Impacts of Australia’s free trade agreements on trade in agricultural products: an aggregative and disaggregative analysis

The importance of free trade agreements (FTAs) has been increasing as such agreements help reduce barriers to trade. This paper estimates the agricultural trade creation and export diversion effects of Australia’s free trade agreements (FTAs) at the aggregate and disaggregate levels, using the Poisson pseudo‐maximum‐likelihood (PPML) estimator. It includes 24 of Australia’s major trading partner countries comprising FTA and non‐FTA members and covers 22 years from 1996 to 2017. The heteroscedasticity robust regression error specification test (RESET) confirms the relevance of PPML over the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) estimator. Results showed that China–Australia, Korea–Australia, Australia–USA and Japan–Australia have larger trade creation effects in the agricultural sector. At the commodity level, variation in trade creation effects is estimated from the different trade agreements. Among the selected commodities, the larger effects were generated in trade in sugar and wine by the implementation of the majority of the trade agreements. Overall, the trade creation was greater than the export diversion of the FTAs. The findings of the study have implications for Australia’s future trade agreements.     

The restructuring of Italian agriculture and its impact upon capital–labour relations: Labour contracting and exploitation in the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain of the Lazio Region,Central Italy

Labour contracting is anywhere on the rise globally, even in fully developed capitalist countries. Far from being an anomaly in the smooth everyday functioning of the economy, contractors are a crucial node in facilitating and ensuring global capital's control over local labour regimes. This article uses a global value chain perspective to investigate the re‐emergence of gangmasters and gang labour in the agricultural sector of Lazio, Central Italy. It analyses the fruit and vegetable supply chain formation and configuration in the Lazio Region with the aim of identifying the underlying processes leading to the creation of gangmasters by capital to have a cheap and disposable, especially migrant, labour force. It also intends to give a more nuanced understanding of labour contracting in this context.     

Farmer organizations and maize productivity in rural Burkina Faso: The effects of the diversion strategy on cotton input loans

This study analyzes the impact of the diversion strategy of cotton inputs on maize productivity among farmer organization (FO) members in Burkina Faso, based on an endogenous treatment effect model. This impact is assessed by measuring the effects of the producers’ strategy of using part of their cotton inputs for growing other crops, such as maize. The data from a 2014 multisectoral survey in Burkina Faso were used. The main result is that maize productivity is 59.11% lower for FO members who divert their cotton inputs. We suggest the development of financing systems for cereals, similar to those in the cotton sector, and the establishment of monitoring the use of input credits.     

RETURNS TO DEBT AND EQUITY IN FARM PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS

While the capital structure irrelevance proposition is the point of departure in corporate finance, it is unknown if debt‐or‐equity decisions matter to farm producer organizations. To inform decisions of capital acquisition, a panel study is conducted to estimate the relationships of different types of debt (current, long‐term) and equity (allocated, unallocated) to the financial performance of 707 farm producer organizations in the United States during the 2005–2011 period. Using 3,120 observations, the panel analysis indicates net sales in period t is increased by $1.97, $9.59, and $4.01 with an addition of $1 in current debt, allocated equity, or unallocated equity in period t_‐1. Furthermore, the magnitude of the positive relationship of an additional dollar of allocated (unallocated) equity to net income is estimated at $0.32 ($0.14). We thus reject the notion managers and directors of farm producer organizations should decide to use debt or equity with a coin toss.     

中国沿海地区经济结构变动对海洋环境的影响

中国沿海经济结构的研究对海洋环境的发展意义重大,然而二者之间的定量关系及内在机理尚不完全清楚。以2007-2016年为研究时段,我国沿海11省(区、市)为研究区域,借助固定效应以及门槛模型,测度经济结构变动与海洋环境之间的关系。结果表明:①在经济结构中产业结构(-0.099)对海洋的弹性系数最大,其次是经济增速(-0.058),投资对象为正向影响,但不显著;非经济结构中,技术进步(0.052)的弹性系数最大,其中环境规制(-0.045)、人口规模(-0.045)抑制海洋环境的改善。②区域对比北部、东部海洋经济圈产业结构对海洋环境起抑制作用,另外,东部海洋经济圈环境规制、人口规模与海洋环境水平呈明显的负相关性;南部海洋经济圈相对于其他两个区域,结果不显著。③将产业结构、技术进步作为门槛变量,在各自的作用下分别存在双重门槛和单一门槛。产业结构门槛值为0.533、0.462,仅河北,福建未跨越第二门槛;科研能力门槛值为40,仅河北、福建、海南未跨过门槛值。因此,应适度调整产业结构,注重经济增长的质量,合理控制城镇人口的流动,积极鼓励科研创新,实现经济与海洋环境协调发展。     

地形因素与地质灾害分布相关性分析

基于河北省1∶5万地质灾害调查成果,选取具有代表性的崩塌、滑坡、泥石流地质灾害隐患3570处,采用图表统计分析法,对分布高程、坡度、汇水面积等地形因素进行分析,研究地形地势因素对河北省地质灾害的空间分布的影响,从而为各级行政主管部门对地质灾害的规划、预防提供参考。受制于人类居住环境等因素,河北省地质灾害在海拔高程、坡度、沟床比降等方面并非理论上的正相关性,而是呈抛物线型分布,其主要分布于海拔200~700 m的中低山区,崩塌发育坡度多大于60°,滑坡发育坡度多在20°~50°,泥石流汇水面积大多小于5 km 2,沟谷形态以V型谷为主,在山坡坡度大于25°,高差100~500 m,沟床比降213~105‰的区域集中分布。     

土地产权稳定能促进农户绿色生产行为吗？——以广东省确权颁证与农户采纳测土配方施肥技术为例证

土地产权趋于稳定将强化农户的剩余控制权和剩余索取权，进而激励农户改进农业生产行为，但这种激励具有情景依赖性：由于农户进行农业生产经营的能力和目的不同，并不是所有的农户都会因此而改进农业生产行为。采用2018年广东省“千村调研”数据，分析确权颁证对农户采纳测土配方施肥技术的影响，结果表明：农地确权颁证虽然赋予农户实现农地价值的剩余权，但能否促进农户采纳测土配方施肥技术还取决于农户自身的获益能力和收益本身的效用。如果农户缺乏实现农业生产超额利润的能力（低收入农户），即使土地产权趋向稳定，也难以产生采纳测土配方施肥技术的动力；如果实现农地价值的最优方式是“他用”而非“自用”，即使采纳测土配方施肥技术会带来农业生产超额利润，农户也不会积极采纳；如果农户具有实现农业超额利润的能力（高收入农户）和预期（以农业为主业的农户），则确权颁证会促进其采纳测土配方施肥技术。农地确权颁证对农户绿色生产行为的促进有着情景依赖性，因而，在农地确权颁证的同时要完善农地流转制度，通过土地产权稳定和流转稳定的双重激励更有效地促进农业生产经营主体积极施行绿色生产行为。     

乡村振兴背景下农村电商直播助力产业发展策略研究

农村电商直播在推动农业产业升级和乡村振兴等方面创造了巨大的经济社会效益。通过农村电商直播,农产品的销售渠道得以拓宽,农民的就业岗位得以增加,农村电商直播为乡村振兴背景下的农村发展带来了新希望。然而作为新兴事物,农村电商直播在产品生产端和直播平台端都存在一些亟待解决的问题,如农产品电商直播基础服务不完善,农产品品牌效应弱,农村电商直播评价反馈体系不完善等。因此,针对乡村振兴背景下农村电商直播助力产业发展问题进行探讨并提出解决方案,具有现实意义。     

农牧户生计资本对农畜产品销售渠道选择影响研究

[目的]优化农畜产品销售渠道,提高农牧民收入,是乡村振兴战略不可或缺的实施路径。文章通过对内蒙古农牧户生计资本进行测算与分析,探究不同生计类型农牧户生计资本与其农畜产品销售渠道选择间的互馈关系,精准识别不同类型农牧户选择销售渠道的影响因素,旨在优化民族地区乡村农畜产品流通渠道,助力民族地区乡村振兴。[方法]文章基于可持续生计理论(DFID),以微观农牧户视角,从自然资本、人力资本、物质资本、金融资本、社会资本5个维度,运用农牧户生计量化法和模糊层次分析法(FAHP)、Multivariate Logistic模型、多元线性回归实证研究。[结果](1)不同类型农牧户生计资本存量具有显著差异,生计资本由高到低排序为:半农半牧户纯农户纯牧户;(2)农牧户对农畜产品销售渠道选择比例由高到低排序为:中间商、批发市场、零售市场、合作社、订单销售、超市直供,传统卖给中间商依然是内蒙古地区农畜产品流通渠道的主要模式,且不同销售渠道之间存在互补与竞争关系;(3)农牧户生计资本对其选择销售渠道具有显著影响,影响力由高到低排序为:人力资本自然资本金融资本社会资本物质资本;(4)不同维度生计资本对不同类型农牧户的农畜产品销售渠道的选择影响程度具有显著差异,影响农牧户选择销售渠道的首要因子是人力资本,影响牧户选择的首要因子是金融资本,影响半农半牧户选择的首要因子是社会资本与人力资本。[结论]该文提出基于农牧户生计资本视角的民族地区乡村农畜产品销售渠道优化对策与建议,一定程度上破解了不同类型农牧户在农畜产品销售渠道选择时遇到的困境。     

农地流转市场中的土地流向及效果分析

［目的］我国农地流转市场发展迅速，农村土地呈现集中趋势。准确把握农村土地流动方向，探析农地流转对农业生产效率及农民收入的影响，对保障农地流转市场健康发展，实现农业现代化的关键，具有重要的现实意义。［方法］基于文献研究法对相关研究进行梳理和总结。［结果］（1）有效的农地流转市场使土地从低效率生产者流转至高效率生产者，从高收入农户流转至收入两端的农户，并有提高农业生产效率和增加农民收入的作用。转入户中存在显著的异质性差异，一部分是缺乏资金和人力资本的小规模农户，另一部分则是具有丰富资金和人力资本的大规模农户。（2）农业比较收益劣势易造成农地流转市场扭曲，改变土地流动方向，导致农业生产效率下降，并加剧农民收入的不平等。［结论］有效的农地流转市场有助于提高农业生产效率并增加农户收入。然而，农业较低的比较收益及政府的过度干预易造成农地流转市场扭曲，农业生产效率提升潜力难以发挥，增收效应减弱，农村收入差距加大。建议政府对农地流转进行有序引导，并注重劳动力市场及信贷市场的配套完善。