M.; Meuwissen, Miranda |
| Abstract: | Agricultural prices in European food markets have become substantially more volatile over the past decade thereby exposing agribusinesses to risk and uncertainty. How food chain actors perceive and manage the risk from price volatility remained unexplored so far. We interviewed farmers, wholesalers, processors and retailers in six European food supply chains on their price volatility perceptions and management strategies. Contrary to common belief, findings show that price volatility matters not only to farmers but to all food chain actors. Actors perceive a more than 15% deviation of prices from their expected levels as price volatility. We further show that three factors determine whether price volatility is perceived as risky: the persistence, the reason and the direction of price deviations. Price volatility management strategies in EU food chains are very diverse and well beyond futures and forward contracts. The scope for policy interventions is identified based on strategy gaps identified in the chains. |
| Keywords: | Price volatility perceptions, management strategies, European food supply chains, in-depth interviews., Financial Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q11, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210965&r=agr |
| By: | Arouna, Aminou; Kouton, Baudelaire; Diagne, Aliou |
| Abstract: | This study aimed to assess the impact of climate change on rice income in four West African countries. The paper used the Ricardian approach to measure the relationship between the net income and climate variables (temperature and precipitation), soil characteristics, and socio-economic variables. Two models (with climate variables interaction and without climate variables interaction) were used under two growing environments (rain-fed and irrigated systems). We relaxed the assumption of additively separable climatic effects by including an interaction term in Ricardian equation to allow the effect of precipitation and temperature to be mutually dependent like in agronomic experiments. Data from 22,556 rice farmers across four countries were used. Results showed that if the average temperature increases by 1°C the net income of rice decreases by US$ 1,198. Results showed that irrigation can be applied as adaptation measure to climate change. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change, Ricardian Analysis, Rice, Impact, West Africa., Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, International Development, D24, Q54, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210958&r=agr |
| By: | Girma, Anteneh; Kassie, Menale; Bauer, Siegfried; Aurbacher, Joachim |
| Abstract: | Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has been practiced and promoted to address the temporal and spatial variability of rainfall, thereby enhance agriculture production in rainfed systems. The practices could also address the problem of land degradation. However, there is limited practice of approaching RWH from the perspective of managing both the water and land resources. This paper analyses the various combination rainwater harvesting practices (RWHP) on a single plot using multivariate probit. The result reveals that there is a significant correlation between the RWHPs and use of the practices is interdependent, depicting either complementarities or substitutabilities between the practices. The practices are influenced differently to the set of explanatory variables considered. This implies the different RWHP would require specific entry point and promotion strategy. This study suggests that policies that enhance the integration of RWHP would be central to exploit the full value of the land and water resource for livelihood support. |
| Keywords: | Rainwater harvesting, Combined use of practices, Multivariate probit, Ethiopia, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Q01, Q16, Q18, Q24, Q25, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211685&r=agr |
| By: | Mahoukedel, Kinkingninhoun-Medagbe; Aliou, Diagne; Rita A., Agboh-Noameshie |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the gender differential impact of NERICA adoption on rice yield and farmers' annual household income using data from 342 rice farmers in Benin. NERICA varieties have been developed by AfricaRice which won its creator Monty Jones the 2004 World Food Prize. The paper applies the potential outcomes framework to estimate the Local Average Treatment Efffect (LATE). The results show that NERICA adoption has positive and significant impact on farmers' yield and household per capita income. The impacts of NERICA adoption are not homogeneous across farmers' categories and are higher for female farmers than male farmers. The findings suggest the widely dissemination of NERICA varieties, mainly upland NERICA, with a focus on women, in order to increase rice productivity and consequently total production and income. |
| Keywords: | Impact, LATE, productivity, income, NERICA, Rice, Benin, West Africa, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, C13, O33, Q12, Q16, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211634&r=agr |
| By: | Woldu, Thomas; Tadesse, Fanaye |
| Abstract: | Agricultural cooperatives hold much potential to enable economically weak farmers, in developing countries, to increase their collective bargaining power and so enhance their incomes. They provide input services and create market opportunities to their members’ products. In most developing countries, female farmers are marginalized from participating and benefiting from such groups. This paper uses a rich dataset from a survey undertaken by the Ethiopian Economic Association and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in eight woredas in seven regions of Ethiopia with a sample of 1,117 households and 73 agricultural cooperatives. Using descriptive statistics and econometric analysis under a critical gender lens, the paper identifies which cooperative, household, and individual level characteristics influence women’s participation in agricultural cooperatives. The findings suggest that a major barrier to women’s access are gender biases within households, communities, and cooperatives themselves that favor educated male household heads and land owners over resource-poor women. |
| Keywords: | Ethiopia, cooperatives, agricultural cooperatives, women, women’s empowerment, women’s participation, gender equality, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210967&r=agr |
| By: | Bathla, Seema; Yu, Bingxin; Thorat, Sukhadeo; Joshi, Pramod |
| Abstract: | A slowdown in agricultural growth, persisted during the 1990s and early 2000s has somewhat got reversed from 2004-05. But apprehensions continue on achieving the targeted 4 percent growth amidst decelerating productivity levels and persisting poverty. To what extent has public investment and subsidy impacted agricultural growth, productivity and rural poverty? This study focuses on this issue by quantifying the effectiveness of different types of public investments and subsidies and their relative impact on agricultural growth, and employment and reduction in rural poverty in India. Results obtained from 1981 to 2011 based on a structural econometric model are differentiated with their estimated coefficients to find relative total and marginal effects of investments and subsidies on farm income and rural poverty. |
| Keywords: | India, government expenditure, subsidy, poverty, productivity, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Consumer/Household Economics, H5, H7, N55, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211202&r=agr |
| By: | Cong, Rong-Gang; Ekroos, Johan; Smith, Henrik; Brady, Mark |
| Abstract: | It is argued that landscape-scale management (LSM) of habitat is better than farmscale management (FSM) when considering the externality of ecosystem services. Given this advantage, how to regulate individual farmers’ land-use decisions to achieve the LSM solution is an issue of common concern both for farmers and policymakers. Specifically, it needs to be determined if there exists a dominant landuse pattern that characterizes the LSM solution compared to FSM solution. In addition to the area of habitat, we design a land-use pattern index (LPI) to characterize the configuration of habitat and project it onto the sharing-sparing continuum. We find that the LSM solution is characterized by less intensive farming, and configurations of habitat are closer to land sharing. However, as crop dependency on ecosystem-services declines, the land-use patterns with LSM and FSM converge and the configurations of habitat start to resemble to land sparing. In addition, when habitat quality improves the configurations of habitat on the border farms become important. Finally, the less mobile service-providers are, the more farmers should focus on land-use patterns on their own farms. Our indices of land-use patterns could be integrated into the cross-compliance of CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) to better manage ecosystem-service in the future. |
| Keywords: | Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211549&r=agr |
| By: | Fung, Winnie; Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda; Mason, Nicole; Oyelere, Ruth |
| Abstract: | The last decade has seen a resurgence of parastatal crop marketing institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, many of which cite improving food security and incomes as key goals. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the welfare effects of these programs. This study considers one such program, the Zambian Food Reserve Agency (FRA), which purchases maize from smallholder farmers at a pan-territorial price that typically exceeds maize market prices in surplus production areas. Using both fixed effects and an instrumental variables approach combined with correlated random effects, we estimate the effects of the FRA’s maize marketing activities on smallholder farm household welfare. Results suggest that FRA activities have positive direct welfare effects on the small minority of smallholder households that are able to sell to it. However, the results also suggest negative indirect FRA effects, as higher levels of FRA activity in a district are associated with higher levels of poverty. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries, Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211637&r=agr |
| By: | Leip, Adrian; Bielza, Maria; Bulgheroni, Claudia; Ciaian, Pavel; Lamboni, Matiyendou; Koeble, Renate; Paracchini, Maria-Luisa; Terres, Jean-Michael; Weiss, Franz; Witzke, Heinz-Peter |
| Abstract: | A specific challenge when analysing the effectiveness of the new CAP, is to identify the localized environmental impacts of policies, especially of the new 'greening' measures. Agri-environmental indicators (AEI) are routinely used to monitor changes in environmental quality in general and the environmental impacts of CAP greening in particular and allow identifying hot- and cold-spots of environmental pressures. This paper proposes a methodology for the spatially explicit evaluation of agri-environmental impacts of CAP, which allows integrating environmental impact analysis into agro-economic models, with an application to CAPRI. We have developed an approach to estimate the impacts of CAP policy at high spatial resolution level using Bayesian disaggregation procedures taking into consideration local environmental conditions. We cover modelling of the following environmental indicators: nitrogen balances and emissions (GHG and reactive nitrogen), soil erosion, biodiversity friendly farming practices, farmland bird index, agricultural landscape structure, and an indicator related to environmental compensation zones. The paper shows the simulation results for a set of CAP greening scenarios to illustrate the capabilities of the developed methodology and potential environmental impacts of the greening measures. |
| Keywords: | Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211541&r=agr |
| By: | Chamberlin, Jordan; Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob |
| Abstract: | This article uses nationally representative panel survey data from Malawi and Zambia to estimate the factors affecting a smallholder farm household’s decision to participate in land rental markets as either a tenant or a landlord. We also estimate how land rental market participation influences various measures of household income and welfare. We find that land rental markets in both Malawi and Zambia promote efficiency by transferring land from less able to more able farmers. Land rental markets in Malawi promote equity by transferring land relatively labor-poor to labor-rich households, and in both countries we find evidence that land markets transfer land from land-rich to land-poor households. In both countries, we find evidence that renting in land has a positive effect on household income and reduces the probability of the household being in poverty. However, when we consider the full cost of renting in land, the positive impacts are much lower. |
| Keywords: | land rental markets, Malawi, productivity, poverty, Zambia, International Development, Land Economics/Use, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211454&r=agr |
| By: | Grovermann, Christian; Schreinemachers, Pepijn; Berger, Thomas |
| Abstract: | Agricultural commercialization in Asia has led to an increased dependence on synthetic pesticides, especially for high-value fruit and vegetable crops. The present study uses the multi-agent modeling software MPMAS to ex-ante assess the impact of different pesticide use reduction strategies. The model is parameterized with data from an intensive and diverse production systems in the mountainous north of Thailand, where the adoption of cash crops has been accompanied by very high levels of pesticide use. The objective of this study is to compare different policy interventions in terms of their impact on pesticide use, farm incomes and land use. The adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) is assessed in combination with tax instruments and with adoption incentives, such as bio-pesticide subsidies and price premiums. The results show that a smart policy package can reduce pesticide use by up to 34% over five years without income trade-offs for farm households. |
| Keywords: | Agent-based modeling, ex-ante assessment, innovation diffusion, pesticide policy, integrated pest management, Crop Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211690&r=agr |
| By: | Appel, Franziska; Ostermeyer-Wiethaup, Arlette; Balmann, Alfons |
| Abstract: | Biogas production affected agricultural and land markets significantly. This paper provides insights in effects of biogas production on farms and farm structures for the period 2012-2026 in two German regions by using the agent-based simulation model AgriPoliS. We compare the agricultural development in both regions under alternative policy scenarios in order to analyze the effects of biogas production and the impact of the latest amendment in the REA in 2014. Our results show that biogas production provides especially for large farms a profitable income opportunity. However, it implies an increasing dependency of these farms on biogas production and their whole production structures change. Due to an increased competition among farms, rental prices rise. This effect threatens particularly smaller biogas farms. The last amendment of the REA in 2014 with a substantial reduction of the support level attenuates partly some of these effects. |
| Keywords: | biogas production, agent-based modelling, Renewable Energy Act, EEG 2.0, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q15, Q18, Q42, C69, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210956&r=agr |
| By: | de Gorter, Harry; Drabik, Dusan |
| Abstract: | Economists have been unanimous that developing countries’ policy response in restricting exports and promoting imports increased both world price levels and volatility. Furthermore, the literature emphasizes the self-defeating aspects of policy responses, as more exporters restrict exports and importers encourage more imports, world prices increase even further, thereby raising domestic prices in the same countries imposing the policy responses to protect domestic consumers. Because of the crop-biofuel price linkages, we show that developing countries’ policy responses had little impact on world prices in 2008 and a maximum impact in reducing domestic price in developing countries. There is little evidence of “standing up in the stadium” effects. Given that most studies on developing countries’ policy response analyze the impacts on poverty in developing countries, this paper highlights the importance of our framework for that analysis. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211564&r=agr |
| By: | Akaichi, Faical; Grauw, Steven de; Darmon, Paul |
| Abstract: | A choice experiment was conducted in Scotland, the Netherlands and France to assess consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for ethical attributes (i.e. fairtrade, organic, lower carbon footprint) of bananas and to find out whether this ethical food attributes are competing in real markets. The results showed that in the three countries consumers are willing to pay a price premium for the three ethical food attributes. The results showed that in the current market situation these ethical foods are not generally competing against each other. Nonetheless, they are likely to become competing for consumer’s money at least when: (1) the price of organic foods is decreased significantly, (2) the price for fairtrade food products is set higher than consumers’ WTP, and (3) bananas labelled has having lower carbon footprint are made available in retail stores and sold at a price lower than consumers’ WTP. |
| Keywords: | Fairtrade, organic, carbon footprint, willingness to pay, competition, choice experiment. JL, Environmental Economics and Policy, D12, Q13, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210940&r=agr |
| By: | Michée Arnold Lachaud; Boris E. Bravo-Ureta; Carlos E. Ludeña |
| Abstract: | This study estimates Climate Adjusted Total Factor Productivity (CATFP) for agriculture in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) countries, while also providing comparisons with several regions of the world. Climatic variability is introduced in Stochastic Production Frontier (SPF) models by including average annual maximum temperature, precipitation and its monthly intra-year standard deviations, and the number of rainy days. Climatic conditions have a negative impact on production becoming stronger at the end of the 2000s compared to earlier periods. An Error Correction Model is applied to investigate catch-up and convergence across LAC countries. Argentina defines the frontier in LAC and TFP convergence is found across all South American countries, Costa Rica, Mexico, Barbados and The Bahamas. Using IPCC 2014 scenarios, the study shows that climatic variability induces significant reductions in productivity (2.3% to 10.7%), over the 2013-2040 period. Estimated output losses due to climatic variability range from 9% to 20% in the LAC region depending on the scenario considered. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural policy, Agricultural technology adaptation, Agricultural technology transfer, Agricultural productivity, Climate Change, Climate Variability, Climate Change, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Productivity |
| Date: | 2015–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:91036&r=agr |
| By: | Rizov, Ivelin; Rodriguez-Cerezo, Emilio |
| Abstract: | About 80% of the soybean area, nowadays, worldwide is planted with genetically modified (GM) varieties, and the trend is still increasing. Soybean production in European Union (EU) is quite limited and almost 98% of the EU consumption of soybean products is secured with imports. Among this import only 10% (estimated as soybean meal equivalent) are supplied as identity preserved non-GM. In this market situation, even without authorization of GM soybean cultivation in EU yet, the Technical working group (TWG) for soybean of the European coexistence bureau (ECoB)1 analyzed the possibility for coexistence between GM soybean cultivation and non-GM soybean and honey production by addressing the potential sources of GM cross-pollination and admixture which can occur during the farm scale activities, in the context of European agro-climatic and landscape conditions. Based on the extensive analysis, the TWG for soybean of the ECoB proposes the best management practices and provides an approach for evaluation of their potential economic impact. It was concluded that to limit cross-pollination rates between GM and non-GM soybean fields below a 0.9% or 0.1% admixture threshold, a separation of 5 m and 10 m between them respectively is sufficient. The current practices in honey production and marketing in Europe in line with the quality legislation are sufficient to ensure that adventitious presence of GM soybean pollen in honey is far below the legal labelling thresholds and even below 0.1% and the adoption of any additional coexistence measures is not necessary. |
| Keywords: | biotechnology, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), genetically engineering (GE), coexistence, new technologies, best agricultural practice, soybean, honey, agronomy, policy support, standardization, competitiveness, Crop Production/Industries, International Development, Livestock Production/Industries, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:gmcc15:211486&r=agr |
| By: | Hailu, Getu; Weersink, Alfons; Minten, Bart |
| Abstract: | We study the production efficiency of teff in Ethiopia. Using a large cross-section of teff plots, we find that teff output could be increased by approximately 25 percent with the available inputs and technology through investments directed to improved gender-sensitive extension service and infrastructure development. The magnitude of technical inefficiency is robust to alternative functional form and various variable specifications. Community discussion groups and distance to the nearest agricultural co-operative are further shown to have a significant effect on technical efficiency. We conclude the paper by discussing the potential policy implications of our findings. |
| Keywords: | Rural Institutions, Technology, Productivity, Efficiency, Teff, Crop Production/Industries, Production Economics, Productivity Analysis, D02, D24, C54, P13, N57, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211702&r=agr |
| By: | Gillespie, Patrick; O'Donoghue, Cathal; Hynes, Stephen; Thorne, Fiona; Hennessy, Thia |
| Abstract: | Several studies of the Irish dairy productivity and efficiency have been carried out in recent history, but none have been able to use Irish farm level data going back before milk quota’s implementation. This study uses recently digitized data going back as far as 1979 to examine trends in an index of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) constructed from the parameters of Greene’s ‘true random effects’ specification of the stochastic frontier. There is some evidence that the implementation of milk quota was associated with a general decrease in TFP, and the series also moves in line with changes in the policy which liberalised quota trade. Technical efficiency and scale efficiency are dominated by movements of the frontier as represented by the technical change component of the index. |
| Keywords: | TFP, Total Factor Productivity, Malmquist, Stochastic Frontier, Milk Quota, Dairy, Efficiency, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, C5, O13, Q12, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211684&r=agr |
| By: | Boulanger, Pierre; Kavallari, Aikaterini; M'barek, Robert; Rau, Marie; Rutten, Martine |
| Abstract: | This paper presents some macro and food security impacts of deeper economic integration between the European Union and three North African countries, namely Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. It conducts a quantitative impact assessment of increase in trade and investment flows using the Modular Applied General Equilibrium Tool (MAGNET). Trade liberalization enhances food security by counteracting the rise in food prices, fostered by growing demand for agricultural products in North Africa. Investments either on the whole economy or targeted to cutting down losses (waste) in food production are modelled. Results suggest that economic growth is stimulated mostly by widespread productivity gains (not restricted to agri-food sector) and boosted by trade integration through removal of non-tariff measures. |
| Keywords: | Food Security and Poverty, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211366&r=agr |
| By: | Haile, Beliyou; Azzarri, Carlo; Roberts, Cleo; Spielman, David |
| Abstract: | Sustainable intensification and climate-smart agriculture initiatives promote complex systems-based innovations to simultaneously improve yields and conserve natural resources. These innovations are usually tested under near-perfect experimental conditions with purposively selected farmers. Using a quasi-experimental approach and geographic information system, we evaluate a systems-based sustainable intensification project in Malawi aiming at improving whole-farm productivity and nutrition through integrated agricultural innovations. We find adopters of these innovations to systematically differ from non-adopters and suggestive evidence of potential systematic targeting of project locations and households. Econometric results using efficient influence function and propensity score matching methods show consistently higher maize yield and value of harvest, on average and across quantiles, for project beneficiaries, compared to that of randomly selected non-beneficiary households in non-target villages. Our findings highlight the need to rethink selection criteria for systems-based innovations, something that could potentially bear severe implications upon scaling up. |
| Keywords: | Experiment, Evaluation, Innovation, Agriculture, Adoption, Policy, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Development, C93, D04, O31, Q01, Q16, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211697&r=agr |
| By: | Berges, Miriam; Casellas, Karina; Rodriguez, Ricardo; Errea, Damian |
| Abstract: | In recent decades, the demand for food worldwise has undergone significant changes that have highlighted the issue of the quality and safety of food consumed. After international food crisis associated with consumption of fresh meat, consumer concerns about the quality and safety of these products has been increased. However, the atrribtures for assessing the safety of fresh meat consumption are not firectly observable; they are credence attributes. The aim of this work is to investigate consumers' preceptions of safety in Argentina and identify factors that help expalin consumers' willingness to pay for different attributes related safety of the beef products, including, a hypothetical hygiene certification in handling and retailing. The results indicate a positive willingness to pay for fresh meat atrributes such as personalized attention in a butcher counter, the presense of a "safety certification" in the place of purchase and the bright red color on the product. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211330&r=agr |
| By: | Abay, Kibrom; Kahsay, Goytom; Berhane, Guush |
| Abstract: | In the absence of well-established factor markets, the role of indigenous institutions and social networks can be substantial for mobilizing factors for agricultural production. We investigate the role of an indigenous social network in Ethiopia, the iddir, in facilitating factor market transactions among smallholder farmers. Using detailed longitudinal household survey data and employing a difference-in-differences approach, we find that iddir membership improves households’ access to factor markets. Specifically, we find that joining an iddir network improves households’ access to land, labor and credit transactions between 7 and 11 percentage points. Furthermore, our findings also indicate that iddir networks crowd-out borrowing from local moneylenders (locally referred as Arata Abedari), a relatively expensive credit source, virtually without affecting borrowing from formal credit sources. These results point out the roles non-market arrangements, such as social networks, can play in mitigating market inefficiencies in poor rural markets. |
| Keywords: | Social networks, iddir networks, factor market imperfections, factor market transactions, crowding-out, Marketing, Public Economics, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210869&r=agr |
| By: | Hou, Lingling; Huang, Jikun; Wang, Jinxia |
| Abstract: | Farmers’ perceptions of the local climate reflect their awareness of climate change 28 and may affect their adaptation behaviors. However, current literature suffers a 29 knowledge gap on understanding farmers’ perceptions of climate change. This study 30 examines farmers’ perceptions of annual mean temperature, the consistency of these 31 perceptions with meteorological record data, and what influences this consistency. 32 The study found that more than 70% of farmers in China perceived an increasing 33 trend of annual mean temperature over the past 10 years, while only 18% of farmers 34 correctly perceived a decreasing trend, which is consistent with the meteorological 35 record data. Econometric analysis shows that social networks can improve a farmer’s 36 ability to correctly perceive temperature changes. Additionally, those with a larger 37 farm size are more likely to be able to consistently perceive temperature. This paper 38 concludes with several policy and research implications. |
| Keywords: | social networks, farm assets, perception, consistency, climate change, China, Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211742&r=agr |
| By: | Rodrigues Cabral, Caroline; Gurgel, Angelo; Paltsev, Sergey |
| Abstract: | Brazil has committed itself to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 36.1% and 38.9% compared to projected emissions for 2020. In order to accomplish this, the deforestation in the Amazon will have to be reduced by 80% and in the savannah region (Cerrado) by 40% by that year. Concurrently, Brazil is the country with the greatest potential to increase its agricultural production and contribute to the challenge of feeding an increasing world population. Moreover, agribusiness is a key sector of the Brazilian economy for income generation and promotion of foreign exchange. This article discusses the economic impact of a restrictive policy of deforestation on the agricultural and livestock sector and the national economy using a computable general equilibrium model. The results point to low losses in GDP from the limited deforestation scenario as compared with the baseline, but non negligible impacts in the agricultural, livestock and food sector. |
| Keywords: | Deforestation, Land use changes, Agriculture and livestock, General equilibrium., Environmental Economics and Policy, Q15, O13, D58, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211378&r=agr |
| By: | Chen, Shuai; Chen, Xiaoguang; Xu, Jintao |
| Abstract: | Using a unique county-level panel on single-season rice yield and daily weather outcomes from 1996 to 2009, we examined the impacts of temperature variations on rice yield in China. We have five key findings: (i) in contrast to nearly all previous studies focusing on rice production in tropical/subtropical regions, we discovered that higher daily minimum temperature during the vegetative stage increased rice yield; (ii) consistent with previous assessments, we found that increased daily maximum temperature during the vegetative and ripening stages reduced rice yield; (iii) the impacts of solar radiation and rainfall on rice yield differed across the plant’s growth stages; (iv) estimated weather effects on yield differed by rice variety; and (v) weather variations caused a net economic loss of $21.6-88.2 million during the sample period, depending on model specifications and econometric estimation strategies. |
| Keywords: | agriculture, rice, weather, China, temperature, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211462&r=agr |
| By: | Ebata, Ayako; Pacheco, Pamela Alejandra; Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan von |
| Abstract: | While smallholder marketing is seen effective to reduce poverty, farmers in rural areas face a number of challenges in doing so. One of the most important factors is transaction costs related to transportation. Our study quantifies the benefits associated with improvement of rural road infrastructure by scrutinizing farm-gate prices of beans in rural Nicaragua. We find that the longer the distance and traveling time are to major commercial centers from farming communities, the less farm-gate prices producers receive. We find that a decrease in distance and traveling time by one unit is associated with an increase in farm-gate prices by 2-2.5 cents/qq. If infrastructure development can reduce travel time by 25%, an average farm household would increase its annual revenue from beans by between $24 and $110 (3% and 12% of annual revenue). Given that such infrastructure development affects all farmers and crops, our findings suggest a larger implication. |
| Keywords: | Producer prices, Central America, Transactions costs, transportation infrastructure, Agribusiness, Farm Management, Financial Economics, O13, O18, Q11, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211582&r=agr |
| By: | Dillen, Koen |
| Abstract: | Type On August 6 2014 the Russian Federation introduced a one year ban on imports into the Russian Federation of agricultural products, raw materials and food, originating from selected countries including the EU. This paper provides an initial assessment of the potential impact of this import ban on EU agricultural markets. Furthermore it provides an insight in the shifting trade patterns and price effects at EU, Russian and world level. We use the Aglink-Cosimo model, a recursive partial equilibrium model of the agricultural sector. Its gross trade specification is problematic for the study of bilateral trade. Therefore the model was extended with an ad hoc incorporation of bilateral trade. The initial results show that the impact for the EU remains rather limited as the EU can divert a considerable part of its trade with Russia to other markets. The impact on the Russian market is however expected to be considerable as imports can't be easily substituted and domestic production has problems to expand productions significantly within the timeframe of the ban. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural Finance, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211574&r=agr |
| By: | Assefa, Thomas; Minten, Bart J. |
| Abstract: | Traditional food marketing systems in developing countries are presumed to suffer from a number of deficiencies. Policy makers therefore often try to regulate them and modern private market arrangements are increasingly emerging to help deal with some of the deficiencies. However, it is unclear if and to what extent regulation and modernization affects governance of these markets. We look in this paper at the case of coffee in urban markets in Ethiopia. We find no significant cheating with weights but there is illegal trade, with significant non-allowed trade of export quality coffee in local markets, and a consistent pattern of mis-representation of not easily verifiable quality characteristics. We further find that modernizing marketing formats, including modern retail, and branded and packaged products, deliver higher quality (at a high price) but they are not more trustworthy than traditional ones along these three dimensions. |
| Keywords: | coffee, traders, trust, modern marketing, traditional marketing, government regulation, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:210964&r=agr |
| By: | Basile Boulay |
| Abstract: | This paper uses the three available waves of data from the Tanzanian National Panel Surveys to study different agricultural markets. We use crop level data to analyse the factors influencing farmers’ choice between selling to market or retaining output for household consumption, allowing for market differences across crops. We estimate probit models for each wave and crop (or crop categories). Results show that there is not a homogeneous market for all crops, and the entrance decision is driven by different factors. Contemporaneous and lagged prices as well as use of storage facility are important variables that influence the decision to enter a market differently across crops. Entering the markets for subsistence crops such as maize or cassava can be the result of economic distress, supporting a ‘forced commerce’ hypothesis. The market for export crops responds to price and expectation mechanisms and is closer to the conception of agricultural markets in standard theory. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural economics, Tanzania, applied econometrics, crop sales |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:not:notcre:15/07&r=agr |
| By: | Bachewe, Fantu; Koru, Bethelihem; Taffesse, Alemayehu |
| Abstract: | Smallholder agriculture focused policies predominated Ethiopia in the last two decades. Such policies are being questioned recently on grounds including research that show large-holders perform better in multi-factor productivity indices. We apply data envelopment analysis on recently collected data set to measure smallholder teff producers' relative productivity and efficiency. The results indicate that an average household is less than half as productive as optimal households and that there is therefore a considerable opportunity for output growth at current acreage. Analyses explaining differences in productivity indicate that productivity improves with, among others, schooling, specialising in few crops, access to credits, access to information on modern production methods directly through extension and indirectly through neighbourhood learning effects. While the data used is not inconsistent with the inverse farm size-yield relationship results of analyses indicate multi-factor productivity measures improve after a threshold of teff area. |
| Keywords: | data envelopment analysis, productivity, efficiency, smallholder farmers, Africa, Ethiopia., Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211355&r=agr |
| By: | Hou, Jianyun; Huo, Xuexi |
| Abstract: | This article estimates the impact of transaction costs on smallholders’ market participation and integration, using the data collected in two apple production belts of China. Based on an innovative measurement of the transaction costs, and a disaggregated analysis on sales costs, information costs, negotiation costs and monitoring costs. The study shows that levels of the farmers’ market participation are mainly determined by the proportional transaction costs and price, while their market integration depends on the fixed transaction costs and price. This suggests that, in order to lower the transaction costs and enable specialization and market participation, it is necessary to invest and construct the farming infrastructure, update the rural information system, improve the structure of farmer households, and subsidize the cooperative organizations. |
| Keywords: | market participation, market integration, transaction costs, China apple producers., Crop Production/Industries, Marketing, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211746&r=agr |
| By: | Stefania Lovo |
| Abstract: | Tenure insecurity can have important consequences for the conservation of natural resources. This paper focuses on two main sources of tenure insecurity, informal short-term tenancy contracts, and customary gender-biased inheritance practices. Using a large plot-level dataset from Malawi, the analysis employs a linear probability model with household fixed effects and finds that both sources of insecurity have a negative effect on soil conservation investments. These findings suggest that future land reforms should deal with the informality of the land rental market and address the gap between users and owners of land created by existing customary practices. |
| Keywords: | tenure insecurity; soil conservation; tenancy; inheritance systems; Malawi |
| JEL: | Q15 Q24 |
| Date: | 2016–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:64112&r=agr |
| By: | Briggs, Adam; Chowdury, Shyamal |
| Abstract: | We analyse food demand patterns of Indonesian households from a resource intensity perspective, and quantify the impact of changed demand patterns on the use of three major resource inputs – fossil fuel, land and water – in agricultural production. Using Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) data, 13 major food items (which constitute 70% of food expenditure) are categorised into low, moderate and high resource intensity, and income elasticity and Engel curves are estimated for the period from 1997 to 2007. Our results show that income growth in Indonesia is associated with demand patterns that are more resource intensive. By 2007, per capita requirements of fossil fuel, land and water increased by 42.7% (3.13 MJ), 44.9% (1.24 m2) and 50.4% (2.1 KL) respectively relative to 1997. The results imply that at least for Indonesia, changed food demand patterns resulting from economic development will increase the demand for natural resources substantially. |
| Keywords: | Demand analysis, Economic Development, Natural Resource Management, Indonesia, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D1, O13, Q18, |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:iaae15:211538&r=agr |