Productivity and Quality-Environmental Changes in Marketing Co-operatives: An Analysis on the Horticultural Sector

The object of the present paper is to analyse productivity incorporating quality-environmental changes in marketing co-operatives. Firstly, it reviews competitiveness factors in the current European agri-food market, especially in relation to the fruit and vegetables sector. Secondly, the productivity trend is studied empirically using nonparametric methods (Malmquist indices) and taking as reference panel data of Andalusian horticultural co-operatives for the period 1994-2001. For this purpose productivity is decomposed into technological change, efficiency and quality-environmental change. Additionally, the correlation of these results with other economic variables is analysed. The indicators obtained show a relevant increase in efficiency for the period under study and a high relationship between the results and product quality-environmental improvement.productivity, quality-environment, efficiency, marketing co-operative, horticultural sector, Agribusiness, Productivity Analysis, D24, Q13, Q21, L15,

Productivity and Environmental Performance in Marketing Cooperatives: Incentive Schemes on the Horticultural Sector

The object of the present paper is to analyze the productivity of marketing cooperatives incorporating environmental inputs/outputs. In the European agricultural policy, expectations for attaining sustainable and competitive agriculture lie to a great extent on the cooperative sector's ability to adapt to the new market conditions. These challenges have led marketing cooperatives in the fruit and vegetables sector to consider improvement in productivity and sound environmental performance. In this sector environmental management was intensified by the Common Agrarian Policy (CAP) through incentives on the so-called Operative Programs (OP). The present study analyses the total factor productivity (TFP) related to environmental variables in this sector using a parametric-stochastic approach and taking as reference a panel data of Spanish cooperatives for the period 1994-2002. Additionally, the determinants of productivity environmental indices are examined econ ometrically. The estimates obtained show a relevant increase in the efficiency component for the period under study and a relatively low impact of incentive schemes. However, they also show a relationship between productivity changes and several management factors in cooperatives, such as labor quality, capital intensity and environmental spillover.Productivity, environmental performance, parametric approach, efficiency, marketing cooperative, horticultural sector, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Productivity Analysis, D24, Q13, Q21, L15,

Environmental and Quality Improvement Practices: Their Analysis as Components of the Value Added in Horticultural Firms

This paper analyses the effect of environmental and quality improvement practices on the value added of the fruit and vegetable sector. These practices form part of the incentive-based programmes established by the Common Agricultural Policy. Taking the investment in quality-environmental activities as knowledge capital, we propose a specific analysis that evaluates the effect of the factors of the production function and of the current subsidies over the value added. In general, the share of quality environmental activities in the rise of the product's market value is quite high. The analysis reflects that the expenditure on these activities is still higher than their benefit, and that the current subsidies can hardly be considered encouraging factors for the development of the above-mentioned practices.Quality-environmental practices, investment incentives, horticultural firms, value added, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Management System for Harvest Scheduling: The Case of Horticultural Production in Southeast Spain

horticultural farmer, optimization, planning, mathematical programming, marketing, cooperative, Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use,

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Formacion de expectativas de precio en el sector hortofruticola exportador del sureste espanol

RESUMEN - La diferencia temporal existente entre la planificación de la oferta y la demanda de productos agrarios, conlleva a que, tradicionalmente, en sectores como el de frutas y hortalizas cobren gran interés las teorías sobre formación de expectativas de precios. En las últimas décadas, la tendencia hacia una mayor interrelación entre la producción y la comercialización (en origen) presente en entidades asociativas implica un aumento de la disponibilidad y utilización de la información para realizar previsiones sobre las distintas variables. El objeto de este estudio es determinar empíricamente la existencia de estimaciones sobre el precio, tomando como referencia actividad productora-comercializadora del sector hortofrutícola del sureste español, que tiene como destinos principales los mercados y centros de distribución alimentaria en el ámbito de la Unión Europea. Para ello, se parte de la combinación de las formulaciones tradicionales de expectativas basadas en variables retardadas y de los modelos de expectativas racionales. Dicho método permite deducir el uso de información complementaria a los retardos de precio; adicionalmente, se analiza la relación de este hecho con el grado de respuesta de la oferta ante las oscilaciones de precio, así como, con la eficiencia en la formación de expectativas. SUMMARY - The temporal difference existing between the planning of the supply and the demand of agrarian products has caused that the theories about the formation of price expectations have a traditionally great importance in such sectors as those of vegetables and fruits. The tendency to a greater connexion between production and commercialisation in associated entities (in productive place) implies an increase of the efficiency on the use of available information to make forecasts on the different variables in the market. The aim of the present study is to determine empirically the existence of price valuations, taking as a reference the production-comercialisation in the south-eastern horticultural sector of Spain, consider enterprises that sell fruits and vegetable institutions of food distribution in the framework of the European Union. For this purpuse, it has been started from the combination of traditional formulations of expectations based on retarded variables, on the one hand, and models of rational expectations, on the other. By this method is deduced the use of complementary information to the price retards; also, the relation existing between that use of information to both the degree of response of the supply regarding the fluctuations in prices and the efficiency on expectative formation is analysed

Productivity effects of environmental performance: evidence from TFP analysis on marketing cooperatives

The object of the present article is to offer a decomposition of productivity indices incorporating environmental changes. The model followed is an input oriented approach related to undesirable output (environmental performance attribute) in horticultural marketing cooperatives. This study is motivated by both the lack of analysis of environmental performance's effects on agribusiness productivity and the relevance of cooperative firms in the European agricultural model for attaining sustainability. For this purpose, bootstrapped envelopment analysis is applied and the best practice frontier obtained corresponds to decision making units showing the best environmental behaviour. The Malmquist total factor productivity (TFP) is decomposed into technological change, efficiency and environmental change. In the second stage, the correlations of these changes with other management variables of cooperatives are analysed. The indicators obtained, on one hand, advice about the nonseparable distance function estimations when the environmental factor is introduced. On the other hand, the results display a relevant increase in efficiency and environmental components for the period under study showing a high influence from labour qualification, environmental effort and spillover effect in the sector.

Formacion de expectativas de precio en el sector hortofruticola exportador del sureste espanol

RESUMEN: La diferencia temporal existente entre la planificación de la oferta y la demanda de productos agrarios, conlleva a que, tradicionalmente, en sectores como el de frutas y hortalizas cobren gran interés las teorías sobre formación de expectativas de precios. En las últimas décadas, la tendencia hacia una mayor interrelación entre la producción y la comercialización (en origen) presente en entidades asociativas implica un aumento de la disponibilidad y utilización de la información para realizar previsiones sobre las distintas variables. El objeto de este estudio es determinar empíricamente la existencia de estimaciones sobre el precio, tomando como referencia actividad productora-comercializadora del sector hortofrutícola del sureste español, que tiene como destinos principales los mercados y centros de distribución alimentaria en el ámbito de la Unión Europea. Para ello, se parte de la combinación de las formulaciones tradicionales de expectativas basadas en variables retardadas y de los modelos de expectativas racionales. Dicho método permite deducir el uso de información complementaria a los retardos de precio; adicionalmente, se analiza la relación de este hecho con el grado de respuesta de la oferta ante las oscilaciones de precio, así como, con la eficiencia en la formación de expectativas. SUMMARY: The temporal difference existing between the planning of the supply and the demand of agrarian products has caused that the theories about the formation of price expectations have a traditionally great importance in such sectors as those of vegetables and fruits. The tendency to a greater connexion between production and commercialisation in associated entities (in productive place) implies an increase of the efficiency on the use of available information to make forecasts on the different variables in the market. The aim of the present study is to determine empirically the existence of price valuations, taking as a reference the production-comercialisation in the south-eastern horticultural sector of Spain, consider enterprises that sell fruits and vegetable institutions of food distribution in the framework of the European Union. For this purpuse, it has been started from the combination of traditional formulations of expectations based on retarded variables, on the one hand, and models of rational expectations, on the other. By this method is deduced the use of complementary information to the price retards; also, the relation existing between that use of information to both the degree of response of the supply regarding the fluctuations in prices and the efficiency on expectative formation is analysed.Price expectations, supply of agrarian products, rational expectations, horticultural sector, Demand and Price Analysis, Q11, Q13,

Factores del desarrollo económico actual en la asociación latinoamericana de intergración (Aladi)

Desarrollo competitivo, Liberalización comercial, Exportaciones agrarias, Inversión extranjera

El sector de las frutas y hortalizas andaluzas: realidades y posibilidades

Frutas, Hortalizas, Tablas input-output, Exportación