Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy最新文献

This article explores two interrelated issues: (i) investigating the socioeconomic factors influencing the adoption of mixed cropping, irrespective of the crop combinations chosen by farmers across different seasons, and (ii) evaluating the role of mixed cropping in adapting to extreme delays in monsoon onset. Utilizing a panel data fixed effects regression framework, the study highlights that household-level factors, including area under cultivation, irrigated land, participation in agricultural organizations, and nonfarm income, significantly drive the adoption of mixed cropping. The Correlated Random Effects model findings reveal that although mixed cropping does not have a substantial impact on average revenue, it is effective in reducing crop losses caused by extreme delays in monsoon onset. Adopting such practices can enhance food security and mitigate the effects of weather shocks.

Literature examining the effects of changes in trade agreements and import competition on US employment and wages has focused primarily on non-agricultural industries and changes in US import tariffs. We propose a method for measuring worker exposure to changes in agricultural tariffs using a newly developed county-level dataset of employment shares by crop and livestock type. We apply the method to examine the spatial concentration of US county-level employment-weighted exposure to changes in tariffs caused by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Results reveal noteworthy decreases in average US county-level crop and livestock employment exposure to Mexican import tariffs on US products. Findings also show spatial variation in US employment exposure to changes in Mexican import tariffs on US agricultural and non-agricultural goods. Changes in county-level employment exposure to US and Canadian import tariffs after NAFTA implementation are relatively minor given low initial tariff rates prior to the agreement.

Grape production for wine making is of great economic and cultural importance in Europe, but is heavily dependent on pesticides. Reducing pesticide use and associated risks is a policy goal in several countries, particularly in Europe. The most effective strategy to substantially reduce pesticide use in grape production is the planting of fungus-resistant varieties, which are less susceptible to common fungal infections and thus allow a massive reduction in pesticide treatments. However, their use remains low. One possible reason may be that planting new varieties may conflict with policies supporting geographical denomination systems, which tend to focus on traditional varieties. We provide the first study of how geographical denomination systems directly affect the adoption of fungus-resistant varieties. Using a novel and uniquely detailed dataset of 54,483 variety-level observations from 381 vineyards in Switzerland, we find that fungus-resistant grape varieties are 2% more likely to be adopted by growers if they can be sold under geographical denominations. Thus, expanding the eligibility of fungus-resistant varieties in geographical denomination lists could be a straightforward policy measure to stimulate their adoption. However, the effects are small, so complementary policies are needed.

This study provides theoretical and experimental evidence that consumers adjust their premeditated food waste by date labels and their risk and loss preferences. The “Use by” date label leads to more premeditated food waste than “Best by” for deli meat and spaghetti sauce. However, changing date labels may not lower premeditated food waste relative to no label at all. Greater loss aversion correlates with higher premeditated food waste regardless of date labels and products. For participants with high loss aversion, they have higher premediated waste with no statistical difference in response for “Best by” and “Use by” labels. These results highlight the heterogeneous response to date labels.

In this study, we estimate the effect of rural roads on agricultural exports in India. We use a novel data set of state-level agricultural exports at a highly disaggregated product level (HS6). We combine it with publicly available data on road construction under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from 2004 to 2016 to estimate the effect of rural road access on agricultural exports. We use the instrumental variable (IV) approach, whereby we use discontinuity in treatment under the program at the population-based eligibility cut-offs for road construction as a plausible exogenous variation in road placement. This rectifies the endogeneity bias due to the placement of road construction. We find strong evidence of the positive effect of increased access to rural roads on agricultural exports. In search of mechanisms, we also find evidence of an increase in the mechanization of farms due to the construction of rural roads. We also find that the results were primarily driven by states having more initial agricultural productivity.

The allocation of water across space and time is a key challenge of water governance, with demand and supply often not well matched over time and place. Best practice water pricing and markets may promote water conservation, yet their application is limited. We highlight the governance principles needed for best practice water pricing and water markets, describe differences across regions, and provide six key water demand governance recommendations for both Global North and Global South countries.

We quantify the relationship between nitrogen (N) runoff to the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. agricultural production, and exports to China using an integrated assessment model. We show that a 25% Chinese tariff on U.S. soybean and corn increases annual N runoff to the Gulf by 800 metric tons (0.2%) as soybean production in the Mississippi River Basin is displaced with more N-intensive crops. Results also indicate that reducing N runoff to the Gulf by 10% decreases U.S. corn export to China by 14.5%, similar to the effect of a 25% Chinese tariff on corn and soybeans.

Animal welfare programs alone are insufficient to ensure better welfare for farm animals. Effective farm management, driven by dairy farmers' intrinsic motivation, plays a pivotal role. This study examines the factors influencing dairy farmers' intention to implement animal welfare practices and their commitment to continuously enhancing welfare. Based on a survey of 682 German dairy farmers, the results underscore the importance of intrinsic motivation, habitual behavior, and knowledge acquisition. Farmers' willingness to engage in continuous improvement suggests that policies should focus less on formal programs and more on enabling intrinsic motivation. The study introduces the construct of “continuous enhancement,” offering a novel framework for understanding and improving animal welfare practices.

Relaxing administrative burdens can boost enrollment in benefit programs. However, administrative burdens can influence other outcomes of interest. Simplified reporting is a state policy option that reduces the amount of information Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients must report between certifications. Using SNAP Quality Control data, I find that simplified reporting meaningfully and robustly reduced SNAP payment error rates and increased SNAP benefits. The results imply that easing certain administrative burdens can, not only stimulate program uptake, but also increase benefit levels.

In early 2022, APHIS confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), signaling the beginning of an extensive HPAI outbreak. Since the start of the outbreak in 2022, more than 105 million birds across commercial and backyard operations in 48 states have been affected. Many countries, including top importers of U.S. poultry meat and products, have imposed trade restrictions on U.S. poultry exports in response to the outbreak. We examine the impacts of county- and state-level restrictions and HPAI cases on U.S. poultry exports in 2022 and 2023 using a fixed-effects Poisson model. We find that state-level restrictions have a negative and statistically significant effect on export value, associated with a 60% decline in real export value, compared to when no state restrictions are in place. Conversely, county-level restrictions are associated with a 16% decline, suggesting that geographic granularity is an important determinant of the impact of a ban and USDA efforts to negotiate for more localized restrictions ensure the continuation of U.S. poultry exports under an animal health emergency.