SABIIA - Sistema Aberto e Integrado de Informação em Agricultura (Sabiia)

Hein, Lars; Weikard, Hans-Peter.

Economic modelling of semi-arid rangelands has received much attention in recent literature. A major outstanding issue is how stochastic rainfall and the feedback effect of heavy grazing pressures on vegetation productivity can be accounted for in these models. This paper presents a model for calculating the optimal livestock stocking rate in a semi-arid rangeland that accounts for stochastic rainfall, the ecological feedback effect and variable prices. The model is developed for rangelands dominated by annual rather than perennial grasses, such as the African Sahel. The feedback effect is modeled on the basis of an ecological study, conducted in northern Senegal, that analyzes the impact of different grazing pressures on vegetation productivity. The paper...

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Semi-arid rangelands; Optimal stocking rate; Modeling rangeland ecology; Sahel; Livestock Production/Industries; Q24; D24.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/56959

Farmer Participation in Supermarket Channels, Production Technology, and Efficiency: The Case of Vegetables in Kenya

Rao, Elizaphan J.O.; Brümmer, Bernhard; Qaim, Matin.

Supermarkets are gaining ground in the agri-food systems of many developing countries. While recent research has analyzed income effects in the small farm sector, impacts on productivity and efficiency have hardly been studied. We use a meta-frontier approach and combine this with propensity score matching to estimate treatment effects among vegetable farmers in Kenya. Participation in supermarket channels increases farm productivity in terms of meta-technology ratios by 45%. We also find positive and significant impacts on technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Supermarket expansion therefore presents opportunities for agricultural growth in the small farm sector, which is crucial for poverty reduction in Africa.

Productivity Spillovers from Foreign MNEs on Domestic Manufacturing Firms: Is Co-location Always a Plus?

Palavras-chave: Supermarkets; Technical efficiency; Scale efficiency; Meta-frontier; Meta-technology ratio; Sample selection; Kenya; International Development; Marketing; Production Economics; Productivity Analysis; D24; L23; O12; Q12; Q16.

Ano: 2011

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/113508

Mariotti, Sergio; Mutinelli, Marco; Nicolini, Marcella; Piscitello, Lucia.

The paper analyses productivity spillovers from foreign MNEs on domestic manufacturing firms. Using a database on foreign MNEs in Italy, our results reveal that local firms do benefit from the presence of foreign MNEs, and the effect is higher when local and foreign firms in manufacturing sectors are co-located. However, spillovers benefiting domestic firms are likely to be less influenced by co-location when foreign MNEs are in services sectors as the latter are different from manufacturing industries under a number of aspects that overcome the effect of distance. Indeed, in these sectors, proximity and interaction are often obtained through professional mobility and temporary inter-organizational routines.

Assessing the Perspectives of EU Cotton Farming: Technical and Scale Efficiencies of Greek Cotton Growers

Palavras-chave: Multinational Firms; Co-Location; Proximity; Spillover Effects; Customer-Supplier Interaction; Vertical Linkages; International Relations/Trade; D24; F23; O19; R30.

Ano: 2011

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/99683

Pantzios, Christos J.; Rozakis, Stelios; Tzouvelekas, Vangelis.

Utilizing the stochastic frontier approach, this paper estimates output and input-oriented technical and scale efficiency levels for a sample of cotton-growing farms in Thessaly, Greece. The empirical results suggest that Greek cotton farm operations are technically and scale inefficient. There is a considerable scope for improvement in resource use and thereby in farm income of cotton farms; Greek cotton farmers could reduce production costs by 20.4%, making more efficient utilization of the existing production technology. Factors responsible for the technical efficiency differentials observed among cotton-growers include the farmer's age and education as well as the farm's land fragmentation and output specialization.

Does Farm Size and Specialization Matter for Productive Efficiency? Results from Kansas

Palavras-chave: Technical and scale inefficiency; Stochastic frontier models; Cotton production; Greece; Crop Production/Industries; C33; D24; O13.

Ano: 2002

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/24844

Mugera, Amin W.; Langemeier, Michael R..

In this article, we used bootstrap data envelopment analysis techniques to examine technical and scale efficiency scores for a balanced panel of 564 farms in Kansas for the period 1993–2007. The production technology is estimated under three different assumptions of returns to scale and the results are compared. Technical and scale efficiency is disaggregated by farm size and specialization. Our results suggest that farms are both scale and technically inefficient. On average, technical efficiency has deteriorated over the sample period. Technical efficiency varies directly by farm size and the differences are significant. Differences across farm specializations are not significant.

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Bootstrap; Data envelopment analysis; Efficiency; Farms; Farm Management; Production Economics; D24; Q12.

Ano: 2011

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/117947

Political Violence and Farm Household Efficiency in Colombia

Gonzalez, Maria A.; Lopez, Rigoberto A..

This paper estimates farm household levels of technical efficiency and their determinants in Colombia, with particular reference to political violence (i.e., guerilla fronts, assassinations, kidnappings, and displaced population). An input-oriented stochastic frontier is estimated simultaneously with a technical inefficiency model that incorporates violence at the local level, using survey data from 822 farm households. The findings show that household productivity is lower in areas of high political violence, particularly with high incidence of guerrilla fronts and kidnappings. Should political violence be eliminated, the average Farrell's technical efficiency index of farm households in the sample would increase by an average of 6.4%, favoring households...

Effects on milk supply of different systems of livestock feeding

Palavras-chave: Distance function; Farm efficiency; Colombia; Violencia; Consumer/Household Economics; Q74; O13; O54; D24.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/19528

Casasnovas, Valero L.; Aldanondo, Ana Maria.

Determining the competitive position of dairy farms depends on several technological, economic and institutional variables. Among them, are remarkable those related to animal feeding in the current context of high variability on prices. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyze the effects on milk supply and the competitiveness of dairy farms with different models of land intensification, with greater reliance on market purchases or self-production of livestock feed. This study is based on an econometric approach to a variable cost function, in a fixed effects model for unbalanced panel data of specialized dairy farms in Navarre (Spain). From this region, we use 3 geographical areas in relation to the availability of grazing land. It has been...

Learning in Organic Farming An Application on Finnish Dairy Farms

Palavras-chave: Multiproduct cost function; Unbalanced panel data; Milk supply; Animal feed; Dairy farms.; Livestock Production/Industries; Production Economics; Q12; D24; L25.

Ano: 2011

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/103727

Sipilainen, Timo; Oude Lansink, Alfons G.J.M..

Organic farming technology may be relatively unknown to farmers at the time when they switch from conventional into organic farming. Therefore, experience gained over time and learning by doing may be important determinants in the efficiency of organic farming. It may also take time to reach the optimal nutrient stock of soil and optimal nutrient supply for arable crops under organic farming. Thus, efficiency of organic farming can either grow or decrease over time depending on the nature of the technology and the learning process. This paper estimates technical efficiency of organic farming and its development over time. We control for possible selection bias and regional heterogeneity when estimating a stochastic frontier distance functions for a sample...

Jobs Versus the Environment: An Industry-level Perspective

Palavras-chave: Technical efficiency; Technical change; Output distance function; SFA; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies; C23; D24; D83; O30; Q12.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/24493

Morgenstern, Richard D.; Pizer, William A.; Shih, Jhih-Shyang.

The possibility that workers could be adversely affected by environmental policies imposed on heavily regulated industries has led to claims of a "jobs versus the environment" trade-off by both business and labor leaders. The present research examines this claim at the industry level for four heavily polluting industries: pulp and paper mills, plastic manufacturers, petroleum refiners, and iron and steel mills. By focusing on labor effects across an entire industry, we construct a measure relevant to the concerns of key stakeholders, such as labor unions and trade groups. We decompose the link between environmental regulation and employment into three distinct components: factor shifts to more or less labor intensity, changes in total expenditures, and...

CAP reform and its impact on structural change and productivity growth: A cross country analysis

Palavras-chave: Jobs-environment trade-off; Distribution of environmental costs; Translog cost function; Labor and Human Capital; C33; D24; J40; Q28.

Ano: 2000

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10526

Kazukauskas, Andrius; Newman, Carol F..

The recent reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have exposed the European agricultural sector to a new set of constraints and challenges. The decoupling of direct payments from production is expected to make production decisions more market-oriented as farmers move from mainly subsidy revenue maximization objectives toward profit maximizing behaviour. However, ex-post analyses of the productivity of farms have yet to uncover any evidence of a positive effect of the decoupling policy on farm productivity. Using the Irish, Danish and Dutch farm level data, we identify the extent to which both system and product switching after the introduction of decoupling has occurred and to what extent these changes have contributed to productivity growth in...

Urban Sprawl and Farmland Prices

Palavras-chave: Productivity; Semiparametric estimation; Farming; Decoupling; Agricultural and Food Policy; Farm Management; Land Economics/Use; D24; Q12; Q18.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61103

Livanis, Grigorios T.; Moss, Charles B.; Breneman, Vincent E.; Nehring, Richard F..

A theoretical model of farmland valuation is developed that allows urban sprawl to affect farmland values through the conversion of farmland to urban uses, shifts in production to higher-valued crops, and the speculative effect of urban pressure on farmland values. This model is estimated using county level data in the continental United States. Evidence is found for all three effects of urban sprawl on farmland values, with a significant contribution of urban pressure on net agricultural returns around major urban centers. Ancillary evidence supports that the latter effect is attributable to shifts to high-valued crops.

A two-stage productivity analysis using bootstrapped Malmquist index and quantile regression

Palavras-chave: Hedonic determinants; Land prices; Spatial productivity; Urban sprawl; Land Economics/Use; R14; Q15; D24; C33.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/15657

Kaditi, Eleni A.; Nitsi, Elisavet I..

This paper examines the effects of farm characteristics and government policies in enhancing productivity growth for a sample of Greek farms, using a two-stage procedure. In the 1st-stage, non-parametric estimates of Malmquist index and its decompositions are computed, while a bootstrapping procedure is applied to provide their statistical precision. In the 2nd-stage, the productivity growth estimates are regressed on various covariates using a bootstrapped quantile regression approach. The effect that the covariates exert on productivity growth of the average producer is analyzed, as well as the marginal effect of a given covariate for individuals at different points in the conditional productivity distribution. The results indicate that there exists...

Technical efficiency of organic milk-farms in Germany - the role of subsidies and of regional factors

Palavras-chave: Malmquist productivity index; Quantile regression; Bootstrap; Research Methods/ Statistical Methods; C14; C21; D24.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/52845

Lakner, Sebastian.

This paper investigates the efficiency of organic milk farms in Germany based on data from 1994/95 to 2005/06. Five inputs and one output are analyzed by means of a stochastic frontier production function, allowing for heteroscedasticity and technical effects. The selection of determinants of technical efficiency includes 5 groups of indicators. The analysis is focused on the impacts of farm support of organic farms and of regional factors, that can influence technical efficiency. The results show, that the agri-environmental payments show a negative effect on efficiency. Farms, which receive investment aid, show lower efficiency scores. Finally, the implication for agricultural policy are discussed.

Efficiency analysis of producers’ organizations (Case of South Eastern and Central planning regions of Bulgaria)

Palavras-chave: Efficiency Analysis; Organic Farming; Agglomerations Effects; Subsidies; Agricultural and Food Policy; Production Economics; Productivity Analysis; Q12; Q18; D24.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/51301

Farm performance and support in Central and Western Europe: A comparison of Hungary and France

Zaimova, Darina.

The main aim of this paper is to compare two alternative methods for estimating frontier functions and measuring efficiency in production. The application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) to the same data panel provides insights in estimating technical efficiency of producers’ organizations in selected regions in Bulgaria.

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: DEA; SFA; Technical efficiency; Frontier production; Farm efficiency; Community/Rural/Urban Development; International Development; C14; C23; C51; C61; C67; D24.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/94636

Fogarasi, Jozsef; Latruffe, Laure.

The paper investigates the difference in technical efficiency and in productivity change, and the technology gaps, between French and Hungarian farms in the dairy and cereal, oilseeds and proteinseeds (COP) sectors during the period 2001-2004. The analyses are performed with national FADN data and the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach under each country’s respective frontier and under a metafrontier. Results reveal that Hungarian farms’ technology was more productive, despite a technological deterioration. This suggests technological advantages for large-scale (Hungarian) over small-scale (French) farming. These findings may also be explained by the higher policy support in France.

Energy Efficiency and Shadow Costs of Energy Saving in Conventional Agricultural Production: The Case of Czech Wheat Production

Palavras-chave: Technical efficiency; Technology gap; Malmquist indices; Subsidies; Farms; Agricultural and Food Policy; Productivity Analysis; P51; D24; Q12.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/51431

Curtiss, Jarmila; Jelinek, Ladislav.

Increasing worldwide energy demand and diminishing supplies of fossil fuels have necessitated the development and increasing use of new sustainable energy sources, as well as more parsimonious energy use. In the context of agriculture, research has focused predominantly on the production of bio-energy, while only a limited number of studies have investigated the energy use and possible energy saving in conventional agricultural production. In response to this lack in empirical research this study aims (i) to measure the farm-level energy and cost efficiency of conventional agricultural (wheat) production, (ii) to identify the potential for energy saving in conventional agriculture and quantify its shadow cost, (iii) to identify production technologies and...

The Cost of Environmental Protection

Palavras-chave: Energy efficiency; Cost efficiency; Shadow cost of energy saving; Agriculture; Czech farm; Wheat production; Agribusiness; Crop Production/Industries; Production Economics; Productivity Analysis; D24.

Ano: 2011

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/103410

Morgenstern, Richard D.; Pizer, William A.; Shih, Jhih-Shyang.

Expenditures for environmental protection in the U.S. are estimated to exceed $150 billion annually or about 2% of GDP. This estimate, based on largely self-reported information, is often cited as an assessment of the burden of current regulatory efforts and a standard against which the associated benefits are measured. Little is known, however, about how well reported expenditures relate to true costs. The potential for both incidental savings and uncounted burdens means that actual costs could be either higher or lower than reported expenditures. A significant literature supports the notion that increases in reported environmental expenditures probably understate actual economic costs. Estimates of the true cost of a dollar increase in reported...

Testing Porter's Hypothesis: A Stochastic Frontier Panel Data Analysis of Dutch Horticulture

Palavras-chave: Environmental costs; Fixed-effects; Translog cost model; Environmental Economics and Policy; C33; D24; Q28.

Ano: 1998

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/10530

van der Vlist, Arno; Withagen, Cees; Folmer, Henk.

We propose a test of the Porter hypothesis for the Dutch horticulture sector, using a stochastic production frontier analysis allowing for an inclusion of policy variables to account for the effect of environmental policy of firm performance. We find considerable heterogeneity in the way firms react to environmental policy measures. Our estimation results indicate, for example, that a 1997 voluntary agreement covering energy, nutrient and pesticides use enhances technical efficiency of vegetable and plants growers, contrary to specialised flower growers. Specialised flower growers, however, did react to the 1993 multi-year agreement on energy reduction, contrary to vegetable and plant growers. Summarising, our findings are mixed but do not seem to reject...