Eco-efficiency assessment of olive farms in Andalusia

Olive farming represents an important source of income and employment in the rural areas of Andalusia (Spain), which is the most important olive oil-producing region in the world. Unfortunately, it also exerts significant environmental pressures with regard to soil erosion, use of polluting inputs, excessive water consumption and biodiversity reduction. This paper uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques and pressure distance functions to contribute a farm-level assessment of the eco-efficiency of a sample of 292 Andalusian olive farmers. We distinguish between managerial eco-efficiency and program eco-efficiency, the latter being associated to the different natural conditions prevailing in the three main olive cultivation systems in the region, namely, traditional rain-fed mountain groves, traditional rain-fed plain groves and irrigated intensive groves. Our findings show that eco-inefficient management is a widespread practice across olive farmers, mainly due to widespread technical inefficiency. Furthermore, the most eco-efficient production system is the traditional plain growing system. Finally, we find that soil-climate conditions strongly influence managerial eco-efficiency in all three aforementioned cultivation systems.     

Incorporation and Resistance: Analytical Issues in the Conventionalization Debate and Alternative Food Chains

This article examines arguments about the relationship between mainstream agriculture and alternative food chains. It begins with a summary of Guthman's study of organic agriculture in California and her conclusion that it has come to resemble conventional, industrial agriculture in its agrarian structures and its supply chains. The article raises questions about both the evidence that smaller alternative producers have been squeezed out, and the assumptions underlying the analysis of relations between capitalist and non-capitalist forms. The issues are contextualized through a summary of earlier debates about the fate of non-capitalist producers in the 'development' process, and through reference to studies in economic anthropology, including research on household farming strategies in Italy. The article concludes that alternative food chains do not follow a simple linear trajectory, and that we need to include an ethnographic approach to understand both their economic values and political objectives.     

Farming System Analysis of an Alternative Production System for Peasant Farming in Morogoro,Tanzania

This paper presents an examination and evaluation of traditional and alternative production systems in Morogoro District, Tanzania. The research employed the Farming Systems Research (FSR) framework to identify an alternative production system. The traditional and alternative systems were field tested and evaluated. Cet article examine et évalue deux systèmes agricoles de production, ?un traditionnel, ?autre alternatif, dans la région de Morogoro en Tanzanie. Ce dernier systéme a été identifié en utilisant la méthodologie de recherche appelée “Farming Systems Research”. Une évaluation économique et sur le terrain de ces deux systèmes a été entreprise.     

论市场经济条件下大学生价值观现状及教育对策

大学生在价值观上呈多元化倾向 ,价值取向注重功利讲求实惠 ,价值主体意识日益强化 ,存在个体本位倾向。通过运用科学价值观进行教育 ,使他们的人生价值确立在自我价值和社会价值相统一 ;理想追求和职业选择相统一 ;艰苦奋斗和合理享受相统一 ;“义”和“利”相统一 ;“知”和“行”相统一的关系上。     

Explaining Differences in Milk Quota Values: The Role of Economic Efficiency

This article explores the relationship between milk quota values and economic efficiency in order to analyze government interventions in quota allocations among producers. For this purpose, we estimate quota values using a panel of Spanish dairy farms. Quota values are then decomposed into economic efficiency, price, and scale effects in order to assess the relative influence of these factors. We find that efficiency is important in explaining quota values but is uncorrelated with observable farm characteristics. This casts doubts on the government's ability to allocate quotas to efficient farms.     

土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响--以徐州为例

近年来徐州土地利用变化很大,研究其生态系统服务价值的变化情况,可以为区域生态环境的保护和恢复提供科学依据.参照中国陆地生态系统单位面积服务价值表,利用徐州1994-2002年土地利用数据,估算了土地利用变化引起的生态系统服务价值的变化.结果表明:1994-2002年徐州耕地、林地面积减少,其余类型的面积增加,其中耕地面积减少了6.14%,林地面积减少了8.42%,该区域人文景观的影响已超过了自然景观.1994-2002年徐州生态系统服务价值增加了74.35×108元/年,水域面积增加和未利用地向林地、园地转化是生态系统服务价值增加的主要原因.     

Methodologies for the Comparison of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

The development of organic farming inmany parts of the world has depended upon a critical comparison with other, largely conventional, production systems. This paper attempts to review the methods used for such comparisons and to highlight their advantages and disadvantages. Conclusions are that classic experimentation has a valuable part to play but that more qualitative assessment can also be useful and should be encouraged. Careful allowance should bemade formajor background differences in farm management when making comparisons. Longer-term case studies, which try to monitor organic systems in their own right, should also be considered and which utilise models to help rationalise complex data where appropriate.     

Rural Amenity Values and Length of Residency

New residents of rural communities are often assumed to have preferences for development and conservation that differ from those of longer-term residents. However, the literature offers little to quantify presumed preference heterogeneity. This article assesses whether stated preferences differ according to length of residency. Results are based on a conjoint (choice experiment) survey of Rhode Island rural residents. Heterogeneity—according to length of town residency—is modeled using dummy variables, multiplicative interactions, and Lagrangian interpolation polynomials. Results are compared across the three models, and identify a range of attributes for which willingness to pay depends on length of residency.     

Adoption and Abandonment of Organic Farming: An Empirical Investigation of the Irish Drystock Sector

There is a considerable literature about the adoption of organic farming. However, possible abandonment of organic farming has received scant attention. Thus, relatively little is known about the exit decisions of farmers. In addition, most studies are based on a static framework where it is not possible to account for changes in farmer decisions over time. This article attempts to fill this gap in the literature by investigating the determinants that affect both adoption and abandonment of organic drystock farming over time. The use of duration analysis allows for the consideration of cross‐sectional and time‐varying factors over the study period from 1981 to 2008. Using this dynamic econometric framework revealed a significant time effect on entry and exit decisions. Overall, the results highlight that where no attempt is made to account for exit decisions and time effects, important information about sustainable farmer decisions may not be taken into consideration.     

Factors Influencing Partial and Complete Adoption of Organic Farming Practices in Saskatchewan, Canada

Using a sample of organic producers in Saskatchewan, Canada, this study uses a Tobit model to identify the factors that discourage or encourage the complete adoption of organic farming and to assess why farmers differ in the share of total cultivated crop area they allocate to organic practices. In particular, the study evaluates the effect of transaction costs on the decision to convert partially or completely from conventional to organic practices. The results highlight the importance of lowering certain transaction costs to encourage the adoption of organic management practices. Significant transaction costs were found to include infrastructure and services, satisfaction with marketer performance, marketing problems, and Internet use. Results suggest that farmers with smaller land holdings are more inclined to undertake complete adoption. While the education levels of organic farmers show no significant effect on the probability of adoption, younger organic farmers allocate significantly less of their cultivated area to organic practices. À partir d'un échantillon de producteurs de cultures biologiques de la Saskatchewan, au Canada, nous avons utilisé un modèle Tobit pour déterminer les facteurs qui encouragent ou découragent l'adoption totale des pratiques agricoles biologiques et les raisons pour lesquelles le pourcentage des superficies consacrées aux cultures biologiques varie d'un producteur à l'autre. Nous avons également examiné les répercussions des coûts de transaction sur la décision de passer, en totalité ou en partie, des pratiques conventionnelles aux pratiques biologiques. Les résultats ont fait ressortir l'importance de réduire certains coûts de transaction afin d'encourager l'adoption des méthodes agronomiques biologiques. Les coûts de transaction les plus importants incluaient les infrastructures et les services, l'efficacité des intermédiaires, les problèmes liés à la mise en marché et l'utilisation d'Internet. Les résultats autorisent à penser que les producteurs agricoles qui possèdent de petites superficies sont plus enclins à adopter en totalité l'agriculture biologique. Alors que le niveau de scolarité des producteurs ne semble pas avoir de répercussions sur la probabilité d'adopter l'agriculture biologique, les jeunes producteurs de cultures biologiques consacrent beaucoup moins de leurs superficies cultivées à la culture biologique.     

Policies Supporting Organic Food and Farming in the EU: Assessment and Development by Stakeholders in 11 European Countries

There is no single ‘best way’ of policy development. Bottom-up approaches to policy design and a broad debate among stakeholders facilitate policy learning and innovation. A novel approach of a bottom-up policy design process involving stakeholders is introduced. The first results obtained by implementing this methodology are presented. The outcomes of a large international effort for a development of policies for organic food and farming, which took place in Maj 2004 in Europe, are analyzed: the synthesized results from 11 European countries (AT, CH, CZ, DE, DK, EE, GB, HU, IT, PL, SI) on the current situation of policies related to the organic food market in Europe are highlighted and policy recommendations for the development of the organic food and farming sector are formulated. Specifically, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of policies related to the organic food market are identified and policy instruments used to address these aspects are developed.     

Analysing Production Technology and Risk in Organic and Conventional Dutch Arable Farming using Panel Data

This paper compares the production technology and production risk of organic and conventional arable farms in the Netherlands. Just–Pope production functions that explicitly account for output variability are estimated using panel data of Dutch organic and conventional farms. Prior investigation of the data indicates that within variation of output is significantly higher for organic farms, indicating that organic farms face more output variation than conventional farms. The estimation results indicate that in both types of farms, unobserved farm‐specific factors like management skills and soil quality are important in explaining output variability and production risk. The results further indicate that land has the highest elasticity of production for both farm types. Labour and other variable inputs have significant production elasticities in the case of conventional farms and other variable inputs in the case of organic farms. Manure and fertilisers are risk‐increasing inputs on organic farms and risk‐reducing inputs on conventional farms. Other variable inputs and labour are risk increasing on both farm types; capital and land are risk‐reducing inputs.     

The Reform of Support Mechanisms for Upland Farming: Paying for Public Goods in the Severely Disadvantaged Areas of England

The incomes of hill‐farmers in ‘Less Favoured Areas’ of the UK have traditionally been supported by payments related to their production levels. Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and changes in policy objectives within the UK imply a need to change this basis of support. We investigate the option of paying for public goods produced, focusing on landscape features and habitats. A choice experiment study is used to estimate willingness to pay for different landscape features in four Severely Disadvantaged Areas of England. We find significant differences in the value of landscape features, both within and across regions, and parallel differences in the aggregate value of different policy options for upland areas. We discuss briefly how this information could be included in a spatially differentiated payments scheme.     

土地流转中农业规模经营组织类型的经济分析——基于农户与规模经营组织双向层面的分析

本文从农户与规模经营组织双向层面分析农业规模经营组织与农户土地流转的供求决策准则,用以解释不同农业规模经营组织存在的原因。研究表明,农户劳动力的机会成本、转出土地的租金决定土地转出;农户劳动力要素的总收益、农村社会的特征决定农户对规模经营组织的有效需求。规模报酬与技术进步所要求的最低规模决定规模经营组织的土地转入需求;规模报酬预期,包括土地租金在内的交易费用小于土地转入的纯收益,以及技术进步的资金充足,决定规模经营组织类型的有效供给。     

论农村宅基地的保值增值退出

宅基地以保值增值的方式退出,有利于优化城乡土地资源配置、提高土地利用效益,也是实现宅基地顺利退出的关键。从宅基地的价值、产权结构、增值收益分配和农民地位等角度探索了宅基地保值增值的内涵。从农民财产、宅基地属性演变、农民收入变化、融资能力和农村市场发育等角度分析了宅基地保值增值的意义。宅基地的保值增值退出,对缓解新增建设用地矛盾、城乡统一土地市场建设、土地增值收益分配制度改革、明晰政府与市场的边界、农民社会地位提升等具有重要的意义。现阶段,宅基地以保值增值退出在宅基地退出后的供需平衡、宅基地产权结构、市场化退出机制、政府不当干预和农民自身维权能力等方面仍存在一定的障碍,对此提出了相应的对策。     

订单农业运行机制的经济学分析

本文通过对订单农业的制度特征进行经济学分析,认为企业、农户违约行为存在着内在制度性原因,并认为在现行订单农业制度框架下违约行为不是一种偶然的市场现象,而是契约主体之间博弈能力悬殊所导致的理性经济行为。为此,应当从制度上对订单农业进行改进和完善。     

经济全球化中的有机农业与经济发达地区农业生产方式的选择

中国加入WTO,意味着中国融入经济全球化的速度和深度在加大,也给中国农业的发展带来了更大的影响。最近几十年来,随着国家工业化尤其是化学工业的发展,农业已经改变了原有的一些自然生态的特性。这种改变一方面促进了食品的生产,缓解顾我国人口高速增长对食品的需求,但也带来了一些于可持续发展不利的影响。与此同时,国外一些对环境和生态比较关注的人士,开始发展有机食品的生产。     

劳动力城乡统筹的政治经济学分析

从政治经济学的角度看，劳动力价值是由其成本决定的，并受市场供求关系的影响。研究发现，与农村劳动力再生产成本相比，农村劳动力价格过低。原因在于：一是劳动力市场总量供过于求；二是劳动力市场在结构上处于一种分割状态，从属劳动力市场大量低素质劳动力的存在导致了这部分市场供给严重过剩，劳动力价格难以提升。要打破市场分割，必须加大对农村人力资本的投入，提高劳动者价值。     

Not All Thin Markets Are Alike: The Case of Organic and Non‐genetically Engineered Corn and Soybeans

We use time series methods to explore the relationship between prices for two different niche versions of feed corn and soybeans, and their conventional counterparts. Whereas organic versions are linearly cointegrated, and their premia are high and stable, non‐GE products – which are nonlinearly cointegrated – exhibit narrower premia that are subject to collapse. Because organics are also non‐GE, these differences point to the value of a well‐recognised and enforced USDA organic label and/or the importance consumers place on the non‐GE attributes of organic products.