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on Agricultural Economics |
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Issue of 2009‒10‒03
23 papers chosen by |
| By: | Calzadilla, Alvaro; Zhu, Tingju; Rehdanz, Katrin; Tol, Richard S.J.; Ringler, Claudia |
| Abstract: | "Two possible adaptation options to climate change for Sub-Saharan Africa are analyzed under the SRES B2 scenario. The first scenario doubles the irrigated area in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2050, compared to the baseline, but keeps total crop area constant. The second scenario increases both rainfed and irrigated crop yields by 25 percent for all Sub-Saharan African countries. The two adaptation scenarios are analyzed with IMPACT, a partial equilibrium agricultural sector model combined with a water simulation module, and with GTAP-W, a general equilibrium model including water resources. The methodology combines the advantages of a partial equilibrium approach, which considers detailed water-agriculture linkages, with a general equilibrium approach, which takes into account linkages between agriculture and nonagricultural sectors and includes a full treatment of factor markets. The efficacy of the two scenarios as adaptation measures to cope with climate change is discussed. Due to the limited initial irrigated area in the region, an increase in agricultural productivity achieves better outcomes than an expansion of irrigated area. Even though Sub-Saharan Africa is not a key contributor to global food production or irrigated food production, both scenarios help lower world food prices, stimulating national and international food markets." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Computable general equilibrium, Climate change, Agriculture, integrated assessment, Sub-Saharan Africa, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:873&r=agr |
| By: | Minten, Bart; Reardon, Thomas; Vandeplas, Anneleen |
| Abstract: | "Food supply chains are being transformed in a number of developing countries due to widespread changes in urban food demand. To better anticipate the impact of this transformation and thus assist in the design of appropriate policies, it is important to understand the changes that are occurring in these supply chains. In a case study of India, we find that overall urban consumption is increasing; the urban food basket is shifting away from staples toward high-value products; and modern market channels (modern retail, food processing, and the food service industry) are on the rise. We document differing practices in traditional and modern food supply chains and identify an agenda for future research." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agricultural marketing, Market transformation, Rural-urban linkages, Globalization, Markets, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:883&r=agr |
| By: | Kato, Edward; Ringler, Claudia; Yesuf, Mahmud; Bryan, Elizabeth |
| Abstract: | "This study investigates the impact of different soil and water conservation technologies on the variance of crop production in Ethiopia to determine the risk implications of the different technologies in different regions and rainfall zones. Given the production risks posed by climate change, such information can be used by decision makers to identify appropriate agricultural practices that act as a buffer against climate change. Using a household- and plot-level data set, we apply the Just and Pope framework using a Cobb-Douglas production function to investigate the impact of various soil and water conservation technologies on average crop yields and the variance of crop yields, while controlling for several household- and plot-level factors. Results show that soil and water conservation investments perform differently in different rainfall areas and regions of Ethiopia, which underscores the importance of careful geographical targeting when promoting and scaling up soil and water conservation technologies. We find that although soil bunds, stone bunds, grass strips, waterways, and contours all have very significant positive impacts on average crop yields in low-rainfall areas, only soil bunds have significant risk-reducing effects in these areas with low agricultural potential. We also find that irrigation and use of improved seeds have insignificant risk-reducing effects in low-rainfall areas, suggesting that—as currently implemented—these interventions may not be appropriate adaptation strategies for these environments. Regionally, in the low-rainfall areas we find significant spatial heterogeneity, with soil bunds being risk reducing in Oromiya and Amhara, and stone bunds, grass strips, and waterways being risk reducing in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. Irrigation was only risk reducing in the high-rainfall areas of Benishangul-Gumuz. These results remain robust even after controlling for the major crops grown on the plot. Results show that soil and water conservation technologies have significant impacts on reducing production risk in Ethiopia and could be part of the country's climate-proofing strategy. However, results also show that one-size-fits-all recommendations are not appropriate given the differences in agro-ecology and other confounding factors." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Just and Pope, Risk increasing, Risk reducing, Stone bunds, Soil bunds, Waterways, Grass strips, Contours, Soil and water conservation, Low-rainfall areas, High-rainfall areas, Climate change, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:871&r=agr |
| By: | Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Pandolfelli, Lauren |
| Abstract: | "Recognizing that “gender matters,” many development interventions have aimed to close the gender gap in access to resources, both human and physical, and to address the specific needs of female farmers. This paper critically reviews attempts to increase poor female farmers' access to, and control of, productive resources in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It surveys the literature from 1998 to 2008 that describes interventions and policy changes across several key agricultural resources, including land, soil, and water; labor-saving technologies; improved varieties; extension services; and credit. Compared with interventions designed to increase investment in human capital, only a minority of interventions or policy changes designed to increase female farmers' access to productive resources have been rigorously evaluated. Future interventions need to consider interactions among inputs rather than treat each input in isolation, adapt interventions to clients' needs, and pay attention to the design of alternative delivery mechanisms, the trade-offs between practical and strategic gender needs, and the culture and context specificity of gender roles." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Gender, Agriculture, Interventions, Agricultural growth, Agricultural technology, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:882&r=agr |
| By: | Nin-Pratt, Alejandro; Johnson, Michael; Magalhaes, Eduardo; Diao, Xinshen; You, Liang; Chamberlin, Jordan |
| Abstract: | "We identify a set of development priorities for agriculture that cut across West Africa, at both the country and the regional level, to achieve economy-wide growth goals in the region. To do this, we adopt a modeling and analytical framework that involves the integration of spatial analysis to identify yield gaps determining growth potential of different agricultural activities for areas with similar conditions and an economy-wide multimarket model to simulate ex ante the economic effects of closing these yield gaps. Results indicate that the greatest agriculture-led growth opportunities in West Africa reside in staple crops (cereals as well as roots and tubers) and livestock production. Rice is the commodity with the highest potential for growth and the one that could generate the greatest benefits for many countries. Activities contributing the most to agricultural growth in the Sahel are livestock, rice, coarse grains, and groundnuts; in coastal countries, staple crops like cassava, yams, and cereals seem to be relatively more important than the contributions of other subsectors; and livestock and root crops are the sources of growth with highest potential in Central Africa. Our results also point toward an essential range of policies and investments that are needed to stimulate productivity growth of prioritized activities. These include the following: development of opportunities for regional cooperation on technology adaptation and diffusion, strengthening of regional agricultural markets exploiting opportunities for greater regional cooperation and harmonization, diversification of traditional markets, and enhancement of linkages between agricultural and nonagricultural sectors." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Agricultural growth, Multi-market model, spatial analysis, Staple food crops, Yield gap, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:876&r=agr |
| By: | Alston, Julian M.; Beddow, Jason M.; Pardey, Philip G. |
| Abstract: | Over the past 50 years and longer, the supply of food commodities has grown faster than the effective market demand, in spite of increasing population and per capita incomes. Consequently, the real (deflated) prices of food commodities have steadily trended down. The past increases in agricultural productivity and production, and the resulting real price trends, are attributable in large part to technological changes enabled by investments in agricultural R&D. Evidence is beginning to emerge of a slowdown in the long-term path of agricultural productivity growth. These productivity patterns mirror a progressive slowing down in the growth rate of total spending on agricultural R&D and a redirection of the funds away from farm productivity that began 20-30 years ago. |
| Keywords: | Demand and Price Analysis, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, |
| Date: | 2009–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:umaesp:53400&r=agr |
| By: | Ulimwengu, John M.; Ramadan, Racha |
| Abstract: | "Almost unaffected by the 2008 wave of soaring world food prices, Ugandan local market prices exhibit signs of high price volatility in the first quarter of 2009. At the household level, while net producers may reap some benefits from this increase in food prices, net consumers are more likely to suffer from it. However, the net consumption impact of food price increase is not as straightforward as reported in previous studies. In this paper, we extend Singh et al. (1986) multimarket model by adding demand elasticities from the Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS). We use the integrated Ugandan National Household Survey (UNHS) 2005/2006 to estimate a measure of net consumption impact that includes both price and profit effects. Overall, we found that household welfare is expected to decrease with loss in consumption and increase with income gain as a result of higher food prices for the cereals producers. Simulating change in cereals consumption induced by a 50 percent increase in cereals price and taking into account the profit effect, our results predict a 23 percent decrease in food consumption for net sellers, compared with 44 percent when using the consumption approach alone. Accounting for such substitution effects, our results suggest that the impact of rising food prices may be mitigated because some households will attempt to substitute more expensive food items with cheaper ones; however, this apparent coping strategy often leads to a much poorer diet. The results suggest that the majority of households with expected positive income impact, the gainers, live in rural areas. These households also tend to have better access to agricultural services than the nongainers." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Consumption, Elasticity, Food prices, households, Multimarket, Science and technology, Institutional change, Innovation systems, Supply and demand, Household resource allocation, Gender, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:884&r=agr |
| By: | Marion, Bruce W. |
| Abstract: | Organized Symposium: Market Structure, Organization, and Performance of the Food System: Greatest Contributions by Agricultural and Applied Economists |
| Keywords: | Industrial Organization, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea09:53069&r=agr |
| By: | Omilola, Babatunde |
| Abstract: | "It has often been argued that new agricultural technologies lead to poverty reduction. This paper argues that any changes in poverty situation attributed to those who adopt new agricultural technology (treatment group) without a counterfactual comparison of carefully selected nonadopters (control group) are likely to be questionable. The paper estimates the effects of new agricultural technology on poverty reduction by employing the “double difference” method on data collected in rural Nigeria. Seeing the agricultural technology–poverty linkage through the lenses of adopters and nonadopters of such new technology provides understanding of the relationship between agricultural technology and poverty. The paper finds that differences in poverty status between adopters and nonadopters of new agricultural technologies (a combination of tube wells and pumps) introduced in rural Nigeria in the late 1980s and early 1990s are alarmingly modest. The paper concludes that new agricultural technology would not expressly lead to poverty reduction in poor countries. The exact channels through which new agricultural technology impact poverty outcomes need to be further explored." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Poverty, evaluation, Inequality, Impact assessment, Agricultural technology, Difference-in-difference methodology, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:901&r=agr |
| By: | Nelson, Gerald C.; Robertson, Richard; Msangi, Siwa; Zhu, Tingju; Liao, Xiaoli; Jawajar, Puja |
| Abstract: | "By some estimates, agricultural practices account for 20 percent of India's total greenhouse gas (GSG) emissions; thus, cost-effective reductions in agricultural emissions could significantly lower India's overall emissions. We explore mitigation options for three agricultural sources of GHGs—methane (CH4) emissions from irrigated rice production, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the use of nitrogenous fertilizers, and the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from energy sources used to pump groundwater for irrigation. We also examine how changes in land use would affect carbon sequestration. We find great opportunities for cost-effective mitigation of GHGs in Indian agriculture, but caution that our results are based on a variety of data sources, some of which are of poor quality." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Greenhouse gas, Climate change, Mitigation, Sequestration, Mid-season drying, groundwater, Pumping, Payments for environmental services, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:900&r=agr |
| By: | Nin Pratt, Alejandro; Diao, Xinshen; Bahta, Yonas |
| Abstract: | "We develop a detailed trade analysis to assess the potential welfare impacts of a free trade agreement (FTA) on the agricultural sector of southern African countries and to determine opportunities and challenges faced by the region as a consequence of the agreement. Our approach combines an in-depth look at the current trading patterns of southern African countries with the application of a partial equilibrium analysis that uses bilateral trade data at the four-digit standard international trade classification (SITC) level for 193 agricultural industries in 14 southern African countries. Low diversification of agricultural exports in most southern African countries seems to be a major constraint for promoting regional trade. In most countries, overall welfare effects of an FTA would be positive but small. Inefficient agricultural producers with a regional comparative advantage for agriculture would benefit from trade creation with the rest of the world. Welfare results for regional importers would be negative because of increased imports from inefficient regional producers. These results suggest that the region should be looking at regional policies and interventions beyond trade arrangements, such as those targeting investment, agricultural productivity, and diversification, to enhance benefits of regional trade liberalization." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Regional trade agreement, Agricultural trade, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:888&r=agr |
| By: | Headey, Derek; Malaiyandi, Sangeetha; Fan, Shenggen |
| Abstract: | "The closely interlinked food, fuel and financial crises pose a significant new challenge to the global effort to reduce poverty. In short run, the oil-biofuels nexus was clearly the driving force behind the surge in food prices, but export restrictions and panic purchases turned a tightened market situation into a crisis. New evidence reveals that food prices rose sharply in many countries and that global poverty levels have increased markedly. The good news is that the supply response in many countries was strong. The impacts of the financial crisis on poor countries have yet to fully roll out, but it is clear that additional people will fall into poverty and become food insecure. In the long run, there are strong indications that the global food system is fundamentally changing in a number of dimensions. Biofuels are here to stay, and energy and food prices have adjusted to a higher equilibrium, albeit with large volatility. Trade protection has also resurfaced, but so too have renewed investments in the agricultural sector. These fundamental shifts bring with them opportunities and risks that require internationally coordinated responses with strong national buy-in, as well as timely and relevant research." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Food crisis, Energy crisis, Financial crisis, Agricultural development, Poverty, Public investment, Development strategies, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:889&r=agr |
| By: | Hudson, Darren; Pan, Suwen |
| Abstract: | The impacts of the removal of the cotton storage credit were modeled using the Global Fibers Model at the Cotton Economics Research Institute at Texas Tech University. A 5-year baseline was estimated under existing policy. The impacts of removing the storage credit was simulated and compared with the baseline. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2009–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ttucer:53141&r=agr |
| By: | Bagamba, Fred; Burger, Kees; Kuyvenhoven, Arie |
| Abstract: | "Although there is growing evidence of the increasing role of nonfarm activities in rural livelihoods, there is still relatively little empirical evidence regarding the factors that influence smallholder farmers to diversify into nonfarm activities. This study analyses the factors that influence household labor allocation decisions and demand for farm labor in Uganda. Data were collected from 660 households in three banana-based production zones with divergent production constraints and opportunities. The determinants of demand for hired labor were estimated with the Tobit model. Linear regression was used to estimate reduced-form equations for the time-allocation decisions of household members. Our findings show that household members respond positively to increases in wages, suggesting that they respond to economic incentives. Increased wage rates negatively affect the use of hired labor, but household size has no effect on the use of hired labor, indicating that the economic rationing of labor hiring has more to do with the market wage than family size or composition. Education and road access have positive effects on the amount of time allocated to off-farm activities. Access to off-farm opportunities, however, takes away the most productive labor from farm production. These findings suggest that investment in road infrastructure and education suited to smallholder production needs could help alleviate bottlenecks in labor markets and improve resource allocation between farm and nonfarm sectors." from authors' abstract |
| Keywords: | Smallholder farmers, Labor demand, Non-farm employment, Land management, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:ifprid:887&r=agr |
| By: | Stelios Rozakis (Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Department, Agricultural University of Athens); Alexandra Sintori (Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Department, Agricultural University of Athens); Konstantinos Tsiboukas (Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Department, Agricultural University of Athens) |
| Abstract: | Sheep farming is an important agricultural activity in Greece, since it contributes significantly to the country’s gross agricultural production value. Recently, sheep milk production received further attention because of the increased demand for feta cheese and also because of the excessive price level suffered by consumers, in contrast with the prices paid at the farm level. In this study, we suggest the use of multicriteria analysis to estimate the supply response of sheep milk to price. The study focuses in the Prefecture of Etoloakarnania, located in Western Greece, where sheep farming is a common and traditional activity. A non-interactive technique is used to elicit farmers’ individual utility functions which are then optimized parametrically subject to technico-economic constraints, to estimate the supply function of sheep milk. Detailed data from selected farms, representing different farm types and management strategies, have been used in the analysis. The results indicate that the multicriteria model reflects the actual operation of the farms more accurately than the gross margin maximization model and therefore leads to a more robust estimation of the milk supply. |
| Keywords: | Sheep-farming, multi-criteria, utility function, milk supply |
| JEL: | C61 D21 Q12 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:aua:wpaper:2009-11&r=agr |
| By: | William R Cline |
| Abstract: | There is a growing recognition that global warming is a problem, but little attention has been paid to the likely impact at the country level, especially in the developing world. The stakes for world agriculture, with special attention to China, India, Brazil, and the poor countries of the tropical belt in Africa and Latin America are discussed. |
| Keywords: | Industrialized Countries, agricultural productivity, global warming, India, Technological Change, China, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, agriculture, developing world, poor countries, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ess:wpaper:id:2221&r=agr |
| By: | Ethridge, Don; Mohanty, Samarendu; Pan, Suwen; Welch, Mark; Fadiga, Mohamadou; Velandia-Parra, Margarita; Yates, Samantha |
| Abstract: | This study attempts to summarize information on farm policies being used for seven major cropsâcorn, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugar, and wheatâby a group of 21 countries representing both developing and developed nations. Overall, the study concludes that agriculture has a special status in both developed and developing countries with a wide variety of subsidy and protection instruments in place. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2009–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ttucer:53138&r=agr |
| By: | Okoye, B.C; Agbaeze, C.C; Asumugha, G.N; Aniedu, O.C; Mbanaso, E.N.A |
| Abstract: | This study examined the relationship between farm size and technical efficiency in small holder cassava production in Ideato LGA of Imo state using data from a 2008 farm-level survey of 90 rural households. The study showed a strong inverse relationship between farm size and technical efficiency. Smaller farms are found to be more technically efficient, than larger farms. These results favour land redistribution policies targeted towards giving lands to the small-holder farmers. Policies of de-emphasizing cassava production in the estate sector while encouraging it in smallholdings will foster equity and efficiency. |
| Keywords: | Farm Size; Productivity and Technical Efficiency |
| JEL: | D6 D61 |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:17418&r=agr |
| By: | Pan, Suwen; Hudson, Darren; Mutic, Maria |
| Abstract: | Domestic subsidies for cotton and other commodities have been a major topic of interest, especially during the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization trade negotiations. Many developing countries have insisted that domestic subsidies in countries like the United States represent significant trade barriers because they lower world price below their cost of production. India, Brazil, and other developing countries intimate that unless these domestic subsidies are lowered, they are unwilling to provide any more market access concessions in trade negotiations. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, |
| Date: | 2009–08–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ttucer:53143&r=agr |
| By: | Hudson, Smith; Pan, Suwen; Mutic, Maria; Yates, Samantha; Ethridge, Don |
| Abstract: | This is an update of CERI-SR07-01, our report on international crop policies conducted in February of 2007. Since then, the landscape for agricultural products has undergone changes due to developments related to the use of ethanol and the recent economic recession. Also, in most of the world, both developed economies such as the EU, Australia, and the U.S., and developing countries such as China and Brazil, have increased their domestic agricultural supports and/or altered the types of support. It is uncertain if this increase is permanent or transitory. |
| Keywords: | Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2009–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:ttucer:53137&r=agr |
| By: | Shiratori, Sakiko |
| Abstract: | U.S. Consumers have become increasingly concerned with health problems. Nutrition is one of the factors which directly affects health, thus credible nutritional information has become more valuable to individuals. Understanding the impact of nutritional information on consumersâ food choices will contribute to the development and implementation of effective communication strategies related to diet and health. This will not only help policy makers design regulatory and legal polices that promote health, but will also help the food industry to develop products that better match consumersâ interests. The purpose of this study is to present the number of articles or transcripts in the media, which will be used to produce information trend indicators, and to suggest the distributed time lags among the information sources. Since consumersâ knowledge is not observable, one of the ways to measure the impact of information on food demand is to develop some indicators of consumersâ exposure to the information. In this study, the articles or transcripts in the media and scientific journals about omega-3 fatty acids are investigated. Omega-3 fatty acids have received growing attention due to their several health benefits such that they help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The use of omega-3 heart claims on food labeling was approved by the FDA in 2004. |
| Keywords: | Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, |
| Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea09:53387&r=agr |
| By: | Nektarios Aslanidis (University Rovira Virgili) |
| Abstract: | The empirical finding of an inverse U-shaped relationship between per capita income and pollution, the so-called Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), suggests that as countries experience economic growth, environmental deterioration decelerates and thus becomes less of an issue. Focusing on the prime example of carbon emissions, the present article provides a critical review of the new econometric techniques that have questioned the baseline polynomial specification in the EKC literature. We discuss issues related to the functional form, heterogeneity, “spurious” regressions and spatial dependence to address whether and to what extent the EKC can be observed. Despite these new approaches, there is still no clear-cut evidence supporting the existence of the EKC for carbon emissions. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Kuznets Curve, Carbon Emissions, Functional Form, Heterogeneity, “Spurious” Regressions, Spatial Dependence |
| JEL: | C20 Q32 Q50 O13 |
| Date: | 2009–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2009.75&r=agr |
| By: | Pedro Gomis-Porqueras; Fidel Gonzalez |
| Abstract: | This paper considers the problem of a consumer that cares about her health, which we proxy by deviations from current weight to ideal weight, and derives utility from eating and disutility from performing physical activity while taking into account the uncertainty associated with calorie consumption and physical activity. Using U.S. data, we find that uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of physical activity produces a larger cautionary response. Moreover, it is harder to learn and is more important to the agent than the uncertainty regarding the calorie content of food. These results can help policymakers design more cost effective policies. |
| JEL: | C61 I18 |
| Date: | 2009–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:acb:cbeeco:2009-506&r=agr |