Agricultural Economics最新文献

Temporary migration is a widely observed phenomenon among poor rural households, yet often overlooked by policy-makers and not captured well in standard household surveys. Although temporary migration is often related to agricultural seasonality, household preferences for temporary over longer-term migration, and the differential effects of these two types of migration on livelihoods, are not yet well understood. Here, we use survey data collected in northern Bangladesh to analyze determinants of households’ choice between temporary and longer-term migration, and effects on various livelihood indicators. Issues of selection bias and endogeneity are addressed with instrumental variables. We show that temporary migration is more common than longer-term migration in poor agrarian societies, partly determined by socioeconomic and family demographic 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. Our results suggest that temporary migration is an important strategy for poor rural households to cope with risks and therefore deserves more explicit attention in research and policy.

The core of Colombia's coffee growing region was designated as a World Heritage (WH) site in 2011, making a distinction between “the core” of the region and “the periphery.” However, the coffee cultural heritage does not abruptly stop at the WH boundary but it exists inside and outside the boundary. This allows us to use a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to identify the income effect for farmers located just inside the WH site. We find that the WH designation of the region increases coffee farmers’ income by up to $757 per month. The mechanism includes more tourism activities inside the coffee farms by 39%, higher adoption of sustainable farming practices, increasing organic coffee production by 8.38%, and increasing payments for environmental services (PES) by 2.35%.

Nature-based land management (NLM) practices are increasingly promoted for their potential to bridge yield gaps and increase overall crop production. Yet, the extent of NLM adoption, the factors driving it, and its impact on yields remain unknown, particularly among smallholder farmers. This study addresses this knowledge gap using a unique three-round panel dataset from independent smallholder oil palm growers in Indonesia, focusing on three main NLM practices: composting, manual weeding, and organic soil amendments (SA) using lime and gypsum. We employ panel data estimators and a multivariate probit model to examine the yield effects of these practices and assess any potential interdependencies among them. Our findings indicate that the adoption of NLM practices among smallholder growers have been low and inconsistent. We identify several socioeconomic, agricultural, and biophysical factors that contribute to these low and inconsistent adoption rates. Our analysis further reveals little interdependence among the NLM practices, with none displaying a statistically significant positive association with oil palm yields. However, the application of fertilizers and herbicides is associated with higher yields. When we do not control for these yield-increasing inputs, only SA using lime and gypsum shows a positive association with yield gains. Our findings illustrate the complex relationship between NLM practices and oil palm yields among smallholders, shedding light on their potential limitations and challenges.

In a series of highly cited papers over the period of 2009–2023, earth system scientists have identified a set of nine planetary boundaries that must not be breached if we wish to avoid catastrophic consequences for nature and humanity. These range from well-mixed, global boundaries, such as climate-altering atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, to localized limits on freshwater availability and reactive nitrogen entering the environment. Recent estimates suggest that six of the nine planetary boundaries have already been breached. The food system is a key driver of these exceedances and, therefore, must play a key role in any solutions. However, the establishment of these boundaries and the analysis of potential solutions have often been devoid of economic considerations. Furthermore, in the case of several of these planetary boundaries, limited attention has been given to the economic policies that might allow society to address them, as well as the likely synergies and tradeoffs across economic policies targeted to individual objectives. This paper seeks to bring further economic analysis to bear on the quantitative assessment of global and local economic policies aimed at respecting these planetary boundaries, concluding with seven lessons to inform future research on this topic.

Evidence regarding whether consumers view plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) as substitutes for or complements to meat is mixed; however, the ultimate effect of increased demand for PBMAs on poultry and livestock production depends on this relationship. Existing elasticity estimates primarily come from stated-preference discrete-choice models, which assume all options are substitutes. This study employs a basket-based choice experiment (BBCE) to estimate own- and cross-price elasticities in food-away-from-home consumption settings. The elasticity estimates from the BBCE are then used to calibrate an equilibrium displacement model, which links shifts in demand for PBMAs to livestock and poultry supplies. Our findings indicate (1) there is a mix of complementarity and substitution between conventional meat and PBMAs, (2) the own-price elasticity of PBMAs lies between those of premium meat options (salmon and ribeye steak) and more affordable choices (burgers and chicken breast), and (3) lowering prices of PBMAs (or increasing consumers’ willingness-to-pay for PBMAs) is unlikely to significantly impact conventional poultry and livestock production.

Agricultural and environmental economists are in the fortunate position that a lot of what is happening on the ground is observable from space. Most agricultural production happens in the open and one can see from space when and where innovations are adopted, crop yields change, or forests are converted to pastures, to name just a few examples. However, converting remotely sensed images into measurements of a particular variable is not trivial, as there are more pitfalls and nuances than “meet the eye”. Overall, however, research benefits tremendously from advances in available satellite data as well as complementary tools, such as cloud-based platforms, machine learning algorithms, and econometric approaches. Our goal here is to provide agricultural and environmental economists with an accessible introduction to working with satellite data, show-case applications, discuss pitfalls and available solutions, and emphasize the best practices. This is supported by extensive supporting information, where we describe how to create different variables, common workflows, and a discussion of required resources and skills. Last but not least, example data and reproducible codes are made available online.

Measurement is not only a way of describing complex realities; it can also transform those realities by influencing policies. We live in an era of measurement innovation: new methods to deploy and new ways of adapting familiar, proven strategies to new contexts. This paper explores how new measurements provide fresh insights into the circumstances of small-farm households worldwide and describes challenges that these techniques have yet to overcome. Because the small farm sector plays a crucial role in global food security, global value chains, and rural livelihoods, understanding its conditions is a persistent focus of policymakers and researchers. I discuss how measures including satellite-based assessments of crop yields, tree cover, temperature, and rainfall, laboratory measures of soil and agricultural input quality, GPS-based plot area calculations, labor activity trackers, and high-frequency household surveys conducted via cellular phones are providing an improved understanding of fundamental dimensions of small farms and agrarian households. I identify important gaps in what is currently measured, discuss challenges related to implementing and interpreting new measures, and argue that new measurement strategies should be combined with continued investment for traditional “analog measures”—the household and farm surveys that remain fundamental for data collection in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).