Animal welfare is a credence attribute with public good characteristics. Using a discrete choice experiment, consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a concretely planned state animal welfare label is derived and compared by product group (fresh vs. processed meat) and tax scenario (no tax vs. additional animal welfare tax included in price). Consumers have a positive WTP for the state label. However, label WTP is significantly lower for processed than for fresh meat. An additional tax does not impact label WTP on average. Results provide insights for both policymakers on label implementation and farmers on further investments in animal welfare.
{"title":"Paying for animal welfare labelling no matter what? A discrete choice experiment","authors":"Henrike Schwickert","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad027","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Animal welfare is a credence attribute with public good characteristics. Using a discrete choice experiment, consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a concretely planned state animal welfare label is derived and compared by product group (fresh vs. processed meat) and tax scenario (no tax vs. additional animal welfare tax included in price). Consumers have a positive WTP for the state label. However, label WTP is significantly lower for processed than for fresh meat. An additional tax does not impact label WTP on average. Results provide insights for both policymakers on label implementation and farmers on further investments in animal welfare.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42444780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Public policies increasingly support the expansion of organic agriculture as part of a menu of food and environmental initiatives. A little-studied yet crucial element of such expansion, especially in light of scientific evidence on lower yields of organic crops, is its impact on overall food production and food prices, especially for poorer households. In this paper, we first establish a positive empirical relationship between countries’ propensity to produce and consume organic foods and their per-capita income. Such correlation suggests that, even if rich countries’ consumers can benefit from an increase in the organic farmland share, poor countries’ consumers would likely face higher conventional food prices. We then develop and calibrate a model of world food demand and supply to assess the implications of a policy-driven expansion in organic farmland. Our results for four major grains and oilseeds show that raising the organic cropland share in rich countries from 3 to 15 per cent increases food prices in poor countries by up to 6.3 per cent, with central values of 1.2–2.5 per cent, and a commensurate reduction in consumer welfare. Model parameterisations indicate that farmers in poor countries benefit from higher crop prices, while consumers in rich countries are largely unaffected and sometimes benefit. In all cases, poor countries’ consumers bear most of the distortion burden. In our preferred parameterisation, a 3 per cent increase in cropland in rich countries is needed to offset the food price increase in poor countries.
{"title":"Policy-induced expansion of organic farmland: implications for food prices and welfare","authors":"P. Mérel, Zhiran Qin, R. Sexton","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad024","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Public policies increasingly support the expansion of organic agriculture as part of a menu of food and environmental initiatives. A little-studied yet crucial element of such expansion, especially in light of scientific evidence on lower yields of organic crops, is its impact on overall food production and food prices, especially for poorer households. In this paper, we first establish a positive empirical relationship between countries’ propensity to produce and consume organic foods and their per-capita income. Such correlation suggests that, even if rich countries’ consumers can benefit from an increase in the organic farmland share, poor countries’ consumers would likely face higher conventional food prices. We then develop and calibrate a model of world food demand and supply to assess the implications of a policy-driven expansion in organic farmland. Our results for four major grains and oilseeds show that raising the organic cropland share in rich countries from 3 to 15 per cent increases food prices in poor countries by up to 6.3 per cent, with central values of 1.2–2.5 per cent, and a commensurate reduction in consumer welfare. Model parameterisations indicate that farmers in poor countries benefit from higher crop prices, while consumers in rich countries are largely unaffected and sometimes benefit. In all cases, poor countries’ consumers bear most of the distortion burden. In our preferred parameterisation, a 3 per cent increase in cropland in rich countries is needed to offset the food price increase in poor countries.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45094075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Powerful long-term drivers are increasing both the demand and supply of quantified environmental impact information in food systems. The trend is fast (with many initiatives underway) and furious (presenting a confusing landscape) but has so far received little attention from economists. Better information can inform public and private efforts to reduce environmental pressures. However, the use of different methodologies and reporting requirements could lead to a fragmented landscape. Moreover, there is a risk that poor producers will be disproportionately affected. We discuss the trend, its drivers, impacts and potential pitfalls, as well as the many open research and policy questions.
{"title":"Fast and furious: the rise of environmental impact reporting in food systems","authors":"Koen Deconinck, Marion Jansen, Carla Barisone","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad018","url":null,"abstract":"Powerful long-term drivers are increasing both the demand and supply of quantified environmental impact information in food systems. The trend is fast (with many initiatives underway) and furious (presenting a confusing landscape) but has so far received little attention from economists. Better information can inform public and private efforts to reduce environmental pressures. However, the use of different methodologies and reporting requirements could lead to a fragmented landscape. Moreover, there is a risk that poor producers will be disproportionately affected. We discuss the trend, its drivers, impacts and potential pitfalls, as well as the many open research and policy questions.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71492531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The existence of a negative variance risk premium on agricultural futures contracts suggests that market participants pay to hedge unexpected increases in the volatility of these contracts. In this paper, we decompose the variance risk premium in corn and soybeans markets into jump and diffusive components using options and futures data from 2009 to 2021. We find that market participants on average only pay to hedge unexpected increases in jump volatility but not those in diffusive volatility. Furthermore, growing season uncertainty and the arrival of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcements play important roles in driving the market’s fear of unexpectedly large price jumps.
{"title":"The pricing of variance risks in agricultural futures markets: do jumps matter?","authors":"Xinyue He, Siyu Bian, Teresa Serra","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad026","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The existence of a negative variance risk premium on agricultural futures contracts suggests that market participants pay to hedge unexpected increases in the volatility of these contracts. In this paper, we decompose the variance risk premium in corn and soybeans markets into jump and diffusive components using options and futures data from 2009 to 2021. We find that market participants on average only pay to hedge unexpected increases in jump volatility but not those in diffusive volatility. Furthermore, growing season uncertainty and the arrival of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcements play important roles in driving the market’s fear of unexpectedly large price jumps.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47601166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The income stabilisation tool (IST) is the latest tool proposed by the European Union (EU) to manage agricultural risks. It aims at stabilising farm income by compensating income losses. Using a discrete choice experiment, this paper investigates grapevine farmers’ acceptance of the IST in Croatia and tests whether behavioural factors such as risk preferences, probability weighting and subjective probabilities related to future farm income explain acceptance of this new tool. Results suggest that there is demand for the IST. Pessimistic farmers are more likely to participate in the IST than others, suggesting that subjective probabilities influence farmers’ decisions about agricultural risk management.
{"title":"Farmers’ acceptance of the income stabilisation tool: a discrete choice experiment application","authors":"T. Čop, Simone Cerroni, M. Njavro","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad025","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The income stabilisation tool (IST) is the latest tool proposed by the European Union (EU) to manage agricultural risks. It aims at stabilising farm income by compensating income losses. Using a discrete choice experiment, this paper investigates grapevine farmers’ acceptance of the IST in Croatia and tests whether behavioural factors such as risk preferences, probability weighting and subjective probabilities related to future farm income explain acceptance of this new tool. Results suggest that there is demand for the IST. Pessimistic farmers are more likely to participate in the IST than others, suggesting that subjective probabilities influence farmers’ decisions about agricultural risk management.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46710651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Latruffe, A. Niedermayr, Y. Desjeux, K. Dakpo, Kassoum Ayouba, L. Schaller, J. Kantelhardt, Yan Jin, Kevin Kilcline, M. Ryan, C. O’Donoghue
In order to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, the European Union (EU) promotes extensive farming. However, identifying such farms across countries and assessing their performance for policy purposes remains challenging. This paper combines a latent class stochastic frontier model (LCSFM) with a novel nested metafrontier approach. The resulting model enables the identification of intensive and extensive farms across countries, estimation of farm efficiency and identification of different technology gaps. Based on Farm Accountancy Data Network data of French, Irish and Austrian dairy farms,we find poorer environmental but better economic performance of intensive farms, compared to extensive farms. The largest productivity differences stem from technology gaps and not from inefficiency. The approach enables a more nuanced analysis of sources of inefficiency to assist policy design for future green payments in the EU.
{"title":"Identifying and assessing intensive and extensive technologies in European dairy farming","authors":"L. Latruffe, A. Niedermayr, Y. Desjeux, K. Dakpo, Kassoum Ayouba, L. Schaller, J. Kantelhardt, Yan Jin, Kevin Kilcline, M. Ryan, C. O’Donoghue","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad023","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In order to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, the European Union (EU) promotes extensive farming. However, identifying such farms across countries and assessing their performance for policy purposes remains challenging. This paper combines a latent class stochastic frontier model (LCSFM) with a novel nested metafrontier approach. The resulting model enables the identification of intensive and extensive farms across countries, estimation of farm efficiency and identification of different technology gaps. Based on Farm Accountancy Data Network data of French, Irish and Austrian dairy farms,we find poorer environmental but better economic performance of intensive farms, compared to extensive farms. The largest productivity differences stem from technology gaps and not from inefficiency. The approach enables a more nuanced analysis of sources of inefficiency to assist policy design for future green payments in the EU.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45884323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Digitalisation is rapidly transforming the agri-food sector. This paper investigates emerging opportunities, challenges and policy options. We show that digital innovations can contribute to more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. For example, digital innovations enable increased productivity, reduced environmental footprints and higher resilience of farms. However, these optimistic outcomes of increasing digitalisation of the agricultural sector will not emerge on their own, but this development comes with several challenges, costs and risks, e.g. in economic, social and ethical dimensions. We provide policy recommendations to explore opportunities and avoid risks. Moreover, we discuss implications for future research in agricultural economics.
{"title":"Digital innovations for sustainable and resilient agricultural systems","authors":"R. Finger","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad021","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Digitalisation is rapidly transforming the agri-food sector. This paper investigates emerging opportunities, challenges and policy options. We show that digital innovations can contribute to more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. For example, digital innovations enable increased productivity, reduced environmental footprints and higher resilience of farms. However, these optimistic outcomes of increasing digitalisation of the agricultural sector will not emerge on their own, but this development comes with several challenges, costs and risks, e.g. in economic, social and ethical dimensions. We provide policy recommendations to explore opportunities and avoid risks. Moreover, we discuss implications for future research in agricultural economics.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45512332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alberto Zezza, Kevin McGee, Philip Wollburg, Thomas Assefa, Sydney Gourlay
Abstract The Coronavirus disease pandemic has disrupted survey systems globally and especially in low- and middle-income countries. Phone surveys started being implemented at a national scale in many places that previously had limited experience with them. As in-person data collection resumes, the experience gained provides the grounds to reflect on how phone surveys may be incorporated into survey and data systems in low- and middle-income countries. Reviewing evidence and experiences from before and during the pandemic, the paper provides guidance on the scope of and considerations for using phone surveys for agricultural data collection and the integration of phone interviews with in-person data.
{"title":"From necessity to opportunity: lessons for integrating phone and in-person data collection","authors":"Alberto Zezza, Kevin McGee, Philip Wollburg, Thomas Assefa, Sydney Gourlay","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad017","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Coronavirus disease pandemic has disrupted survey systems globally and especially in low- and middle-income countries. Phone surveys started being implemented at a national scale in many places that previously had limited experience with them. As in-person data collection resumes, the experience gained provides the grounds to reflect on how phone surveys may be incorporated into survey and data systems in low- and middle-income countries. Reviewing evidence and experiences from before and during the pandemic, the paper provides guidance on the scope of and considerations for using phone surveys for agricultural data collection and the integration of phone interviews with in-person data.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135360056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The past decade has seen the transition of agricultural economics from perceived irrelevance to being seen as key to saving the world from an array of grand challenges. These challenges include global climate change, non-communicable diseases, hunger and poverty. These challenges require international cooperation. Such cooperation is undermined by global conflicts in which agricultural trade is disrupted either to incentivise policy change or through conflict. The world is vulnerable if trade can be exploited for political power or disrupted by other actions taken for political power. Agricultural economists are uniquely situated to address these issues.
{"title":"On the policy relevance of agricultural economics","authors":"D. Just","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad019","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The past decade has seen the transition of agricultural economics from perceived irrelevance to being seen as key to saving the world from an array of grand challenges. These challenges include global climate change, non-communicable diseases, hunger and poverty. These challenges require international cooperation. Such cooperation is undermined by global conflicts in which agricultural trade is disrupted either to incentivise policy change or through conflict. The world is vulnerable if trade can be exploited for political power or disrupted by other actions taken for political power. Agricultural economists are uniquely situated to address these issues.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46761028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Salvatore Di Falco, C. Lagerkvist, Céline Nauges, T. Richards
In this article, we celebrate the first 50 years of the European Review of Agricultural Economics. We intend to convey some understanding of how the interests of European Review of Agricultural Economics (ERAE) readers change over time as a reflection of how shifting interests show up in our research. To document how the issues, methods, and content of the ERAE evolve over time, we summarise the content of the top-cited articles by decade. We conclude with a summary, and our thoughts as to where applied economics research in the Review may go over the next 50 years.
{"title":"European review of agricultural economics—50th anniversary retrospective","authors":"Salvatore Di Falco, C. Lagerkvist, Céline Nauges, T. Richards","doi":"10.1093/erae/jbad022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbad022","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In this article, we celebrate the first 50 years of the European Review of Agricultural Economics. We intend to convey some understanding of how the interests of European Review of Agricultural Economics (ERAE) readers change over time as a reflection of how shifting interests show up in our research. To document how the issues, methods, and content of the ERAE evolve over time, we summarise the content of the top-cited articles by decade. We conclude with a summary, and our thoughts as to where applied economics research in the Review may go over the next 50 years.","PeriodicalId":50476,"journal":{"name":"European Review of Agricultural Economics","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41527874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}