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on Agricultural Economics |
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Issue of 2024‒05‒20
24 papers chosen by |
| By: | Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Lambrecht, Isabel; Akramov, Kamiljon; Ergasheva, Tanzila |
| Abstract: | Nutrition-sensitive agricultural diversification continues to receive interest among developing country stakeholders as a viable option for achieving dual goals of poverty reduction and food/nutrition security improvements. Assessing the effectiveness of this strategy is also essential in countries like Tajikistan. We attempt to enrich the evidence base in this regard. We assess the linkages between household-level agricultural diversification and dietary diversity (both household- and individual-levels) using unique panel samples of households and individual women of reproductive ages in the Khatlon province. Using difference-in-difference propensity-score methods and panel fixed-effects instrumental variable regressions, we show that higher agricultural diversification together with greater overall production per worker and land at the household level leads to higher dietary diversity, particularly in areas with poor food market access. Typology analyses and crop-specific analyses suggest that vegetables, fruits, legumes/nuts/seeds, dairy products and eggs are particularly important commodities for which a farmer’s own production contributes to dietary diversity improvement. Furthermore, decomposition exercises within the subsistence farming framework suggest that nutritional returns and costs of agricultural diversification vary across households, and expected nutritional returns may be partly driving the adoption of agricultural diversification. In other words, households’ decisions to diversify agriculture may be partly driven by potential nutritional benefits associated with enhanced direct on-farm access to diverse food items rather than farm income growth alone. Our findings underscore the importance of supporting household farm diversification in Tajikistan to support improved nutrition intake, especially among those living in remote areas. In a low-income setting with limited local employment opportunities that is vulnerable to a wide range of external shocks, this will likely continue to be one of the most straightforward and realistic paths to improving household’s nutrition resilience. |
| Keywords: | dietary diversity; food security; nutrition; propensity score matching; agriculture; modelling; Asia; Central Asia; Tajikistan |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2249&r=agr |
| By: | Kumara T M, Kiran; Birthal, Pratap Singh; Meena, Dinesh Chand; Kumar, Anjani |
| Abstract: | Agriculture is multi-functional, producing economic goods including food, feed, fibre, and fuel, as well as providing several intangible or non-tradable services to society free of cost. Non-tradable services, unlike economic goods, remain unpriced; as a result, farmers are not compensated monetarily for the benefits of the several non-tradable services they provide through agriculture. Recognizing the monetary value of non-tradable ecosystem services is crucial to incentivize farmers to adopt eco-friendly technologies and practices for the sustainable development of agriculture. Through a meta-analysis of the existing evidence on ecosystem services, this study attempts to estimate the value of ecosystem services by using direct and indirect valuation methods—for example, carbon sequestration, methane emission, nutrient availability, biological nitrogen fixation, and water saving—generated by several important technological and agronomic interventions, namely the direct seeding of rice (DSR), zero-tillage in wheat, leguminous crops, organic manure, integrated nutrient management, and agroforestry, based on studies conducted in India. It also explores the trade-offs between the non-tradable and tradable ecosystem services attributable to these interventions. The monetary value of the non-tradable services resulting from most of these interventions is quite large, 34–77% of the total value of all the ecosystem services. However, not all interventions result in a win-win situation that yields improvements in both tradable and non-tradable outcomes. While no-till wheat, legumes, and integrated nutrient management result in a win-win outcome, there are trade-offs between the tradable and non tradable ecosystem services in the cases of directed seed rice, organic manure, and agroforestry. This evidence suggests that not all agricultural technologies and practices are beneficial for farmers, despite their higher environmental benefits. Thus, the findings of this study imply that agricultural policy should provide incentives for the adoption of technologies and practices to conserve ecosystems and natural resources. |
| Keywords: | ecosystem services; agriculture; economic value; farmers; sustainability; incentives; technology adoption; Southern Asia; India |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2250&r=agr |
| By: | Dang, Hoa Le (Faculty of Economics, Nong Lam University); Pham, Thuyen Thi (Nong Lam University); Pham, Nhung Thi Hong (Nong Lam University); Nam, Pham Khanh (University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates gender-differentiated determinants of rice farm households’ adaptive measures to salinity intrusion in three rice-producing provinces in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The sample covered 430 farm households (274 male-headed and 156 female-headed). A multivariate probit model was used to identify factors affecting male and female farmers’ choices of adaptive measures. The six adaptive measures most commonly used by these households were: changing from rice to other crops, saving rainwater for daily use, digging ponds for water storage in the garden, reducing the number of rice crops per year, seeking other income sources, and purchasing agricultural inputs on credit. We found that demographic, socioeconomic, and farming characteristics, as well as institutional conditions and salinity related variables, influenced female farmers’ adaptation choices. Female farmers have to overcome more barriers to undertaking adaptive measures than male farmers. They are also less likely to seek other income sources due to limited access to education and training. Attending agricultural extension services increases the probability that female farmers will change from rice to other crops or will seek other income sources. Therefore, extension services, educational opportunities, training on adaptation strategies, and income-generating opportunities should be made accessible for all farmers, especially women, to increase their resilience to climate change and salinity intrusion. |
| Keywords: | adaptation; farmers; gender; Mekong Delta; salinity intrusion; Vietnam |
| JEL: | Q15 Q54 |
| Date: | 2022–07–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2022_009&r=agr |
| By: | Owoo, Nkechi Srodah (University of Ghana); Lambon-Quayefio, Monica Puoma (University of Ghana); Amaechina, Ebele (REPRC, University of Nigeria, Nsukka) |
| Abstract: | Soil erosion is one of the most devastating issues that farmers face in Nigeria and in many rural communities in the Global South. Studies on factors that affect soil conservation may, however, be biased in the absence of consideration of spatial effects, particularly over time. In this paper, we use data from three waves of the World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Survey for Nigeria to explore spatiotemporal patterns in farmers’ soil conservation adoption practices (i.e., mixed cropping and cover crop farming with legumes) and determine whether current soil conservation behaviours are affected by earlier adoption behaviours of neighbours. We begin with exploratory spatial data analyses to identify significant spatial clustering in the relationship between farmers’ soil conservation practices in 2015 and neighbours’ practices in earlier periods (2010 and 2012). The findings suggest the presence of inward diffusion – that is, conservation behaviours in 2015 are positively and significantly correlated with the conservation behaviours of neighbours in 2010 and 2012. Although the strength of the relationship lessens unless we control for farm and farmer characteristics, the effects persist once we control for these factors. Evidence of sustained neighbourhood effects forms a basis for policies to promote the most effective information diffusion methods among farmers. |
| Keywords: | spatiotemporal analyses; instrumental variable technique; soil conservation; agriculture; poverty; Nigeria |
| JEL: | C55 Q18 Q24 |
| Date: | 2022–05–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2022_008&r=agr |
| By: | Mamun, Abdullah; Laborde Debucquet, David |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the drivers of export restrictions on agricultural products based on an original dataset developed at IFPRI. We focus on four food price crises when export restrictions (e.g., ban, tax, licensing etc.) were applied: the 2008 and 2010 food price crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 crisis associated with the Russia-Ukraine war. Although the justifications for such trade policies have been discussed in the literature, the ability to forecast their implementation remains understudied. The probit model used in this study suggests that the inflation rate has a higher power to predict export restrictions than do international commodity prices. The probability of export restrictions increases more when price change is measured from a reference level in the long interval than the short interval. Among the covariates, agricultural land per capita, commodity share in production and export, weather condition increases the chances of imposing export restrictions. Per capita income, population density, share of agriculture in GDP, urbanization rate, political economy indicators - all have a negative influence on this likelihood. |
| Keywords: | agricultural products; commodities; COVID-19; export controls; international trade; war; trade liberalization; exports |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2246&r=agr |
| By: | RADOVANOVIC Nikola; SANZ Macarena; BURZIC Irma |
| Abstract: | Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans revealed that agri-food features as one of the most common priority areas in the region with the strongest potential for growth. Although the Smart Specialisation process revealed many strengths of this area, the agri-food sector in the Western Balkans' economies is still facing some common challenges, such as lower levels of productivity and product diversification. On the other hand, agri-food stakeholders from the Western Balkan region have the potential to increase the sector's capacities for innovation and technological development and redesign agri-food value chains to make these more efficient, competitive, resilient and environmentally friendly. The business sector is a key driver in the structural transformation of agriculture, but the role of public sector and academia in this process is equally important. Structural transformation of the agri-food sector should stimulate the production of high value products, enable modernisation and digitalisation of the sector to increase productivity and encourage cross-sectoral synergies and cooperation at the regional level. |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc135420&r=agr |
| By: | Mamun, Abdullah |
| Abstract: | The agriculture sector receives substantial fiscal subsidies in various forms, including through programs that are linked to production and others that are decoupled. As the sector has reached the technology frontier in production over the last three decades or so, particularly in high- and middle-income countries, it is intriguing to investigate the impact of subsidies on productivity at aggregate level. This study examines the impact of subsidies on productivity growth in agriculture globally using a long time series on the nominal rate of assistance for 42 countries that covers over 80 percent of agricultural production. The econometric results show heterogenous effects from various subsidy instruments depending on the choice of productivity measure. Regression results suggest a strong positive effect of input subsidies on both output growth and labor productivity. A positive but relatively small impact of output subsidies is found on output growth only. Subsidies that are mostly decoupled reveal no significant impact on any of the productivity measures. |
| Keywords: | agricultural productivity; agricultural technology; econometrics; globalization; input output analysis; subsidies |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2245&r=agr |
| By: | Rana, Sohel; Faye, Amy; Qaim, Matin |
| Abstract: | Temporary migration is a widely observed phenomenon among poor rural households, mostly related to agricultural seasonality. However, household preferences for temporary migration in comparison to longer-term migration, and the differential effects of these migrations on household livelihoods are not yet well understood. Here, we use survey data collected in northern rural Bangladesh to analyze determinants of households’ choice between temporary and longer-term migration, and their comparative effects on various livelihood indicators, with a particular focus on agricultural lean periods. Issues of selection bias and endogeneity are addressed with Heckman selection models and instrumental variables. We show that temporary migration is more common than longer-term migration, partly determined by family demographic and farm-labor constraints. Although longer-term migration has larger positive effects on household income, temporary migration has larger positive effects on food consumption and dietary quality during lean periods. These results suggest that temporary migration is an important mechanism for the rural poor to smooth consumption and deserves more attention by researchers and policy-makers. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, Labor and Human Capital |
| Date: | 2024–05–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ubzefd:342297&r=agr |
| By: | Moros, Lina (Universidad de los Andes, School of Management, Bogotá, Colombia.); Vélez, María Alejandro (Los Andes University); Pfaff, Alexander (Duke University); Quintero, Daniela (Los Andes University) |
| Abstract: | Payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs are proliferating globally but not always with significant impact. Unlike protected areas (PAs), PES compensate suppliers of ecoservices, increasing local acceptance. Yet, some worry that PES could reduce conservation in the long run, if the introduction of financial incentives “crowds out” or diminishes prior conservation behavior. We implemented a decision experiment with farmers in rural Colombia to study the effects of temporary PES. We find no crowding out if a PES is introduced then ended. Contributions after PES fall back to pre-PES levels, at worst, and if anything, they are higher. Comparisons to controls without PES strengthen these findings, which can inform policy design. |
| Keywords: | lab-in-the field experiment; pro-environmental behavior; payment for ecosystem services; incentives; Colombia |
| JEL: | Q01 Q52 Q57 Q58 |
| Date: | 2022–05–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2022_007&r=agr |
| By: | Jiansong Xu |
| Abstract: | Carbon pricing, including carbon tax and cap-and-trade, is usually seen as an effective policy tool for mitigating emissions. Although such policies are often perceived as worsening affordability issues, earlier studies find insignificant or deflationary effects of carbon pricing. We verify this result for the food sector by using provincial-level data on food CPI from Canada. By using a staggered difference-in-difference (DiD) approach, we show that the deflationary effects of carbon pricing on food do exist. Additionally, such effects are weak at first and grow stronger after two years of implementation. However, the overall magnitudes are too small to make carbon pricing blamable for the current high inflation. Our subsequent analysis suggests a reduction in consumption is likely to be the cause of deflation. Contrarily, carbon pricing has little impact on farm production costs owing to the special treatment farmers receive within carbon pricing systems. This paper decomposes the long-term influence Canadian carbon pricing has on food affordability and its possible mechanisms. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2404.09467&r=agr |
| By: | Das, Gouranga G.; Bhattacharya, Ranajoy |
| Abstract: | Empirical literature on the effect of Contract Farming (CF) on economic development of a Less Developed Economy (LDC) is divided on the basic issue of concern for the policy makers in LDCs: should CF be encouraged, and if so, under what circumstances? Broadly, there are both intermediate (yield, price etc.) and ultimate (mainly household income and food security) benefits. However, the implication of the outcomes on welfare are not unidirectional. For instance, in most cases yield per hectare and household income of farmers increased along with rise in prices of crops. Das, Bhattacharya and Marjit (JRFM, 2023) builds a model to explore such adverse welfare impacts due to CF. This paper's focus is totally different. Also, there is no homogeneity in the sample of crops or the country of occurrence. Since most of these contracts are private in nature with a clear objective of profit maximization, the estimates could have self-section biases, which is rarely controlled for. Additionally, these are mostly in the nature of treatment/control group studies (though not RCTs). A fundamental issue is that spillover effects bias outcomes in these methods and it should be controlled for. This implies that there is virtually no empirical literature on spillover effects. Looking at it differently, these studies conclude that in the absence of spillover effects CF appears to be conditionally beneficial to LDCs. Given this background, this paper investigates: what are the nature of these conditions? To what extent do spillover effects relax them? Constructing a three-sector-four-factors general equilibrium model: agricultural with contract farming, traditional agriculture, and manufacturing, we derive the conditions under which it is conducive for low-income farmers. The objective is to prescribe a clear set of recommendations to the governments of the LDCs that are experimenting with CF on the nature of priors that they need to ensure for significantly increasing the probability of net benefit from CF. |
| Keywords: | Land deal, Contract Farming, Vertical Coordination, Wage gap, Self-selection Bias, Spillover, Governance |
| JEL: | F22 J31 Q15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1428&r=agr |
| By: | Philippe Jeanneaux (VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement, Territoires - Territoires - AgroParisTech - VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne) |
| Abstract: | For many years, New York onion growers enjoyed a leadership position in the U.S. onion supply due to a combination of advantages, including unique soil and climate conditions and proximity to large, diverse markets. However, trends suggest that these advantages are disappearing as global competitors offer comparable, but lower-cost, undiffer¬entiated onions. As a result, the current production and marketing approaches of New York onion growers are not particularly effective. New York onion growers are presently competing in a race with each other and growers in other regions to produce high volumes of cheap commodity onions. The question thus becomes: Can onion producers continue this race, in which they seem unable to win because the competition is so fierce? Onion growers in New York state wish to understand onion-marketing dynamics in the U.S. and especially in New York state. By learning more about the market for onions, they may discover a new competitive advantage based on the strategy of differentiation, which could increase their value among all stakeholders of the value chain. In this commentary, I present a summary of a report I have written entitled "Analysis of the U.S. Onion Industry with a Focus on New York State Issues, " and I make the case that New York state's onion growers have an opportunity to reverse their fortunes. |
| Keywords: | Onion industry, Market strategy, USDA, Price analysis, New York State, Muckland production, Terroir |
| Date: | 2023–12–20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04537772&r=agr |
| By: | Eissler, Sarah; Rubin, Deborah; de Anda, Victoria |
| Abstract: | This study presents findings from a qualitative research study conducted in Chiapas, Mexico that is one component of a larger activity funded by the Walmart Foundation and implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), titled Applying New Evidence for Women’s Empowerment (ANEW). ANEW seeks to generate evidence from mixed-methods evaluations of women’s empowerment in production and other entrepreneurial efforts at different nodes of agricultural value chains and aims to develop and validate measures of women’s empowerment that focus on agricultural marketing and collective empowerment at the group level, both of which build upon the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index for Market Inclusion (pro-WEAI+MI). In this report, we present findings of a qualitative study of coffee cooperatives supported by Root Capital in Chiapas, Mexico and how Root Capital engages with them to advance women’s economic empowerment, among other objectives. As part of this study, we aimed to describe the gender dynamics and roles and responsibilities of men and women in the coffee value chain in Chiapas, and the opportunities and barriers faced as a result of these dynamics. This study employed qualitative methods to collect primary data from types of respondents using individual and group interviews. Two coffee cooperatives in Chiapas that work with Root Capital were selected to participate in this study. From June to July 2023, 21 individual interviews and 9 group interviews were conducted with market actors, men and women coffee cooperative leaders, men and women cooperative members and their wives, and Root Capital staff from two municipalities in Chiapas. The data were transcribed into Spanish and then translated into English. These transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis in NVivo software. A codebook inclusive of inductive and deductive themes was developed to guide the thematic analysis. This study design adhered to best practices for ethical research and received approval from IFPRI’s IRB. Several limitations should be considered when reviewing the findings and conclusions of this study. There exist defined gender roles and divisions of labor at each node of the coffee value chain in Chiapas, and participants often described these roles as expected given social norms or perceived gender-specific limitations of natural abilities that would shape how men or women could engage in different activities. Men and women indicated that while men are in charge of coffee production activities, women do spend time contributing to cleaning and management activities, and that women are heavily involved in the coffee harvest. Both men and women explained that women are responsible for processing activities, which can be time consuming and laborious, but often occur close to the home. Although the coffee harvest activities require physical labor in picking and carrying the baskets of ripened cherries, there is a perception that women cannot participate in other post-harvesting activities, such as transporting bags of coffee, because the lifting is too physically heavy of a task for women. Men are responsible for managing the sale of coffee and directly negotiating with the buyer to the extent that a negotiation happens. In instances when buyers travel to the household as the point of sale, women can participate in sales, typically facilitating the sale under the direction of her husband. However, women still do not lift the coffee bags nor transport the bags for sale. And many coffee producing households prefer to or sometimes need to hire labor to help with coffee harvest activities; they tend to hire men as laborers more out of preference or their availability compared to women. Men and women interviewed for this study also described their perceptions and understanding of empowerment and elements of an empowered person with relation to engaging in the coffee value chain. Overall, while the concept of an empowered person was difficult for both men and women to relate to, they shared perceptions of how relations between men and women had changed over the years. Respecting women’s rights or the perception of respecting women’s rights was more acknowledged at the time of the interviews than in previous years, and it was more common to see men and women both generating incomes for the household. Men and women shared different perspectives regarding attitudes toward intimate partner violence, whereas both acknowledged men often mistreated their wives, but women discussed it as a private matter where men shared concerns over women’s reaction to the mistreatment rather than the mistreatment itself. Varying access to resources limited both men and women farmer’s ability to advance in the coffee value chain, particularly access to credit, which was limited for both men and women in the study areas. Limited access to credit with favorable or reasonable terms limited men’s and women’s ability to hire additional labor on their coffee farm or to purchase machines that would reduce specifically women’s time burdens within the household. Women’s time use is constrained by expectations and normative tasks in ways that men are not constrained. Future research is needed and discussed to better understand these dynamics of gendered roles and relations and elements of empowerment in the coffee value chain in Chiapas. Men and women members of the two respective cooperatives shared differences in how they were able to participate in and benefit from their participation in each cooperative. One cooperative provided more opportunities for members to directly engage in meetings, social activities, and capacity building opportunities whereas the other operated through a more decentralized structure and did not offer opportunities for members to directly participate in decision-making or meetings beyond the representation of their delegate. Members of both cooperatives perceived their cooperatives to be consistent and reliable coffee buyers offering stable prices. The former cooperative was also perceived as a source of support and community for members to advance their coffee production and post-harvesting activities. Both cooperatives also addressed key barriers faced by members, such as providing consistent and reliable pricing. Some members reported that cooperatives offered higher prices than those offered by non-cooperative buyers. Cooperatives also provided transportation options for producers to sell their coffee, which also enables women to have more engagement in coffee sales. However, normative barriers, such as women’s existing time burdens and their need for their husbands’ permission, limits women’s full participation in the cooperatives. Finally, we explored the extent to which Root Capital’s engagement with the cooperatives had supported activities or changes that strengthen women’s empowerment by understanding members and leaders’ perceptions of this engagement. Overall, cooperative members were generally unaware of Root Capital and its engagement with the cooperative. Since Root Capital does not provide direct services to farmers or cooperative members, it was not surprising that many cooperative members were generally unaware of Root Capital and its engagement with the cooperative. However, a few were aware of Root Capital, knowing it had provided their cooperative a loan to purchase and maintain a truck, which was used to reduce barriers faced by producers to bring their coffee to the point of sale and had implications for shifting gender roles to manage coffee sales. Cooperative leaders reflected on the loan that facilitated increased transportation capacity, as well as other benefits from working with Root Capital. However, as Root Capital operates with a client-driven approach, adoption of the Gender Equity Advisory services was limited as these services only became recently available in 2021 and cooperatives opted not to prioritize these until 2023. Therefore, there was limited data to understand how these activities may be influencing cooperative operations, gender dynamics and roles, and perception of women engaged in the coffee value chain at the time of this study. We present several recommendations for areas of future research and considerations for Root Capital to strengthen its approach to gender equity programming. |
| Keywords: | coffee; cooperatives; research methods; value chains; women’s empowerment; gender; collective behaviour; qualitative analysis; Americas; Northern America; Mexico |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:2248&r=agr |
| By: | Wadim Strielkowski; Oxana Mukhoryanova; Oxana Kuznetsova; Yury Syrov |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes sustainable regional economic development and land use employing a case study of Russia. The economics of land management in Russia which is shaped by both historical legacies and contemporary policies represents an interesting conundrum. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia embarked on a thorny and complex path towards the economic reforms and transformation characterized, among all, by the privatization and decentralization of land ownership. This transition was aimed at improving agricultural productivity and fostering sustainable regional economic development but also led to new challenges such as uneven distribution of land resources, unclear property rights, and underinvestment in rural infrastructure. However, managing all of that effectively poses significant challenges and opportunities. With the help of the comprehensive bibliographic network analysis, this study sheds some light on the current state of sustainable regional economic development and land use management in Russia. Its results and outcomes might be helpful for the researchers and stakeholders alike in devising effective strategies aimed at maximizing resources for sustainable land use, particularly within their respective regional economies. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2404.12477&r=agr |
| By: | Renau, Jorge Marco (Department of Economics, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia); Valbuena, Nicolas (Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany); Valderrama, Diego (Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, USA.); Vasquez, Monica (Colombian Federation of Fish Farmers (FEDEACUA), Colombia) |
| Abstract: | Reaching a production level of 200, 000 tons (live weight) in 2022, the tilapia industry has emerged as the most important finfish farming sector in Colombia. Located in the southwest of the country, the Huila department currently accounts for 40% of total production and 90% of exports. As the industry grew at a remarkable pace over the last two decades, two clearly identifiable sectors emerged, with large-scale producers targeting the export market, and mid- and small-scale producers focusing on the domestic market. This study used the Aquaculture Performance Indicators (API) methodology to examine the economic, environmental, and social performance of both production sectors. The evaluation relied on the input of industry experts and information collected from a number of secondary sources. While the export sector achieved acceptable scores for each sustainability criteria, the economic and social performance of the domestic sector was deficient. Contrasting capacities to cope with a number of production, investment and cost scenarios as well as varying vulnerability to potential risks could further amplify the differences in performance between the two sectors. |
| Keywords: | Aquaculture Performance Indicators; Food production systems; Triple bottom line; Sustainable aquaculture; Tilapia. |
| JEL: | Q22 |
| Date: | 2024–03–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2024_003&r=agr |
| By: | Alice Gillerot (VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement, Territoires - Territoires - AgroParisTech - VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne); Etienne Polge (INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, Territoires - Territoires - AgroParisTech - VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne, ACT - Département sciences pour l'action, les transitions, les territoires - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement); Philippe Jeanneaux (VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement, Territoires - Territoires - AgroParisTech - VAS - VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UCA - Université Clermont Auvergne) |
| Abstract: | The mobilization and coordination of a diversity of actors is regularly presented as necessary and essential for the implementation of the agroecological transition. This paper proposes to analyse the relational determinants of such actor mobilization through an analysis of the relational and territorial embeddedness of the creation trajectory of farmer collectives developing territorialized supply chains in organic agriculture. To this end, the quantified narratives method, which enables the identification of situations of access to resources through the analysis of trajectory narratives, was applied within the context of semi-structured interviews conducted with resource persons for our five respective case studies. Our results show that, during the different phases of their creation trajectory, farmer collectives developing territorialized supply chains mobilize a wide range of cognitive, material, financial, human, commercial, organizational, and external communication resources, mostly accessed through interpersonal relationships with various territorial actors. This relational and territorial embeddedness contributes to the implementation of specific coexistence strategies, i.e., the search for a specific product offering, in complementarity with other producers with similar initiatives, or with the support of agricultural and industrial cooperatives. These coexistence strategies, based on interdependencies between actors and organizations in a territorialized food system, contribute to productive and territorial diversification. |
| Abstract: | La mobilisation et la coordination d'une diversité d'acteurs pour la mise en œuvre de la transition agroécologique est régulièrement présentée comme nécessaire et indispensable. Cette communication propose d'analyser les déterminants relationnels de telles mobilisations d'acteurs à travers l'analyse de l'encastrement relationnel et territorial des trajectoires de création de collectifs d'agriculteurs porteurs de filières territorialisées en agriculture biologique. Pour ce faire, la méthode des narrations quantifiées, permettant l'identification de situations d'accès aux ressources à travers l'analyse de récits de trajectoires, a été appliquée dans le cadre d'entretiens semi-directifs menés auprès de personnes ressources pour les cinq cas d'étude respectifs. Nos résultats montrent qu'au cours des différentes phases de leur trajectoire de création, les collectifs d'agriculteurs porteurs de filières territorialisées mobilisent un large panel de ressources cognitives, matérielles, financières, humaines, commerciales, organisationnelles et de communication extérieure, majoritairement accédées à travers des relations interpersonnelles avec divers acteurs territoriaux. Cet encastrement relationnel et territorial participe à la mise en œuvre des stratégies de coexistence particulières, à savoir par la recherche d'une offre spécifique, en complémentarité avec d'autres producteurs porteurs d'initiatives similaires ou encore avec le soutien des coopératives agricoles et industriels privés. Ces stratégies de coexistence par les interdépendances entre acteurs et organisations d'un Système Alimentaire Territorialisé contribuent à la diversification productive et territoriale. |
| Keywords: | territorialized supply chain, creation trajectory, resources, embeddedness, territorial diversification, famers' collective, collectifs agricoles, filières territorialisées, trajectoire de création, ressources, encastrement, diversification territoriale |
| Date: | 2023–12–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04526734&r=agr |
| By: | Philipp Ager; Marc Goni; Kjell G. Salvanes |
| Abstract: | This paper studies how gender-biased technological change in agriculture affected women’s work in 20th-century Norway. After WWII, dairy farms began widely adopting milking machines to replace the hand milking of cows, a task typically performed by young women. We show that the adoption of milking machines pushed young rural women out of farming in dairy-intensive municipalities. The displaced women moved to cities where they acquired more education and found better-paid employment. Our results suggest that the adoption of milking machines broke up allocative inefficiencies across sectors, which improved the economic status of women relative to men. |
| Keywords: | Technological change, rural-to-urban migration, gender effects |
| JEL: | J16 J24 J43 J61 N34 O14 O33 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_535&r=agr |
| By: | Dang, Hai-Anh (World Bank); Jolliffe, Dean (World Bank); Serajuddin, Umar (World Bank); Stacy, Brian (World Bank) |
| Abstract: | A country's statistical capacity takes an indispensable part in its development. We offer a comprehensive comparison between the World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicators and Index (SPI) and its predecessor, the Statistical Capacity Index (SCI) regarding different conceptual and empirical aspects. We further examine the relationships of the two indexes with some agriculture development indicators such as food security, food sustainability and productivity as well as other key indicators including headcount poverty, GDP per capita, and an SDG progress index. Our analysis employs the latest SPI data update in 2022, which were not available in previous studies. We also propose clear guidelines on how the SPI can be maintained and updated in the future to ensure that this process is transparent, replicable, safeguarded with high quality, and provides comparable data over time. |
| Keywords: | statistical capacity, statistical performance, statistical capacity index, national statistical system, food security |
| JEL: | C8 H00 I00 O1 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16892&r=agr |
| By: | Victor Cardenas |
| Abstract: | The document provides an overview of financial climate risks. It delves into how climate change impacts the global financial system, distinguishing between physical risks (such as extreme weather events) and transition risks (stemming from policy changes and economic transitions towards low carbon technologies). The paper underlines the complexity of accurately defining financial climate risk, citing the integration of climate science with financial risk analysis as a significant challenge. The paper highlights the pivotal role of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in addressing financial climate risk, especially for populations vulnerable to climate change. The document emphasizes the importance of updating risk management practices within MFIs to explicitly include climate risk assessments and suggests leveraging technology to improve these practices. |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2404.07331&r=agr |
| By: | Fujii, Hidemichi; Webb, Jeremy; Mundree, Sagadevan; Rowlings, David; Grace, Peter; Wilson, Clevo; Managi, Shunsuke |
| Abstract: | Voluntary carbon offset markets play an important role in climate change mitigation by deploying technologies in order of lowest abatement cost. The objective of this study is to identify the key drivers of changes in the volume of carbon credits issued in voluntary registry offset markets from 2006 to 2020 using a decomposition analysis framework. The results show that the volume of issued carbon credits related to forestry and land use increased from 2006 to 2015 due to priority increases and scale expansions in REDD+ projects. In addition, the reasons for the priority changes in carbon credits issued varied according to the scale of carbon offset programs in each region. The comparison of scale effect and carbon offset program priority is a useful tool for understanding changes in carbon credits issued according to project technology and region. The very rapid increase in forestry carbon credits issued does however pose important policy implications given it has been accompanied by widespread indications of poor governance and questionable outcomes in terms of CO2 reduction. In light of the IPCC’s reliance on carbon credits the need for thoroughgoing policy reform is underlined. |
| Keywords: | voluntary registry offset market; carbon credit; decomposition analysis |
| JEL: | Q54 Q57 |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:120657&r=agr |
| By: | Adel Ben Youssef (GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur); Mounir Dahmani (Université de Gafsa) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the complex relation among environmental taxes, productive capacities, urbanization, and their collective effects on environmental quality in Africa, drawing on two decades of data from twenty African countries. It situates the study within the broader discourse on sustainable development and economic growth, emphasizing the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework to examine the relationship between economic development, characterized by urban expansion and increased productive capacities, and the adoption of environmental taxes amidst the continent's diverse economic and environmental environments. Using advanced econometric techniques, including the Cross-Section Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) model and the Dynamic Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (DCCEMG) estimator, the study addresses data challenges such as cross-sectional dependence and slope heterogeneity. The results provide important insights into the dynamics of environmental quality in relation to economic and urban growth and the role of environmental taxation. The study proposes tailored policy strategies aimed at strengthening sustainable development initiatives in line with international agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. These strategies advocate for a nuanced application of environmental taxes and the promotion of productive capacities to enhance environmental sustainability across the African continent. |
| Keywords: | environmental taxes, productive capacities, urbanization, environmental quality, CS-ARDL, DCCEMG, AMG |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04527172&r=agr |
| By: | Gebrehiwot , Tagel (Ethiopian Climate Research Center, Policy Studies Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia); Hassen, Sied (World Bank, Washington, DC) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we investigate the impact of electricity on household food consumption and the nutritional status of children under the age of five, with attention to female-headed households, and discuss possible channels of causation. Using three rounds of the World Bank’s Living Standard Measurement Survey and a Difference in Difference approach, we found that access to electricity increased households’ calorie consumption by 153 Kcal per day in 2013 and by 187 Kcal in 2016. Further, children in households with access to electricity are less stunted than children in households without access to electricity. The findings imply that the channel of causation may be related to the greater convenience of electricity as a cooking fuel compared to firewood or other biomass. In terms of policy, expansion of electricity, in addition to providing lighting and other end use services, has an impact in improving households’ calorie intake and reducing children’s stunted growth. |
| Keywords: | electricity; energy; nutrition; wasting; stunting |
| JEL: | D10 D12 Q40 |
| Date: | 2022–06–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:gunefd:2022_011&r=agr |
| By: | Thea Kolasa (University of Zurich - Department Finance; Swiss Finance Institute); Zacharias Sautner (University of Zurich - Department of Finance; Swiss Finance Institute; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)) |
| Abstract: | This article examines the role of institutional investors in the fight against climate change. We explain the institutional context, provide evidence highlighting institutional investors’ bright and dark sides in this fight, and develop multiple ideas for future research. We show that climate change has a significant impact on institutional investors. Simultaneously, we demonstrate that institutional investors can have a significant positive impact on fighting climate change, particularly if they actively engage with portfolio firms to reduce carbon emissions. For risk management reasons, this is in their own interest, and it is also in the interests of society. We highlight possible future research avenues on the link between institutional investors and climate change, emphasizing issues related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating agencies, greenwashing, and the risk of a loss of trust in ESG products. Climate change constitutes one of the grand challenges of our time, and substantially more research on the role of finance is required. |
| Keywords: | institutional investors, climate change, climate risks, ESG ratings, greenwashing |
| JEL: | F34 G12 G32 M14 Q54 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:chf:rpseri:rp2426&r=agr |
| By: | Lucie Letrouit (Université Gustave Eiffel); Harris Selod (World Bank Group) |
| Abstract: | We present an urban land use model with land tenure insecurity and information asymmetry regarding risks of contested land ownership, a very common issue in West African cities. A market failure emerges as sellers do not internalize the impact of their market participation decision on the average quality of traded plots, which in turn affects other sellers and buyers' decisions. The equilibrium is suboptimal and has too many transactions of insecure plots and too few transactions of secure plots. This market failure can be addressed when agents trade along trusted kinship lines that discourage undisclosed sales of insecure plots. Such kinship matching is an important feature of West African societies, including on the market for informal land, as illustrated by a unique survey administered in Bamako, Mali. In the model, the extent to which the market failure is addressed increases with the intensity of kinship ties. When sellers also have the possibility of registering their property right in a cadastre, this not only further attenuates information asymmetry but also helps reduce risk. We find complementarity between kinship matching and registration: As transactions along trusted kinship lines tend to involve plots that are more secure on average, kinship matching makes registration better targeted at insecure plots traded outside kinship ties. In this context, a partial registration fee subsidy can bring the economy to the social optimum. |
| Keywords: | Land markets, Property rights, Information asymmetry, Informal land use, Land registration, Ethnic kinship, Marchés fonciers, Droits de propriété, Asymétrie d'information, Enregistrement des terrains, Cousinage ethnique |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04525074&r=agr |