MAIL SURVEYS AND NON-RESPONSE BIAS:*REPORT ON A N.S.W. MAIL SURVEY

All farmers in one stratum of a wheat storage survey who failed to answer a mail questionnaire were personally interviewed. Answers obtained from the mail respondents and from non-respondents are compared to assess the extent of non-response bias. Five suggestions for planning "high return" mail surveys are discussed.     

农民不愿意退出宅基地的原因分析——基于湖南省问卷和访谈的证据

基于湖南省问卷调查和访谈所获得的材料,探讨农民不愿意退出宅基地的原因。研究发现,经济上不值、情感上不舍、政策上不敢是当前农民不退出宅基地的三大主因。鉴于湖南省宅基地利用程度较高,农民缓解宅基地压力通道不足,宅基地退出不宜盲目推进。在有退出必要性的前提下,退出政策要体现和回应农民的差异化诉求,包括经济、情感以及政治诉求。此外,在退出政策制定和执行中都要重视、调动和保证农民的参与,发挥农民的自主、自立作用。     

Crop‐Level Supply Response by Agro‐Climatic Region in Ethiopia

Using farm‐level survey data from Ethiopia, this paper estimates a quadratic restricted profit function to assess the supply response of smallholder farmers. All major crops are identified in the analysis and variations in agro‐climatic and farming systems are accounted for. Peasant farmers, at least in the more commercial Central and Southern zones, do respond positively and significantly to price incentives. Farmers in the Northern zone are least commercial and least responsive to prices, and in fact the model based on profit maximisation does not adequately capture their behaviour. In general, non‐price factors, especially rainfall and market access, are more important than prices in affecting poduction, and which factors are most important varies depending on the crop and region in question. We conclude with suggestions regarding which crops appear most suitable to each agro‐climatic region, and identify the most relevant policy interventions in each case.     

Assessing policy tools for encouraging farm afforestation in Ireland

To encourage Irish farmers to afforest agricultural land, a premium scheme supporting such planting was implemented in 1989 and afforestation targets outlined in 1996. In the period from 1996 to 2009, however, only half of the targeted area was planted although the income of many farmers would have improved on joining the scheme. A multi-method study was undertaken looking at farmers’ decision-making with regard to afforestation under the scheme. In this paper we focus on one particular element of the study, which is about identifying policy tools that best match farmers’ behaviour with regard to afforestation. Based on previous work, which we undertook on farmers’ goals and values with regard to afforestation and which was presented in this journal, a postal survey was designed and distributed in spring 2012 to farmers all over Ireland. The results indicate that the majority of those surveyed do not make their decision to afforest based on profit maximisation goals. Offering only an incentive tool – such as the current premium scheme – will not be sufficient to encourage those farmers to plant trees. Additionally capacity tools such as group plantings of neighbouring fields and symbolic tools such as information and PR- or image-building campaigns should be deployed to further encourage afforestation by farmers.     

基于利益相关者的林业专业合作组织满意度评价研究

在对云南省245户农户和63位林业管理者调查数据统计分析的基础上,应用模糊综合评价模型对构建的林业专业合作组织利益相关者满意度评价体系进行实证分析。其中,满意度评价过程中指标权重借助G1法与熵值法相结合的组合赋权方法得到。结果表明:林合组织的利益相关者满意度处于"一般满意稍偏高"水平。5个利益相关者满意度由高到低依次排序为管理者、未加入林合组织的农户、村委会、加入林合组织的农户、林合组织的领导。由此建议:政府加强资金扶持力度,建立和完善沟通机制;林合组织不断完善管理和服务。     

The role of agricultural entrepreneurship in Dutch agriculture of today

It is thought that agricultural entrepreneurs have an important role to play in Dutch agriculture. They are currently being confronted with drastic changes and it is open to question whether or not they are willing and able to deal with such changes. A telephone survey was carried out in order to find an answer to this question. The data presented here are based on the answers from 752 farmers. The questions to be answered were: (1) Which strategies do agricultural entrepreneurs choose to keep up with business demands? (2) Which personal characteristics are related to these choices and to successful agricultural entrepreneurship in general? (3) Do agricultural entrepreneurs in the Netherlands meet the demands of “real” entrepreneurship according to economic theories? Agricultural entrepreneurship was conceptualized into the strategic orientations, social orientation, growth orientation, and financial conservatism. The data showed that five different types of farmers could be distinguished on the basis of their preferences for different strategic orientations. Social farmers had especially high scores for social orientation, traditional growers for growth orientation, prudent farmers for financial conservatism, new growers for both social orientation and growth orientation, and indecisive farmers for all strategic orientations. The latter group was eliminated from the data because farmers in this group had the highest scores for almost all items of the questionnaire, whether or not these concerned positive or negative aspects of entrepreneurship. Moreover, they gave contradictory answers to comparable questions. Based on future expectations and family income, it was concluded that social farmers and new growers were more successful than other farmers. According to economic theories, they also seemed to meet the “demands” of “real” entrepreneurship better than other farmers because they can be called “movers of the market,”“innovators,” and/or “discoverers of profit opportunities.” New growers and social farmers were also distinguishable from the other groups of farmers by their personal characteristics. In general, it could be concluded that positive personal characteristics (self‐criticism, leadership, creativity, perseverance, and initiative) affected agricultural entrepreneurship positively, and negative personal characteristics (love of ease and passivity) affected it negatively.     

当前农民政治参与的特点、问题及对策探讨——基于全国31省270村4794户农户的问卷调查

农民的政治参与是我国民主政治发展的显著标志。目前对农民政治参与的研究，都是基于个案观察或者政策文本所进行的定性分析为主，根据调查数据进行定量分析研究的较少。本文通过以农民个人为分析单位，以问卷调查的方式，从实证角度研究转型时期农民的政治参与，概括当前农民政治参与的特点、存在的问题，并试图提出促进农民政治参与的建议。     

粮食大省粮食种植及其影响因素分析——基于湖南省的调查

未来粮食安全形势严峻,且我国粮食大省的粮食产量受到诸多因素的限制,本文基于对湖南省湘阴县、株洲县和汉寿县的实地调查,回收了50份有效问卷。通过问卷调查农民种粮的总量、结构和效益,从而对粮食种植情况进行分析得出,影响农民种粮意愿的因素主要有：粮食生产成本、专业化水平、国家政策和粮食风险等,并据此提出发展粮食生产、保障粮食安全的对策。     

A Risk Responsive Acreage Response Function for Millet in Niger

In this paper the impact of price risk on millet production in Niger is investigated. The hypothesis that farmers respond to output price risk is tested. The results indicate that millet acreage planted decreased when millet price risk increased or when price risk of the competing crop decreased and therefore farmers do respond to changes in risk.     

Farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change under various property rights: A case study of maize farming in northern Benin (West Africa)

Making the assumption that property rights might determine whether farmers adopt particular strategies, this study aims at modelling farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change by focusing on their property rights – declined as institutional arrangements on land and rights on land – as well as their socio-economic and demographic characteristics. The case study took place in northern Benin (West Africa). In this zone, 308 farmers producing maize and adapting to climate change were randomly sampled. The study was conducted by a survey method on respondents using structured interviews based on a questionnaire. A simultaneous modelling using a Multivariate Probit (MVP) model highlighted that socio-economic and demographic characteristics, institutional arrangements on land, and rights on land determine the farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change. The land ownership has a positive effect on the decision to adopt any adaptation strategy. Subsequently, securing farmers’ property rights would help to enhance their capacity to adapt to climate change.     

Obtaining Management Profiles of Ontario Swine Producers Through Cluster Analysis

This paper develops managerial profiles of Ontario Swine Producers for extension use, using mail survey data and cluster analysis. Results indicate that there are four major discriminant variables which can be used to identify different classes of farmers. These management profiles can be used for targeted extension efforts.     

H7N9禽流感对当前广东家禽业生产的影响和建议

本文通过对全省20个市县的170户家禽养殖户开展问卷调查,分析H7N9禽流感疫情对广东家禽养殖业的影响,并结合国内外在重大动物疫病防控上的经验,提出相关建议。     

Farmers’ perception of their decision-making in relation to policy schemes: A comparison of case studies from Switzerland and the United States

Farmers are decision-makers in a complex system of cause and effect. They decide with respect to their own attitude and beliefs, according to their farm structure and they take into account programs and regulations of the overarching policy scheme. In this paper we used mail surveys with identical questions to establish a cross-national comparison of two case study areas. The questionnaire investigates farmer's perspectives on what influences their own decision-making as well as their perception of the socio-ecological environment to relate these findings to the respective policy schemes in the case study areas. The two case studies are located in Southern Illinois, United States and in central Switzerland. The analysis shows that full-time farmers of the Southern Illinois case study area rate constraining factors such as financial aspects higher than Southern Illinois part-time farmers and farmers from the central Switzerland case study area. Furthermore, it is apparent that Swiss case study-farmers rate aspects of their land use responsibility and the Illinois case study-farmers rate ecological aspects higher. The empirical findings can be qualitatively explained through analysis of agricultural policy schemes.     

Private transaction costs of participation in water quality improvement programs for Australia's Great Barrier Reef: Extent,causes and policy implications

The direct private cost to landholders of participating in programs that result in improved farming activities (IFAs) is generally well understood. However, the private indirect or transaction costs, such as the cost of a landholder's time and the expense to learn about IFAs and apply for assistance to implement these changes on‐farm, are not so well understood. Where these have been studied, they have been shown to be extensive. We assess the extent and causes of private transaction costs incurred by sugarcane growers participating in the Australian Government's Reef Rescue scheme which pays farmers to adopt environmentally beneficial farm management practices. Utilising a mail‐out‐mail‐back survey of 110 growers, we found that the average total transaction cost per farm of participating in the program was AU$8389. The average total transaction costs per farm as a percentage of the average funding provided was 38 per cent. We also assessed which type of improved farming activity (soil, nutrient, pest or water management) generated the greatest transaction costs and how landholder characteristics such as bounded rationality, opportunism and social connection impacted on the extent of transaction costs.     

Moral hazard and adverse selection effects of cost‐of‐production crop insurance: evidence from the Philippines

This article examines the moral hazard and adverse selection effects of cost‐of‐production (COP) crop insurance products. Building on existing crop insurance models of moral hazard, as well as a survey‐based data set that allows us to separately identify moral hazard from adverse selection, we find evidence that farmers insured under COP contracts spend more on chemical fertilizers and pesticides (i.e. those inputs whose costs determine the indemnity payments). However, since these same COP insured farmers are still likely to use less inputs (like effort) whose costs do not enter the indemnity payment formula, and yield depends on both types of inputs (i.e. the determinants and non‐determinants of the indemnity payments), the final moral hazard effect of COP insurance on yields is ambiguous. Our analysis also suggests that farmers who tend to spend less on chemical fertilizers and pesticides are the ones with private information on soil conditions and pest incidence. These are the types of farmers who adversely select into COP contracts that only cover weather related losses.     

农户种植行为与低碳种植意愿研究——以河北省为例

本研究针对河北省邯郸市农户开展了题为农户种植行为与低碳种植意愿的问卷调查,发现农户对化肥、农药、农膜以及农用机械的高度依赖是影响低碳农业发展的主要因素;区域经济发展水平和农户受教育水平显著影响农户对低碳种植的认知与意愿;不了解低碳种植技术、缺乏政策支持、低碳种植成本高和农户对传统种植的偏好是阻碍农户选择低碳种植的重要原因。     

Organic farming for local markets in Kenya: Contribution of conversion and certification to environmental benefits

Organic farming is a way to address environmental issues. In Kenya, organic production for domestic markets based on local certification represents a solution to both economic and environmental issues. We propose to address this latter issue. Indeed, no quantitative studies have been dedicated to these systems’ impacts on the environment. However, their theoretical benefits can be weakened, first by their functioning based on internal control and indirect external control, and second by the risk of self-selection since farmers using low levels of synthetic inputs have less effort to make in order to enter in conversion process. Thanks to unique farm-level survey data along with the propensity score matching method, we assess the producer-level effects of organic certification for fruits and vegetables on agro-ecological practices. We show that conversion and certification are associated with organic farming techniques and positive perceptions of different statements about environmental values. However, we do not notice any additional effects of certification compared to conversion alone. Although economic issues are important, we focus on environmental issues that appear as important for smallholders. In a context with no public regulation, conversion-only farmers and locally certified farmers could be a lever for a more sustainable agriculture.     

农业职业教育对养殖农户收入增加影响的研究———基于陕西省面板数据实证分析

文章基于农业职业教育与农户收入增加的影响关系,依据2009年陕西省养殖农户调查数据,采用Probit模型考察基本变量对农户参与养殖的行为影响,研究结果表明人力资本状况是决定养殖户获得养殖收益的关键因素,个体特征对于农户收益的影响有限。在接受教育程度、有过接受培训经历及技能水平等方面具有优势的农户,其养殖收益比较高。尤其是获得过职业技术培训,取得一定技能的养殖农户,在收益提高方面成效明显。年龄偏大的农户,其获得收入的渠道与数量稳定性相对较好,年龄与其收入水平之间呈现出一种持续上升的关系。健康状况指标与农户收入指标之间没有呈现出显著的对应关系,这可能与参与调查的农户身体健康状况普遍较好有关。基于此,提出通过文化教育促进农户综合素质提升;改进政府服务功能,加强农业职业教育培训;完善农业职业教育长效机制,促使农业职业教育落到实处;加大投入力度,改善农村医疗保健服务设施等建议。     

Payments for environmental services in Indonesia: What if economic signals were lost in translation?

This article provides an analysis of a payment for environmental services (PES) scheme in the Cidanau watershed, Indonesia. It contributes to the debate on the alleged effectiveness of such economic incentives to actually change decisions among land users. Building on the standard PES theory of change, one would assume that farmers respond to payments and change their land use decisions accordingly for the delivery of environmental services. However, at the project level the impacts of economic incentives depend on how the signal is transmitted to decision-makers. An extensive household survey was undertaken among 270 participating farmers in order to investigate these assumptions. Results indicate that farmers join the scheme for intrinsic motivations rather than because of economic incentives. Besides, the scheme does not target farmers whose decisions could be changed for the sake of service provision. Finally, farmer group leaders display disproportionate power of decision while individual farmers have a low level of understanding of the PES programme. As a consequence, land use patterns might not depend on the economic incentive only; rather they are likely to be determined by the local social context, traditions and economic dependency on forests. This in turn casts some doubts on the strong (yet contested) economic assumptions that underlie the emergence of PES schemes and on their modus operandi in developing countries.     

国家农业科技创新联盟实践与思考

[目的]探讨现阶段如何引导政府科学管理宅基地和农户合理利用宅基地,建立基于农户及其经济行为的宅基地管制调控机制.[方法]采用理论推理和实证分析相结合的方法对农村宅基地管制中农户和政府的决策模式进行分析,对浙江省朱庙村等20个村庄进行问卷调查,以判别分析模型为基础,运用数学建模、调查问卷和数据模拟分析等方法构建较为完善的农村宅基地流转判别模型,并投入实际运用验证.依据影响因素和模型分析结果,从取得、流转、退出等3个方面构建宅基地管制框架.[结果]现行管理制度下宅基地流转的资金补偿、家庭人口数、宅基地面积、闲置宅基地面积大小等4个因素对农户的宅基地流转意愿的判别影响不太显著,年纯收入、受教育年限、年龄及宅基地升值预期等4个因素对农户的宅基地流转意愿的判别影响不太显著;将农户流转意愿判别模型投入实际运用验证,发现模型的判别效果良好.[结论]影响农户是否愿意将宅基地流转出去的主要因素有资金补偿、家庭人口、宅基地面积、闲置宅基地面积.