Addressing the challenges of agricultural service provision: the case of Oxfam's Strategic Cotton Programme in Mali

This paper looks at ways of improving agricultural service provision to rural producers through the adoption and integration of innovative tools for managing producer organizations in Mali. It considers a bottom-up approach to agricultural service provision and the factors that enable it to be scaled up efficiently. It demonstrates that building on complementarities between partners and adopting a needs-based approach creates relatively greater social impact. Our case study links the practical experience of a programme to the wider theoretical framework of social capital. We conclude that delivering affordable agricultural services to promote rural entrepreneurship in Mali will depend on (i) strategically incorporating past successes into programme interventions, (ii) building strong partnerships that foster complementarities, (iii) setting specific targets that empower all rural stakeholders, and (iv) establishing internal arrangements that ensure sustainability.     

Assessing Total Factor Productivity Growth in Sub‐Saharan African Agriculture

The importance of the agricultural sector in the economic development process is well known. Improvements in agricultural productivity are often found to spill into other areas of a developing economy, potentially improving the standards of living of urban and rural workers alike. Given the importance of this sector, accurate measures of total factor productivity (TFP) across countries can be helpful in identifying conditions, institutions or policies that promote agricultural development. In this article, we estimate TFP growth in agriculture for a panel of 39 sub‐Saharan African countries from 1961 to 2007. We also develop a set of development outcome measures theoretically consistent with strong agricultural performance to serve as external validation of our results. We find that three estimation methods (stochastic frontier, generalised maximum entropy, and Bayesian efficiency) generate relative rankings that are consistent with the development outcome measures, providing external validation of the methods. However, the data envelopment analysis approach performs poorly in this regard.     

Agriculture and small towns in Africa

Africa is urbanizing rapidly. Yet most dual economy models focus on the sectoral rather than spatial dimensions of development. This article adopts a “dual–dual” approach to measuring rural/urban and farm/nonfarm linkages. We develop an economy‐wide model of Ethiopia that distinguishes between cities, towns, and rural areas. The model captures detailed sectoral and regional linkages, internal migration flows, and externalities from urban agglomeration. We find larger linkages between agricultural production and small towns and show that redirecting urban growth toward towns rather than cities leads to broader‐based economic growth and poverty reduction. In contrast, industry and services, particularly within cities, are far less effective in reaching rural areas and the poor. Africa's current urbanization pattern—toward major cities rather than towns—will weaken national growth–poverty linkages. Urbanization that takes advantage of the synergistic relationship between agriculture and small towns has the potential to result in a more inclusive growth trajectory.     

农业生产性服务业模式研究——以广东农业专业镇为例

本文在广东省87个农业专业镇的经验数据及典型农业专业镇实践基础上,对农业生产性服务业发展模式、存在问题及对策进行研究。研究显示,广东农业专业镇农业生产性服务业主要呈现出政府主导、政府引导企业化运作和产业区三种基本发展模式;发展过程中暴露出知识密集程度偏低、中介组织发展不足及服务平台缺乏协同等主要问题;从现代农业培育机制角度提出积极转换和创新发展模式、完善多元化合作机制、构建一体化现代农业产业链及强化新技术体系建设等建议。     

Welfare consequences of water supply alternatives in rural Tunisia

Many economic studies have addressed the issue of inefficiency of public water supply in rural areas and the potential for improved service by private companies. Many of these analyses focused on identifying either willingness to pay or comparing average service costs and prices paid by customers. This paper performs a welfare analysis of two water supply systems—public and self owned—in rural Tunisia. The paper calculates consumer and producer surplus and compares the performance of the two systems from a social point of view. Results suggest that both systems are inefficient, mainly because of a production level that is low compared with production capacity.     

Horticulture exports, agro-industrialization, and farm–nonfarm linkages with the smallholder farm sector: evidence from Senegal

In this article we address the question of farm–nonfarm linkages at the household level in Senegal. We examine whether increasing off-farm employment opportunities for rural households—resulting from increased horticulture exports and associated agro-industrialization—has benefitted the smallholder farm sector through investment linkages. We use data from a household survey in the main horticulture export region in Senegal. We find that access to unskilled employment in the export agro-industry has contributed to the alleviation of farmers' liquidity constraints, resulting in increased smallholder agricultural production.     

How did post-2000 agricultural policy changes in Turkey affect farmers? – A focus group evaluation

The aim of this study is to provide an analysis on how producers have been affected by the decisions made in 2000 in the agricultural sector. Data collected from the focus group discussions was compared to the agricultural policy effects on Antalya Burdur and Isparta provinces. The participants were primarily selected from a list of state institutions and organizations, and included representatives from cooperatives and producer organizations that are engaged in the agricultural sector and/or bring service to rural areas. The discussion revealed that small-scale farmers were unable to use the support provided by the policies; as a consequence, many of them were unable to cultivate their land and had to migrate. In general, the participants stated that significant social and economic changes did occur in rural areas, however they emphasized that these changes were to the detriment of small-scale farmers and instead favored farmers operating on large scale.     

Linkages between the farm and nonfarm sectors at the household level in rural Ghana: a consistent stochastic distance function approach

This article explores the effects within households of an expanding rural nonfarm (RNF) sector in Ghana. We ask whether the growing RNF sector allows for economies of diversification within farms, how it affects household input demands, and whether it has measurable effects in overall household production efficiency. We explore the intrahousehold linkages between agricultural and RNF activities, first assuming perfectly competitive input and output markets and then with market failures, in particular missing labor and credit markets. We then measure these linkages using a household level input distance function, finding high levels of inefficiency in Ghanaian farms. Also, there are cost-complementarities between the RNF sector and the agricultural sector, particularly with food crops in which the poorest tend to specialize. The expansion of the RNF sector increases demand for most inputs including agricultural land. Finally, we show that smaller farms tend to be more efficient, and that RNF output is helping the farm household to become more efficient, but the latter result is not robust.     

Agricultural Technology and Farm–Nonfarm Growth Linkages

Agricultural growth stimulates rural nonfarm activity by boosting demand for production inputs and consumer goods. But different kinds of agricultural technology promote different patterns of nonfarm linkages. To explore how key features of agricultural technology affect growth in the rural nonfarm economy, this paper reviews an array of cross-section and time-series evidence bearing on the dynamics of the rural nonfarm economy. Then, using consumption and production parameters associated with different agricultural technologies, it introduces a simple model which isolates the effects of different technologies on nonfarm growth linkages.     

Measuring and causes of inequality in farm sizes in the United States

This article examines the notion of farm size inequality expressed as sales inequality in the United States. The farm size index (FSI) is developed as a measure of farm size inequality. FSIs are calculated for the farming sector in all 50 states and large variation in farm size across the states and over time is determined. The largest FSIs are calculated for a number of Southern, Southwestern, and Pacific states. Increasing FSIs over time are observed in all states as well. The spatial and temporal (between 1987 and 1997) differences in FSIs are explained by running a pooled, cross‐sectional time‐series model. The most influential variables accounting for the differences have to do with the ownership structure, where a larger presence of individual and family farms relative to corporate farms and cooperatives leads to a lower degree of farm size inequality. Also, states and regions having relatively larger number of farms owned by minorities have higher FSIs. Shrinking opportunities in the agricultural sector relative to the rest of the economy, primarily services, are reflected in a declining share of agricultural sector state income in total gross state product (GSP). This in turn leads to an increase in the farming sector's FSI suggesting that only larger, more profitable operations are the likely candidates to pursue farming activities. Finally, grains farming regions have all lower degree of farm size inequality than livestock or fruits and vegetables regions. Profitable grains farming requires relatively large farm size and equipment investments, which leads to a relatively homogeneous structure of grains farms. A larger variation in the size of profitable farm operations is possible in fruits and vegetables and livestock. This leads to the existence of a large number of very small but still sustainable farms, and a relatively small number of large farms that capture most of market sales share.     

基于培育新型农业经营主体的农村金融机构发展SWOT分析

新型农业经营主体是引领农业现代化发展的主力军,农村金融的有力支持是新型农业经营主体可持续发展的动力。为广东省农村金融机构更好地推动农业规模化、现代化、产业化的发展,基于SWOT分析方法围绕培育和发展新型农业经营主体研究农村金融机构发展的内部优势、内部劣势、外部机会、外部威胁,提出将新型农业经营主体作为农村金融服务的主体,对金融产品及服务进行创新,完善风险分担机制,合理引导民间资本的农村金融机构发展的对策建议。     

Market structure and the demand for veterinary services in India

The livestock sector is emerging as one of the fastest growing agricultural sub‐sectors in India and the expectations are that this growth could further accelerate due to growing incomes and the high income elasticity of demand for livestock products. Given the size and relatively equitable distribution of livestock in India, this presents an excellent opportunity for the country to boost rural incomes and accelerate the pace of poverty reduction. But, successful capitalisation of such opportunities requires a policy regime that facilitates growth in productivity at the farm level as well as in the processing sector. The productive potential of animals depends crucially on the quality of nutrition, genetic material and the animal health system, and on all these counts, India has a poor record. The public sector continues to be the primary provider of veterinary services, and the deteriorating fiscal situation of most state governments is making it extremely difficult to either expand the reach of these services or improve the quality of service delivery. Although, on efficiency grounds, there is good rationale for commercialised delivery of these services, serious concerns prevail in India about the equity implications of private sector delivery or full cost recovery within the government system. Evaluation of the desirability of user fees or private delivery of livestock services requires an understanding of the factors influencing the demand for these services. This paper examines the nature of demand for veterinary services in three states of India and presents first estimates of demand elasticities for veterinary services. The results indicate that price is not an important determinant of the decision to use these services. Also, practically no variation is found in price elasticities across income groups. These results suggest that the fears of sharp declines in the use of these services as a result of full cost recovery and/or private sector delivery are unfounded.     

新型农业经营主体农机作业服务的双重角色及其动态转变:一个初步的分析框架

近年来新型农业经营主体在发展壮大过程中围绕典型的农机作业服务,表现出从服务需求者向服务供给者转变的动态特征,但现有研究未将此双重角色置于统一的分析框架中,呈现着割裂的研究状态,缺乏对角色转变的逻辑阐释。鉴于此,本文在角色转变的动态视角之下,以农地经营规模变化表征新型农业经营主体的成长过程,通过分析新型农业经营主体在不同农地规模阶段购买和供给农机作业服务所面临的交易成本的变化及其影响,构建探寻双重角色的形成机制和转变逻辑的分析框架。     

An interdisciplinary approach to regional land use analysis using GIS, with applications to the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica

Policy makers and other stakeholders concerned with regional rural development increasingly face the need for instruments that can improve transparency in the policy debate and that enhance understanding of opportunities for and limitations to development. To this end, a methodology called SOLUS (Sustainable Options for Land Use) was developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists over a 10-year period in the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica. The main tools of SOLUS include a linear programming (LP) model, two expert systems that define technical coefficients for a large number of production activities, and a geographic information system (GIS). A five-step procedure was developed for GIS to spatially reference biophysical and economic parameters, to create input for the expert systems and the LP model, to store and spatially reference model output data, and to create maps of both model input and output data. SOLUS can be used to evaluate the potential effects of alternative policies and incentive structures on the performance of the agricultural sector. A number of practical applications demonstrate SOLUS's capability to quantify trade-offs between economic objectives (income, employment) and environmental sustainability (soil nutrient balances, pesticide use, greenhouse gas emissions). GIS-created maps visualize the spatial aspects of such trade-offs and indicate hotspots where local goals may conflict with regional goals.     

构建新型农业社会化服务体系初探

我国农业社会化服务体系经过多年来发展不断完善,组织载体"多层次"、服务内容"多元化"、服务机制"多形式"格局基本形成,但是农业社会化服务组织不健全、服务内容与农民的需求差距大、生产要素配置不合理矛盾凸显等问题仍然突出存在。新时期构建农业社会化服务体系,应确立"顶层设计指导、公共财政扶持、局部试点先行、适时稳步推进"的原则,着力在生产经营服务、农村金融服务、公共监管服务三个方面,力求在组织创新、制度创新、管理创新上实现十个新突破。     

课植农桑:唐代乡村基层组织与农业生产

唐代中央集权体制下的乡村基层组织具有督导农业生产发展的法定职责,其历史必要性来自于均田制和租庸调制的实施。按比户口、检察非违、课植农桑和催驱赋役等各项职责皆具有重要的农业经济意义。其中课植农桑一项,最为典型地反映了唐政府对于农业生产的强制性干预,它在资源分配、效率评估和农民经济行为选择等多个方面得到体现。随着均田制的瓦解和租庸调制为两税法所替代,乡村基层组织由上层指定的督导农业生产的功能逐渐失去制度性的依据与内在动力,并在后来的历史发展中趋于消亡。     

Demand for rural tourism: the effects of quality and information

The development of rural tourism is regarded as a promising diversification strategy especially for lagging and mountainous areas of the European Union. Research concerning the demand and/or supply of rural tourism services has been limited within the agricultural economics domain despite the significance attached to rural tourism by various rural development policy measures and initiatives. The article examines the expenditure behavior of rural tourists within a framework of demand for composite (heterogeneous) goods. The proposed framework captures the quality of the tourism experience as the commodity's unit value, a quantifiable economic variable, examines its effects on expenditures and allows for the estimation of elasticity in prices regarding expenditure and quantity. Empirical analysis is facilitated by a survey recording the expenditure behavior of 465 tourists in two rural and lagging areas of Greece. The quality of the tourism experience is significantly and positively affected by the income, the source from which information about the trip is retrieved (Internet, newspapers as well as general press and special travel press) and by the amount of information sought by the consumer prior to the trip. In turn, the quality of the tourism experience is the major endogenous factor that positively influences expenditures for rural tourism. Further research is needed before evidence provided in this work can be used to draw policy conclusions and recommendations.     

我国农业现代化发展与农村水利建设关系的研究

[目的]研究我国农业现代化发展与农村水利建设之间的关系。[方法]文章以2009—2015年农业和水利建设有关数据构建回归分析计量模型,以农业现代化水平、人均耕地灌溉面积、水利建设投资完成额、水库容量和除涝面积为指标,具体研究了我国农业现代化发展与农村水利建设的关系。[结果]研究发现人均耕地灌溉面积、水利建设投资完成额、水库容量、除涝面积和农业现代化水平均有正向促进作用,所以农业现代化发展和农村水利建设也具有正向促进作用。[结论]由此研究认为应持续加强农村水利基础建设并提供有效供给,确保现代化农业产出水平稳步提升;总结和推广先进国家和地区水利发展经验,探索适合我国的农村水利发展道路;优化农村水资源配置,提高农村水利服务精准性,增强农业现代化背景下的农村水利供给能力,使两者在发展中相互促进,确保农业现代化的早日实现。     

Impacts of price and productivity changes on banana‐growing households in Uganda

This article compares the effects of changing market prices and farm productivity on the welfare of banana‐growing households in the Ntungamo district of Uganda. A heterogeneous‐agent model is applied via a series of mathematical optimization problems, to simulate production and consumption responses of 70 farm households surveyed in 2006. Results show that a given increase in productivity has a greater impact on poverty alleviation than that same increase in market prices. Despite the effects of productivity gains being comparable across different types of household groups, price improvements primarily benefit the incomes of households who are involved in rural producer organizations, who are located closer to markets, and who sell at the market.     

农业产出增长的结构分解及与服务业融合发展研究

目的 在加快推进农业现代化的背景下,研究农业产出增长分解及其与服务业产业融合,对深入推进农业结构性改革以及加快培育农业农村发展新动能具有重要意义。方法 文章以2007年、2012年和2017年中国地区投入产出表中数据为研究样本,通过核密度分析、结构分解分析与归因矩阵分析,考察农业产出的动态变迁,分解产出增长的主要因素,量化农业与服务业产业融合状况。结果 （1）我国农业整体呈现产出增长与区域布局调整的动态趋势,农业产出增长的主要动力由各省份的内部需求扩张效应转变为国内需求扩张效应;（2）技术水平变化对西部省份农业产出的增长作用显著;（3）出口扩张效应并不显著,最终产品与中间产品的外部流入对我国农业增长的挤出作用扩大;（4）农业与服务业产业融合主要体现在需求侧融合,仍需加强农业与服务业供给侧融合。结论 促进农业供给适应需求变化,进一步优化农业区域布局,加快发展农业生产性服务业,塑造参与农业国际合作竞争新优势。