A general equilibrium analysis of production subsidy in a Harris-Todaro developing economy: an application to India

Since 1950s India has advocated import substituting industrialization policies to promote its manufacturing sector. The end result was creation of a dual economy: highly favored manufacturing sector with high and rigid wages and neglected agricultural sector with low wages and poverty. Because of the higher wages in the manufacturing sector, the rural laborers migrate to the urban sector, a typical characteristic of the Harris-Todaro developing economy. Realizing this crisis, the Indian government recently initiated policies to boost agricultural production to curb the labor migration and improve the welfare of the rural population. In this study, we develop a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model for India by incorporating Harris-Todaro economic characteristics of unemployment, labor migration, farm dependant population, and labor-intensive agriculture. We use the model to analyze the effects of agricultural production subsidy policies on employment, factor price, output price, output levels, and welfare in agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Our findings show that agricultural production subsidy increases agricultural production, reduces unemployment, raises the wage rate in the agriculture sector, augments the consumption among the rural and urban households, and increases the rental rate for capital in agricultural sector.     

Socioeconomic Impacts of Public Forest Policies on Heterogeneous Agricultural Households

Nepal has a long history of returning public forests to local people as part of its community forestry programme. In principle the community forestry programme is designed to address both environmental quality and poverty alleviation. However, concern has been expressed that forest policies emphasise environmental conservation, and that this has a detrimental impact on the use of community forests in rural Nepal where households require access to public forest products to sustain livelihoods. To study the effect of government policies on forest use, an economic model of a typical small community of economically heterogeneous households in Nepal was developed. The model incorporates a link between private agriculture and public forest resources, and uses this link to assess the socioeconomic impacts of forest policies on the use of public forests. Socioeconomic impacts were measured in terms of household income, employment and income inequality. The results show that some forest policies have a negative economic impact, and the impacts are more serious than those reported by other studies. This study shows that existing forest policies reduce household income and employment, and widen income inequalities within communities, compared to alternative policies. Certain forest policies even constrain the poorest households?? ability to meet survival needs. The findings indicate that the socioeconomic impacts of public forest policies may be underestimated in developing countries unless household economic heterogeneity and forestry??s contribution to production are accounted for. The study also demonstrates that alternative policies for managing common property resources would reduce income inequalities in rural Nepalese communities and lift incomes and employment to a level where even the poorest households could meet their basic needs.     

Corporate Social Responsibility Spillover and Competition Effects on the Food Industry

This paper examines the spillover and competition effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with duopoly competition. In employing the assumption that firm CSR increases consumer willingness to pay for the firm's products while consumer willingness to pay decreases for non‐CSR firm products, some interesting conclusions are achieved. First, CSR spillover effects increase CSR firm outputs and prices, while CSR spillover has the opposite effect on competitors. Second, CSR spillover decreases total outputs and total social welfare levels. Third, competition effects increase CSR expenditures, and CSR firms' CSR policies are the most robust when non‐CSR firms assume a leading position. It is found that total outputs and consumer utilities are highest when CSR firm acts as leader, while the relationships of social welfare among different cases are ambiguous depending on product substitution and spillover effects.     

两种冲击视角下中国城乡经济波动福利成本研究*

经济波动福利成本的准确测算，一方面能够对经济波动根源的差异化理论做出评判，另一方面也直接关系到政府对于经济政策的选择。本文基于Lucas福利成本模型，采用BN分解公式对消费序列进行分解，估计了暂时性冲击和持久性冲击所造成的经济波动福利成本。本文研究证实，持久性冲击所造成的经济波动福利成本远大于暂时性冲击所造成的福利成本，避免不利供给因素所带来的持久性冲击，是增进城乡居民福祉的重要举措。这与当前所实施的“供给侧结构性改革”相契合。     

Measuring the poverty reduction potential of land in rural Mexico

To help inform the current debate on the role of land as an instrument for poverty reduction, we analyze the conditions under which access to land reduces poverty in Mexican rural communities. Semi-parametric regression results show that access to even a small plot of land can raise household welfare significantly. For smallholders, an additional hectare of land increases welfare on average by 1.3 times the earnings of an agricultural worker. In addition, the marginal welfare value of land depends importantly on a household's control over complementary assets such as education and on the context where assets are used such as road access.     

Enforcement,payments, and development projects near protected areas: how the market setting determines what works where

This paper examines a model of the decisions made by developing country protected area managers that recognizes that rural people react to policies differently in various market settings. For each of three market settings, the paper identifies the make-up of an optimal management plan that consists of three possible policies: enforcement, agricultural development projects, and conservation payments. The results ground a discussion of the likelihood of success of conservation policies, the failure of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects, and the use of some policies as mechanisms to compensate rural people for lost access to resources within protected areas.     

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS

This paper assesses the role of Biotechnology Development Agreements (BDAs) in creating incentives to conserve biodiversity. A major cause of species loss is the conversion of tropical forests to crop and pasture land. Biodiversity conservation, therefore, fundamentally depends on the economics of agricultural land use in developing countries. BDAs can play only a limited role in a comprehensive strategy to increase incentives for biodiversity conservation. Policymakers must examine biodiversity policies in the broader context of land tenure, rural poverty, and agricultural development in tropical countries .     

从农业劳动力视角看我国农地流转的成因

从农村剩余劳动力以及农地资源的附着力角度对我国农地流转的成因进行了分析,认为当前农村大量劳动力的剩余以及农业科学技术的广泛应用造成农地资源的附着力下降,加之城市对农业劳动力产生的引力,使得农村的劳动力有向外转移的需求,这种劳动力的转移必然造成农地的流转。     

Regulating misinformation

Governments have responded to misleading advertising by banning it, engaging in counter-advertising and taxing and regulating the product. In this paper, we consider the welfare effects of those different responses to misinformation. While misinformation lowers consumer surplus, its effect on social welfare is ambiguous. Misleading advertising leads to over-consumption but that may be offsetting the underconsumption associated with oligopoly outputs. If all advertising is misinformation then a tax or quantity restriction on advertising maximizes welfare, and other policy interventions are inferior. If firms undertake quality improving investments that are complementary to misinformation, then combining taxes or bans on misleading advertising with other policies can increase welfare.     

论中国农村全面转型

当前，中国农村发展进入了全面转型的新阶段。虽然中国农村全面转型具备了条件，但也面临一些阶段性挑战，突出表现在高成本严重损害农业竞争力、农业机械化亟待转型升级、“谁来种地”难题尚未破解、农业适度规模经营任重道远、农民增收的压力不断增加、农村资源资产浪费严重、农村生态环境亟待改善、乡村治理模式仍需创新八个方面。而且，现有的一些思想认识、体制机制、法律法规和政策，也阻碍了农村全面转型，束缚了农村发展。促进农村全面转型发展，需要以综合配套、整体推进的方式深化农村改革，并着力提高农村资源资产的流动性，系统开展农村集体产权制度改革，加快构建新型农业经营体系，深入推进农业供给侧结构性改革，不断完善农业支持保护政策。     

Seigniorage and Japanese fiscal sustainability: Simulation analysis using an overlapping generations model

This study examines two tax policies for achieving fiscal sustainability in Japan: (i) an increase in consumption tax and (ii) consumption tax hike combined with inflation. To evaluate these policies from both fiscal and welfare perspectives, I develop a multi-period overlapping generations model with money. The results reveal that, compared to the first policy, the second policy can substantially delay the timing of and curb the increase in consumption tax through seigniorage revenue. This suggests seigniorage could be a useful tool for the Japanese government in resolving its fiscal problems. In addition, in an aging Japan, the second policy can enhance future generations’ utility. Because inflation reduces money holdings and utility of the elderly, policies that cause inflation in the present but reduce it in the future improve the utility of future generations. From a social welfare viewpoint, such policies are desirable in a government that has foresight.     

农民工非永久迁移对社会福利的动态影响分析

本文运用福利经济学的分析工具,阐述了农村劳动力非永久乡城迁移是在既定的约束条件下的一种理性选择.通过分析非永久乡城迁移对农村居民、城市居民和企业、社会福利的影响,最终得出农民工非永久迁移有利于农村和城市的发展,有利于社会福利的结论。从而说明,鼓励农村劳动力向非农部门转移的政策是必要的,与建设社会主义和谐社会的目标是一致的。     

Urban unemployment, informal sector and development policies

We analyze the effects of wage subsidy policies on unemployment and welfare in the model that is characterized by the existence of both open unemployment and the informal sector that producesfinal goods. Our main findings are as follows. Wage subsidies to the agricultural and informal sectors increase welfare and decrease urban unemployment. The effects of a wage subsidy to manufacturing sector on welfare and unemployment are conditional. We identify some sufficient conditions for the definite results and interpret them.     

Determinants of agricultural water saving technology adoption: an empirical study of 10 provinces of China

In recent years, China has been faced by an increasingly severe water shortage due to the continual growth of demand on water resources. Although the Chinese government has been actively promoting the agricultural water-saving technology adoption, it is ill-informed of the adoption degree of the current agricultural watersaving technologies as well as the function of the governmental policies, Therefore, this paper＂ analyzes the aforesaid problems based on investigative data of 10 provinces in China. The results demonstrate that although there is a rapid increase of adopted agricultural water-saving technologies, the actual adoption area is rather limited. Moreover, the governmental policies and scarcity of water resources are the deierminants of agricultural water-saving technology adoption. Ultimately, the paper proposes some policy suggestions.     

农户借贷行为及其福利效果分析

本文研究分析了农户借贷行为及其对收入和福利状况的影响。研究发现 :受教育年限、土地规模、非农收入、所在村庄的发展水平和同一村庄其他竞争农户的特征对特定农户的借款数额都具有显著的影响 ;此外 ,农产品的价格对农户借款数额也具有显著的影响 ,产粮区的农户获取借款的难度明显比其它地区的农户大得多 ;借款对农户纯收入和福利状况在统计上有很显著的影响。     

城乡公共福利差距的影响因素研究

长期以来,我国财政投入明显偏向城市的政策使城乡基本公共福利存在着巨大差距。随着我国国民经济的快速发展,国家经济实力的增强,农村公共福利供给有所改善,但城乡在教育、卫生医疗、社会保障、基础公共设施和就业服务等方面存在很大差距。目前,在我国公共福利分配主要由地方财政承担的前提下,区域经济发展不平衡、各地区财力大小的不同等因素是导致我国城乡公共福利差异的主要原因。     

Capabilities,Rights and Justice in the Context of Australian Aboriginal Welfare Policy

Since white settlement of Australia in 1788, the Aboriginal community has remained a conspicuously disadvantaged minority group. Decades of Federal and State government welfare policies have not prevented alcoholism, domestic violence and unemployment from undermining life in Aboriginal communities. Radically different policies are now being trialled, in recognition that a social emergency exists and in recognition that ‘money for nothing’ welfare handouts have not succeeded in developing human capabilities in Aboriginal communities. Despite the 2008 ‘sorry day’ apology, emotional hurts still run deep, and perceived injustices continue to impact upon the recognition of Aboriginal rights and the advancement of Aboriginal capabilities.     

畜禽养殖业的环境影响及经济分析

畜禽业污染是我国农业面源污染的主要来源。本文估算了我国畜禽养殖业污染物排放量,阐述了畜禽养殖的环境影响,分析了畜禽污染内在的经济原因,并提出了防治畜禽污染的经济政策和措施,包括发展循环畜牧业、建设现代化的畜禽业物流体系、采纳各种环境经济手段、界定农村公共资源产权、实施优质畜禽产品品牌化战略、鼓励发展环保产业。     

台湾“富丽新农村”和“新农业运动”探析

“富丽新农村”和“新农业运动”是台湾当局整体农业政策的重要组成部分。从历史上看,台湾的农业政策经历过两次根本性调整：一是由实施挤压农业支持工业的政策向工业反哺农业政策的根本性转变;二是由传统农业发展模式向现代农业发展模式（精致农业）的根本性转变。两次根本性转变奠定了台湾农业发展的整体战略思路。富丽新农村和新农业运动是继精致农业后进一步促进农业发展的支农富农举措。本文将通过对富丽新农村和新农业运动实施背景、基本做法的分析,探讨对祖国大陆新农村建设的相关启迪。     

经济增长、产业结构与农村减贫——基于省际面板数据的实证分析

在经济增长与减贫关系问题上,大量的实证研究仅仅用经济增长以及伴随增长过程的收入分配状态作为解释变量,其结论与现实的契合性不够稳定。通过在计量模型中加入产业结构、农业生产条件、农业扶贫与发展政策等关键性的中间变量,并采用跨越"八七扶贫攻坚"期间和新世纪"农村扶贫开发"两个发展时期的省际面板数据,实证分析表明经济增长在农村减贫中具有重要地位,城乡收入差距扩大对农村减贫具有显著的负效应。与现有的大量实证研究结论不同,本研究表明不同产业在经济发展的不同阶段对农村减贫的影响是不同的,三次产业发展对农村贫困的影响发生了一定程度的逆转。因此,新时期反贫困战略也应做出相应的调整。