Contributions to the 4th young scientists workshop on agricultural development in Central and Eastern Europe

This Discussion Paper contains the greater part of the contributions to the Young Scientists Workshop on Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO, September 4-5, 2006). After last years' positive response, the workshop has been organized for the fourth time and has a solid number of contributions. The aim of this annual event is to give young scientists the opportunity to present and discuss their transition-related research. The following short versions of the workshop contributions serve as a basis for discussion during the workshop, but also offer a cross-sectional overview of current research being carried out by young scientists. Although the issues covered by the workshop contributions are quite diverse, they share a common interest in evaluating the impact of institutional and policy changes on agricultural and rural development at the current stage of transition. Regionally, the contributions focus on the new member states of the European Union, as well as countries of South Eastern Europe. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: Dieses Diskussionspapier enthält den größten Teil der Beiträge, die im Rahmen des Workshops zur Agrarentwicklung in Mittel- und Osteuropa für Doktoranden und kürzlich auch Promovierte vorgestellt und diskutiert werden. Dieser Workshop findet zum vierten Mal am IAMO statt, dieses Jahr vom 4. bis 5. September. Ziel der Veranstaltung ist es, Nachwuchswissenschaftlern die Möglichkeit zu geben, ihre Forschungsvorhaben zu präsentieren und zu diskutieren. Die folgenden Kurzfassungen sollen allerdings nicht nur als Diskussionsgrundlage für den Workshop dienen, sondern auch einen kleinen Überblick über die gegenwärtige Nachwuchsforschung im Agrarbereich zu Mittel- und Osteuropa vermitteln. Auch wenn die Workshopbeiträge ein sehr breites Themenspektrum abdecken, beschäftigen sie sich alle mit der Analyse der Wirkung von politischen und institutionellen Änderungen auf die Entwicklung ländlicher Räume und des Agrarsektors im gegenwärtigen Stadium des Transformationsprozesses. Regional konzentrieren sich die Beiträge auf die neuen Mitgliedsländer der Europäischen Union und die Länder Südosteuropas.

Documentation of a multi-topic questionnaire-based survey on sustainable resource use in rural China

This Discussion Paper documents a survey conducted in rural China in 2005. A multi-topic survey funded by the Sino-German international Training Program Sustainable Resource Use in North China, the project covers farm management, land property rights and rural credit access on the North China Plain. From a credit standpoint, this paper covers questionnaire design, sample, survey implementation, data entry, a brief assessment of the overall experience, as well as lessons drawn. -- G E R M A N V E R S I O N: Dieses Diskussionspapier dokumentiert die im ländlichen China im Jahre 2005 durchgeführte Erhebung. Diese ist durch eine Vielzahl von Themen gekennzeichnet und durch das Sino-German International Training Program Sustainable Resource Use in North China in China gefördert. So werden unter anderem Farm-Management, Eigentumsrechte an Land und Verfügbarkeit von Krediten im ländlichen Raum des nordchinesischen Flachlandes betrachtet. Hinsichtlich der Kreditverfügbarkeit wird die Ausgestaltung des Fragebogens, die Stichproben erhebung, die Umfrageimplementierung, der Dateneintrag, die Ausreißer und Fehlwerte betrachtet sowie eine kurze Aussage zu den Erfahrungen und Erkenntnissen gemacht.Questionnaire,Survey,Credit access,Household model,Categorical variables,Stata,Fragebogen,Erhebung,Kreditverfügbarkeit,Datenbearbeitung

Effects of rural non-farm employment on economic vulnerability and income distribution of small farms in Croatia

Replaced with revised version of paper 10/06/09.rural non-farm employment, rural poverty, Croatia, income distribution, Agribusiness, International Development, Labor and Human Capital, Q12, P25, O15, O18,

Structural change in Europe's rural regions: Farm livelihoods between subsistence orientation, modernisation and non-farm diversification

The contributions in this edited volume constitute the mini-symposium on 'Structural change in Europe's rural regions - Farm livelihoods between subsistence orientation, modernization and non-farm diversification' at the international conference of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) on 'The New Landscape of Global Agriculture' in Beijing, China, August 16-22, 2009. Table of contents: Can we really talk about structural change? The issue of small-scale farms in rural Poland; Tomasz Wolek (WUDES) ...1-22 The role of farm activities for overcoming rural poverty in Romania; Cosmin Salasan (USAMVB) & Jana Fritzsch (IAMO)...23-41 Comparative Analysis of the contribution of subsistence production to household incomes in five EU New Member States: Lessons learnt; Sophia Davidova (UNIKENT), Lena Fredriksson (UNIKENT), Matthew Gorton (UNEW), Plamen Mishev (UNWE) & Dan Petrovici (UNIKENT)...43-68 The flexibility of family farms in Poland; Swetlana Renner, Heinrich Hockmann, Agata Pieniadz, & Thomas Glauben (IAMO)...69-89 Agriculture and rural structural change: An analysis of the experience of past accessions in selected EU15 regions; Carmen Hubbard & Matthew Gorton (UNEW)...91-112 Expanding biogas production in Germany and Hungary: Good prospects for small scale farms?; Lioudmila Möller (IAMO)...113-133 Impact of topical policies on the future of small-scale farms in Poland - A multiobjective approach; Stefan Wegener (IAMO), Jana Fritzsch (IAMO), Gertrud Buchenrieder (IAMO), Jarmila Curtiss (IPTS), & Sergio Gomez y Paloma (IPTS)...135-160 --

A Synthesis of Theoretical Concepts for Analysing Non-Farm Rural Employment

Employment diversification is a major livelihood strategy in rural areas and is thus a focal point of the ongoing rural development debate. The issue of non-farm diversification is undoubtedly complex and its determinants are difficult to identify. Increasingly, there is a need to address, clarify and bring together theoretical concepts for analysing non-farm rural employment (NFRE). With this in mind, the objective of this paper is to summarize and link existing theories and to introduce some new aspects with regard to modelling NFRE and employment diversification. NFRE dynamics are closely interrelated with the institutional framework and its incentives and constraints. The behaviour of rural decision-makers also depends on fundamental determinants such as norms and attitudes. The Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) and the demand-pull and distress-push concept focus on the motives and the context in which diversification strategies evolve. To depict economic incentives we will introduce a welfare model which explains the labour allocation processes. We will show that benefits do not only arise for demand-pull shifters, who take up better paid non-farm employment, but also for distress-push shifters, whose incentive to engage in low-paid non-farm activities is to raise aggregate household income. Finally, the decision-making process itself will form the focus of a behaviour model. It also follows the logic of rational choice and can be integrated into the discussion of a synthesis of concepts for the analysis of NFRE. This, in turn, is meant to provide the basis for future empirical research, as well as serve as a thought-provoking impulse for policy makers.rural non-farm employment, diversification, theoretical framework, Labor and Human Capital, O18, Q12,

Insurance preferences of smallholders : results from an adaptive conjoint analysis in Northern Vietnam

Livestock plays a pivotal role for smallholder production systems in mountainous Northern Vietnam. Poor rural farm households are vulnerable and their livelihood systems are often so fragile and finely-balanced that a small misfortune can destabilize the households for many years. Economic risks, especially loss of livestock, are one of the major reasons for slipping into poverty. Normally, insurance systems could step in here. In developing countries however, insurance markets are usually underdeveloped. Empirical research reveals that raising livestock and selling it in case of a livelihood emergency is a particularly popular risk management strategy. Based on the results of a computer-based Adaptive Conjoint Analysis (ACA) with 155 responding households of different ethnic minority groups in Son La and Bac Kan provinces of Northern Vietnam, this article examines insurance preferences of rural farm households. In general, smallholders are very interested in livestock insurance. The ‘insured animal’ is the most important attribute for all respondents and the buffalo is the highest valued animal. However, the critical issue is how to design the insurance package. It is argued that the provision of adapted livestock insurance could help decreasing household vulnerability by a forward looking risk management strategy. Insurance preferences of smallholders are presented and policy recommendations are given to improve the overall situation of vulnerable households in mountainous Northern Vietnam.Risk management, livestock insurance, adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA), Vietnam, Risk and Uncertainty,

Conceptual framework for analysing structural change in agriculture and rural livelihoods

The Deliverable 2.1 (D2.1) of the SCARLED project provides the conceptual framework for analysing structural change in agriculture and rural livelihoods in the NMS and established Member States of the EU. It concisely summarizes the underlying theories and concepts of the pertinent research issues in SCARLED. SCARLED addresses a topic of wide interest with regard to the identification of past and future key social and agricultural restructuring processes for a living countryside in the NMS. Methodologically, the topic is approached by comparative, structured multi-country farm surveys complemented by an analysis of structural changes in the farm sectors of two selected regions with the agent-based simulation model AgriPoliS, taking special account of demographic changes. In addition, SCARLED studies success stories of rural development in selected regions of five established Member States. For all topics covered by the SCARLED workpackages, the most relevant literature has been reviewed. The driving forces of structural change and rural livelihoods are identified and discussed in detail. All subsequent SCARLED analyses and methodological approaches will refer to this document. On the basis of this conceptual framework paper, the framework for the survey tool is established and will be further developed to serve the needs of the empirically based workpackages. The analysis of rural development success stories in established Member States will use the common methodological framework outlined in D2.1. The literature used in D2.1 is customized in Endnotes, a software system for managing bibliographies. Furthermore, it is noted that outputs and new developments in SCARLED will be documented on the project's homepage - www.scarled.eu. --

Targeting of and outreach to the poor by rural development nonprofit organizations in Cameroon

The importance of nonprofit organizations such as rural development organizations, farmers associations and common initiative groups as drivers of change in rural areas has been generally recognized in the economics of nonprofit organizations. While the economic theories attempt to explain the formation and functioning of nonprofit organizations, the targeting and outreach performance of these organizations has received little attention and at best is empirically divergent. Using the example of a nonprofit rural development organization in North West Cameroon, this paper analyzes the relative poverty of beneficiaries and non beneficiaries of its small scale fish farming program as a proxy for targeting efficiency. Poverty is measured through multiple indicators as well as household incomes. The results show that the nonprofit organization did a commendable job in serving poor communities, although its self targeting approach led to a disproportionately higher share of beneficiaries from the moderately poor and better-off terciles than from the poorest. Beneficiaries also had higher asset values and incomes than nonbeneficiaries, although the contribution of the fish farming activity to these was insignificant. This means that these households were already better-off prior to the program and not necessarily as a consequence of service delivery. The paper concludes with the need for relative poverty assessments prior to service delivery for improved targeting and outreach performance, while considering the additional costs involved.nonprofit organizations, targeting, poverty, Cameroon, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Security and Poverty, L31, I30, O18,

Renewable energy and its impact on agricultural and rural development: Findings of a comparative study in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe

Rising energy prices for fossil fuels, the unreliable supply of energy imports during the last winters and - concerning the 12 new members states (NMS) - the demand by the European Union (EU) for developing National Renewable Energy Action Plans have stimulated the national discussion and political action on renewable energy (RE) among all European countries. Particularly among the 12 NMS the share of RE has increased during the last years. Among the candidate and potential candidate countries (CC and PCC) the discussion on RE has just started. When looking at the impact of RE on agricultural and rural development the effects are relatively small. An expansion of rape seed cultivation and, to a smaller extent, of the production of wood pellets could be observed. But overall the impact of RE on agricultural and rural income and employment seems to be marginal up to now. Whether it will be so in the future, depends on national policies and support programme as none of the various types of RE is competitive to fossil fuels for the time being. -- Die öffentliche Diskussion sowie die politischen Maßnahmen im Hinblick auf erneuerbare Energien haben im Laufe der vergangenen Jahre bei allen europäischen Staaten erheblich zugenommen. Die Gründe liegen bei den stetig steigenden Preisen für fossile Energieträger, den unzuverlässigen Lieferungen in den vergangenen Wintern sowie - besonders bei den 12 Neuen Mitgliedsstaaten (NMS) der Europäischen Union (EU) - die verbindliche Maßgabe, einen Nationalen Aktionsplan für Erneuerbare Energien zu entwickeln. Besonders innerhalb der 12 NMS hat der Anteil der erneuerbaren Energie am Gesamtenergieverbrauch zugenommen. Allerdings sind die Auswirkungen der erweiterten Nutzung von erneuerbaren Energien auf die landwirtschaftliche und ländliche Entwicklung bis dato relativ gering. Lediglich eine Ausweitung des Rapsanbau sowie in einem geringerem Maße von Holzpellets war zu beobachten. Die Auswirkungen auf Einkommen und Beschäftigung sind jedoch (noch) marginal. Inwieweit sich dies in der Zukunft ändern wird, hängt von den nationalen Politiken und Unterstützungsprogrammen ab, da bis jetzt keine Art der erneuerbaren Energien gegenüber den fossilen Brennstoffen konkurrenzfähig ist.Renewable energy,comparative survey,agricultural and rural development,New members states of the EU,candidate and potential candidate countries,Erneuerbare Energien,vergleichende Analyse,landwirtschaftliche und ländliche Entwicklung,Neue Mitgliedsstaaten sowie (potenzielle) Beitrittsländer der EU.

Agent Behavior under Risky and Uncertain Conditions. An Empirical Verification of Irving Fisher’s Notion of Time Preference

Irving Fisher's theory on time preference in the 1930s arguably influenced the analysis of agents' current behavior with respect to future outcomes. By suggesting linear discount rates implying rational and self-interested motives of agents, Fisher substantiated neoclassical economic thinking. However, Fisher's notion of time preference, the choice between present and future enjoyment that actually integrates a psychological discounting component has not received similar attention in the scholarly literature. This paper aims at closing this gap. It empirically examines agent behavior under uncertain conditions culminating from natural shocks, and differentiates the psychic from the physical component. To empirically test Fisher's notion of time preference, we analyze disaster households from the 1986 Lake Nyos natural shock in rural Cameroon. We look at differences in incomes for impatient households, who illegally moved back to the disaster area and more patient and stationary households in official resettlement camps. Results show that, contrary to Fisher's contention, wealth is positively correlated with impatience. Households in the disaster zone display higher incomes than stationary ones. This finding assumes that differences in incomes existed before the movement. The results lead us to conclude that Irving Fisher's theory is only partially relevant in explaining agent behavior under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Partiality is attributed by the finding that impatience was rather positively correlated with income, with the exception of social capital. The results lead us to conclude that Irving Fisher's theory is only partially relevant in explaining agent behavior under conditions of risk and uncertainty.Risks, uncertainty, agent behavior, Fisher, time preference, Cameroon, Risk and Uncertainty,