The Value of EU Agricultural Landscape

The present paper provides a meta-analysis of agricultural landscape valuation studies and through the estimated benefit transfer function it projects the value of EU landscape. The analyses are based on information from more than thirty European and Non-European studies which use stated preference approach to uncover the society's willingness to pay (WTP) for landscape. Our calculations show that, the per hectare WTP in EU varies between 89 and 169 €/ha with an average value of 142 €/ha in 2009. Further the calculations indicate that the total value of EU landscape in 2009 is estimated to be in the range of €16.1 – 30.8 billion per year, with an average of €25.8 billion, representing around 7.5 percent of the total value of EU agricultural production and roughly half of the CAP expenditures.landscape, benefit transfer, WTP, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics, Q51, Q41,

Valuation of EU Agricultural Landscape

The present paper provides a meta-analysis of agricultural landscape valuation studies and through the estimated benefit transfer function it projects the value of EU landscape. The analyses are based on information from more than thirty European and non-European studies which use a stated preference approach to uncover society's willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural landscape. Our calculations show that, the WTP in the EU varies between 134 and 201 €/ha with an average value of 149 €/ha in 2009. Furthermore the calculations indicate that the total value of EU landscape in 2009 is estimated to be in the range of €24.5 – 36.6 billion per year, with an average of €27.1 billion, representing around 8 percent of the total value of EU agricultural production and roughly half of the CAP expenditures.Agricultural landscape, valuation, willingness to pay, meta-analysis, benefit transfer.

Distributional Effects of CAP Subsidies: Micro Evidence from the EU

In this paper we estimate the income distributional effects of the common agricultural policy (CAP) for farmers and landowners. First, we theoretically analyse the level of farmers' and landowners' gains from coupled and decoupled payments. Second, using a unique farm level panel data set from the FADN for the period 1995-2007 we employ the fixed effects, the Heckman selection bias and the GMM estimators to estimate income distributional effects of CAP subsidies. The results do not confirm the theoretical hypothesis that landowners benefit a large share of the CAP subsidies. According to our estimates, farmers gain between 60% to 95%, 80% to 178% and 86% to 90% of the total value of coupled crop/animal, coupled RDP and decupled payments, respectively. The CAP subsidies are only marginally capitalised in land rents. Our results suggest that the rental rates are more responsive to structural variables and show a strong time dependency, suggesting the presence of rigidities in the EU rental markets, which constraint the adjustment of land rents to market signals and thus reduce landowners' gains from the CAP.Distributional effects, panel microdata, GMM, CAP, land rents.

Distributional Effects of CAP Subsidies: Micro Evidence from the EU

In this paper we estimate the income distributional effects of the common agricultural policy (CAP) for farmers and landowners. Using a unique farm level panel data set from the FADN for the period 1995-2007 we employ the fixed effects, the Heckman selection bias and the GMM estimators to estimate income distributional effects of CAP subsidies. The results do not confirm the theoretical hypothesis that landowners benefit a large share of the CAP subsidies. According to our estimates, farmers gain between 60% to 95%, 80% to 178% and 86% to 90% of the total value of coupled crop/animal, coupled RDP and decupled payments, respectively. The CAP subsidies are only marginally capitalised in land rents. Our results suggest that rental rates are more responsive to structural variables and show a strong time dependency, suggesting the presence of rigidities in the EU rental markets, which constraint the adjustment of land rents to market signals and thus reduce landowners' gains from the CAP.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Doubts, compromises, and ideals : attempting a reciprocal life story

In this article I reflect on my attempt to co-author a reciprocal life story with my friend Liria de la Cruz, a semi-literate Gypsy/Roma street seller from Madrid⎯a book where we examine together our intertwined stories. Much has been made of the assumed capacity of collaborative methodologies to transform ethnography for the better. Yet as Liria and I try to find ways to work together, we struggle to reconcile our reciprocal approach with the conventions of the ethnographic genre and the expectations of our scholarly audience. I reflect on our difficulties for what they reveal about the complex encounter between the non-hierarchical aims of collaboration and those of academic anthropology.PostprintPeer reviewe

A Bayesian Total Factor Productivity Analysis of Tropical Agricultural Systems in Central-Western Africa And South-East Asia

This paper computes and analyses total factor productivity (TFP) growth rates for tropical agricultural systems in Central-Western Africa and South-East Asia. Two regions that despite sharing common agro-ecological conditions, have pursued different adoption rates of green revolution technology and have reported dissimilar yields per hectare. A panel data set is constructed for the period 1987-2007 from the FAOSTAT database. A Bayesian stochastic frontier model with country specific temporal variation in technical efficiency is estimated. Technical efficiency estimates reveal that there is substantial room for improvement in both continental sub-sets and that TFP estimates show on average larger rates of growth for South-East Asian countries as compared to Central-Western African countries. Results indicate that TFP is mostly driven by technical change and countries such as Benin, and Gambia display catch-up.Bayesian Inference, Stochastic Production Frontier, Time Varying Technical Inefficiency, Total Factor Productivity Growth, Tropical Agricultural Systems, Farm Management, Productivity Analysis, C15, D24, O47,

EU-wide Distributional Effects of EU Direct Payments Harmonization analyzed with CAPRI

We argue in this paper that available econometric estimates of farmers’ risk aversion do not measure true farmers’ preferences towards risky outcomes. Available analyses are mostly of static nature and indeed measure the parameters of the synthetic optimal value function rather than the deep parameters of the utility functions. We derive analytical and empirical results in a simple dynamic and stochastic framework showing that that there is not a simple relationship between utility functions and value functions when agents have many decision variables. In particular we find that the value function does not necessarily exhibit DARA when the instantaneous utility function satisfies DARA and conversely. We recommend performing dynamic econometric estimation with at least farm production and consumption data.distributional effects, SPS, flat-rate payment, CAP reform, farm level model, CAPRI farm type layer, International Relations/Trade, Q11, Q12, Q18,

Facing the future: strategies and investment behaviour of polish farmers

This paper analyses farm-household strategies and investment behaviour of Polish farmers with a particular focus on the perceived effects of CAP. The paper is based on a survey of Polish farmers carried out in 2006 on a sample of 63 farms. Farmers where selected in order to fit in the intersection of the following categories: different altitudes (plain/mountain); different specialisation (arable crops, livestock, fruit trees), different technology (conventional, organic). The survey includes information about farm and household structure, expectations, reaction to planned and intended investment, as well as about potential reforms such as decoupling of EU payments. Results show multifaceted expectations toward the future. The main objectives expressed by farmers are to reduce income uncertainty and to increase household worth. CAP payments are normally used on farm and concentrated on covering current costs and investment expenditure. The perspective of decoupling is expected to produce either no change or an increase of on farm investment.Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Single Farm Payment (SFP), decoupling, impact analysis, Poland, investment behaviour., Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,

Impact of rural poverty reduction strategies: The case of smallholders in Sierra Leone

The present analysis, which exploits one of the first empirical data collected from smallholders in Sierra Leone since the end of the civil war, compares the impact of two poverty reduction strategies targeting smallholders in Sierra Leone: support to rice production is compared with support to coffee and cocoa production in terms of sustainable income generation and contributing to macroeconomic stability and growth. Supporting rice production is intended to help the country regain self-sufficiency in its traditional principle staple. This will help towards improving food security and reducing dependency on volatile world market prices which, for example, with respect to the recent global spike has had dramatic effects on the lowest incomes. Support to cocoa and coffee production on the other hand aims to create and increase income by producing exportable commodities with higher value added. This research addresses strategic options most successful in improving food security and accelerating economic development. Additionally, bottlenecks in terms of inputs, infrastructure and social and economic factors are identified and analysed in order to isolate those which once improved will impact most on productivity. The results are discussed within a broader economic and socio-economic context in particular with respect to enhanced targeting and impact of Official Development Assistance.Agriculture, Poverty, Official Development Assistance, Sierra Leone, Food Security and Poverty, O1, Q1,