Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture

Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture

Author: Ward, Patrick S.

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2016-05-13

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Land degradation and soil erosion have emerged as serious challenges to smallholder farmers throughout southern Africa. To combat these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted as a sustainable package of agricultural practices. Despite the many potential benefits of CA, however, adoption remains low. Yet relatively little is known about the decision-making process in choosing to adopt CA. This article attempts to fill this important knowledge gap by studying CA adoption in southern Malawi. Unlike what is implicitly assumed when these packages of practices are introduced, farmers view adoption as a series of independent decisions rather than a single decision. Yet the adoption decisions are not wholly independent. We find strong evidence of interrelated decisions, particularly among mulching crop residues and practicing zero tillage, suggesting that mulching residues and intercropping or rotating with legumes introduces a multiplier effect on the adoption of zero tillage.


Book Synopsis Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture by : Ward, Patrick S.

Download or read book Understanding compliance in programs promoting conservation agriculture written by Ward, Patrick S. and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2016-05-13 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Land degradation and soil erosion have emerged as serious challenges to smallholder farmers throughout southern Africa. To combat these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA) is widely promoted as a sustainable package of agricultural practices. Despite the many potential benefits of CA, however, adoption remains low. Yet relatively little is known about the decision-making process in choosing to adopt CA. This article attempts to fill this important knowledge gap by studying CA adoption in southern Malawi. Unlike what is implicitly assumed when these packages of practices are introduced, farmers view adoption as a series of independent decisions rather than a single decision. Yet the adoption decisions are not wholly independent. We find strong evidence of interrelated decisions, particularly among mulching crop residues and practicing zero tillage, suggesting that mulching residues and intercropping or rotating with legumes introduces a multiplier effect on the adoption of zero tillage.

Rent Dispersion in the US Agricultural Insurance Industry

Rent Dispersion in the US Agricultural Insurance Industry

Author: Smith, Vincent H.

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2016-05-20

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A central, but inadequately explored issue with respect to subsidized crop insurance programs concerns the costs of delivering insurance coverage to farmers. This study examines that issue in the context of the heavily subsidized US crop insurance program which has often been put forward as a model for agricultural insurance programs in other countries. US Government programs often rely on private firms to deliver income transfers or services, which then establish their own rent-seeking lobbies, which are shared with input suppliers. This rent dispersion process is examined in the context of the U.S. agricultural insurance industry, which receives as much as one third of the annual subsidies that support the federal crop insurance program. We find that as total payments to insurance companies increased between 2001 and 2009, an increasingly large share of the agricultural insurance industry’s rents accrued to insurance agents, although in markets where insurance companies possessed some oligopsony power, agent payments are smaller. The findings also suggest that the insurance industry (companies and independent agents) would almost surely provide the same service for substantially less than the gross revenues from the subsidies and underwriting gains they received.


Book Synopsis Rent Dispersion in the US Agricultural Insurance Industry by : Smith, Vincent H.

Download or read book Rent Dispersion in the US Agricultural Insurance Industry written by Smith, Vincent H. and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2016-05-20 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A central, but inadequately explored issue with respect to subsidized crop insurance programs concerns the costs of delivering insurance coverage to farmers. This study examines that issue in the context of the heavily subsidized US crop insurance program which has often been put forward as a model for agricultural insurance programs in other countries. US Government programs often rely on private firms to deliver income transfers or services, which then establish their own rent-seeking lobbies, which are shared with input suppliers. This rent dispersion process is examined in the context of the U.S. agricultural insurance industry, which receives as much as one third of the annual subsidies that support the federal crop insurance program. We find that as total payments to insurance companies increased between 2001 and 2009, an increasingly large share of the agricultural insurance industry’s rents accrued to insurance agents, although in markets where insurance companies possessed some oligopsony power, agent payments are smaller. The findings also suggest that the insurance industry (companies and independent agents) would almost surely provide the same service for substantially less than the gross revenues from the subsidies and underwriting gains they received.

Relative roles and limits of extension approaches in promoting sustainable agricultural management practices: Analysis of nationally representative panel data from Malawi

Relative roles and limits of extension approaches in promoting sustainable agricultural management practices: Analysis of nationally representative panel data from Malawi

Author: Ragasa, Catherine

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2021-12-08

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Low-cost and sustainable agricultural management practices are being promoted in many countries but continue to face low adoption among farmers. We tracked the awareness and adoption among farmers of a number of practices―soil cover, minimum tillage, crop rotation, intercropping, crop diversification, crop residue incorporation, pit planting, water harvesting, and organic fertilizer―in two rounds of a nationally representative rural household survey in Malawi. Survey data and focus group discussions are used to understand the factors explaining the variations in farmers’ awareness and adoption of these practices. Results show a strong positive effect of extension services receipt on farmers’ awareness of these practices but no effect on farmers’ adoption of most of the practices being promoted, except for crop residue incorporation and organic fertilizer use. Receipt of input subsidy does not influence the adoption of these practices. Both survey data and focus group discussions highlight the need for intensive and iterative engagement between service providers and farmers to fully communicate, learn, and adapt to these management practices.


Book Synopsis Relative roles and limits of extension approaches in promoting sustainable agricultural management practices: Analysis of nationally representative panel data from Malawi by : Ragasa, Catherine

Download or read book Relative roles and limits of extension approaches in promoting sustainable agricultural management practices: Analysis of nationally representative panel data from Malawi written by Ragasa, Catherine and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2021-12-08 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Low-cost and sustainable agricultural management practices are being promoted in many countries but continue to face low adoption among farmers. We tracked the awareness and adoption among farmers of a number of practices―soil cover, minimum tillage, crop rotation, intercropping, crop diversification, crop residue incorporation, pit planting, water harvesting, and organic fertilizer―in two rounds of a nationally representative rural household survey in Malawi. Survey data and focus group discussions are used to understand the factors explaining the variations in farmers’ awareness and adoption of these practices. Results show a strong positive effect of extension services receipt on farmers’ awareness of these practices but no effect on farmers’ adoption of most of the practices being promoted, except for crop residue incorporation and organic fertilizer use. Receipt of input subsidy does not influence the adoption of these practices. Both survey data and focus group discussions highlight the need for intensive and iterative engagement between service providers and farmers to fully communicate, learn, and adapt to these management practices.

Achieving sustainable agricultural practices: From incentives to adoption and outcomes

Achieving sustainable agricultural practices: From incentives to adoption and outcomes

Author: Piñeiro, Valeria

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2021-02-06

Total Pages: 4

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Sustainable agricultural practices enable more efficient use of natural resources, mitigate the impact of agriculture on the environment, and strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change and climate variability. Because these practices usually require substantial effort or resource allocation from farmers, incentives are necessary to support farmer adoption. Despite growing interest, there has been little systematic evaluation of the incentives–adoption–outcome chain—that is, which incentives best promote adoption and which lead to desired sustainability outcomes. This brief presents the results of a literature review that examined (1) uptake agricultural practices under three kinds of incentives, market and nonmarket, regulations, and cross-compliance, and (2) the impact on productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. Based on this review, it offers a set of seven tested principles to follow in designing and implementing incentives for sustainable agriculture.


Book Synopsis Achieving sustainable agricultural practices: From incentives to adoption and outcomes by : Piñeiro, Valeria

Download or read book Achieving sustainable agricultural practices: From incentives to adoption and outcomes written by Piñeiro, Valeria and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2021-02-06 with total page 4 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable agricultural practices enable more efficient use of natural resources, mitigate the impact of agriculture on the environment, and strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change and climate variability. Because these practices usually require substantial effort or resource allocation from farmers, incentives are necessary to support farmer adoption. Despite growing interest, there has been little systematic evaluation of the incentives–adoption–outcome chain—that is, which incentives best promote adoption and which lead to desired sustainability outcomes. This brief presents the results of a literature review that examined (1) uptake agricultural practices under three kinds of incentives, market and nonmarket, regulations, and cross-compliance, and (2) the impact on productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. Based on this review, it offers a set of seven tested principles to follow in designing and implementing incentives for sustainable agriculture.

Farm Programs

Farm Programs

Author: United States. General Accounting Office

Publisher:

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 48

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis Farm Programs by : United States. General Accounting Office

Download or read book Farm Programs written by United States. General Accounting Office and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

United States agricultural policy

United States agricultural policy

Author: Glauber, Joseph W.

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2016-07-20

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This paper examines the development of US agricultural policy and considers how it has affected US consumers and producers, as well as how US programs affect foreign producers and consumers within the context of the United States’ obligations under the World Trade Organization. Throughout its history, the United States has supported the farm sector through a myriad of policies affecting prices, production, and farm incomes. Although many of the policies put in place during the New Deal legislation in the 1930s were seen as temporary at the time, most have persisted in one form or another to the present day. And while many would argue that the form and function of today’s agricultural programs are less distortionary than before, the level of support provided to the sector is several billion dollars annually.


Book Synopsis United States agricultural policy by : Glauber, Joseph W.

Download or read book United States agricultural policy written by Glauber, Joseph W. and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2016-07-20 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines the development of US agricultural policy and considers how it has affected US consumers and producers, as well as how US programs affect foreign producers and consumers within the context of the United States’ obligations under the World Trade Organization. Throughout its history, the United States has supported the farm sector through a myriad of policies affecting prices, production, and farm incomes. Although many of the policies put in place during the New Deal legislation in the 1930s were seen as temporary at the time, most have persisted in one form or another to the present day. And while many would argue that the form and function of today’s agricultural programs are less distortionary than before, the level of support provided to the sector is several billion dollars annually.

Implementation of the Conservation Compliance Provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985

Implementation of the Conservation Compliance Provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985

Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development

Publisher:

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK


Book Synopsis Implementation of the Conservation Compliance Provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 by : United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development

Download or read book Implementation of the Conservation Compliance Provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985 written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Agricultural Inputs Policy Under Macroeconomic Uncertainty

Agricultural Inputs Policy Under Macroeconomic Uncertainty

Author: Resnick, Danielle

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2016-08-26

Total Pages: 45

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Ghana’s Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (GFSP) was initiated in 2008 in response to the global food and fuel price crisis. Although initially intended to be a temporary measure that became increasingly expensive as Ghana’s macroeconomy deteriorated, farmers, civil society organizations, and politicians began to expect the subsidy on an annual basis. This paper applies the kaleidoscope model for agricultur and food security policy change to the case of GFSP. In doing so, it uses a variety of analytical tools to highlight how many of the weak outcomes of GFSP can be attributed to the nature of the broader policy process that has surrounded GFSP as well as the underlying political and institutional context in which policy making occurs in Ghana. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with knowledgeable stakeholders spanning the government, donor, civil society, and research communities, the paper identifies the bottlenecks that need to be addressed if the program is to be more effective in the future.


Book Synopsis Agricultural Inputs Policy Under Macroeconomic Uncertainty by : Resnick, Danielle

Download or read book Agricultural Inputs Policy Under Macroeconomic Uncertainty written by Resnick, Danielle and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2016-08-26 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ghana’s Fertilizer Subsidy Programme (GFSP) was initiated in 2008 in response to the global food and fuel price crisis. Although initially intended to be a temporary measure that became increasingly expensive as Ghana’s macroeconomy deteriorated, farmers, civil society organizations, and politicians began to expect the subsidy on an annual basis. This paper applies the kaleidoscope model for agricultur and food security policy change to the case of GFSP. In doing so, it uses a variety of analytical tools to highlight how many of the weak outcomes of GFSP can be attributed to the nature of the broader policy process that has surrounded GFSP as well as the underlying political and institutional context in which policy making occurs in Ghana. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with knowledgeable stakeholders spanning the government, donor, civil society, and research communities, the paper identifies the bottlenecks that need to be addressed if the program is to be more effective in the future.

Does female labor scarcity encourage innovation?

Does female labor scarcity encourage innovation?

Author: Tan, Zhibo

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2016-07-01

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Facing scarcity of a production factor, a firm can develop technologies to either substitute the scarce factor (price effect) or complement the more abundant factors (market size effect). Whether the market size effect or the price effect dominates largely depends on the elasticity of substitution among factors according to the theory of directed technical change. However, it is a great challenge to empirically test the theory because factor prices are often endogenously determined. In this paper, we use imbalanced sex ratios across Chinese provinces as a source of identification strategy to test how female labor scarcity affects corporate innovation based on the matched dataset of annual surveys of industrial firms in China and the national patent database. In regions with a large male population, female-intensive industries face more serious problems finding female workers than their male-intensive counterparts. We find that such female shortages have spurred firms in female-intensive industries to innovate more. The pattern is much more evident in industries with low substitution between female and male workers than in those with high substitution, consistent with the predictions of directed technical change theory.


Book Synopsis Does female labor scarcity encourage innovation? by : Tan, Zhibo

Download or read book Does female labor scarcity encourage innovation? written by Tan, Zhibo and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Facing scarcity of a production factor, a firm can develop technologies to either substitute the scarce factor (price effect) or complement the more abundant factors (market size effect). Whether the market size effect or the price effect dominates largely depends on the elasticity of substitution among factors according to the theory of directed technical change. However, it is a great challenge to empirically test the theory because factor prices are often endogenously determined. In this paper, we use imbalanced sex ratios across Chinese provinces as a source of identification strategy to test how female labor scarcity affects corporate innovation based on the matched dataset of annual surveys of industrial firms in China and the national patent database. In regions with a large male population, female-intensive industries face more serious problems finding female workers than their male-intensive counterparts. We find that such female shortages have spurred firms in female-intensive industries to innovate more. The pattern is much more evident in industries with low substitution between female and male workers than in those with high substitution, consistent with the predictions of directed technical change theory.

Anchoring Bias in Recall Data

Anchoring Bias in Recall Data

Author: Godlonton, Susan

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2016-05-20

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Understanding the magnitude and source of measurement biases in self-reported data is critical to effective economic policy research. This paper examines the role of anchoring bias in self-reports of objective and subjective outcomes under recall. The research exploits a unique panel survey data set collected over a three-year period from four countries in Central America. It assesses whether respondents use their reported value of specific measures from the most recent survey period as a cognitive heuristic when recalling the value from a previous period, while controlling for the value they reported earlier. We find strong evidence of sizable anchoring bias in self-reported retrospective indicators for both objective measures (household and per capita income, wages, and hours spent on the household’s main activity) and subjective measures (reports of happiness, health, stress, and well-being). In general, we also observe a larger bias in response to negative changes for objective indicators and a larger bias in response to positive changes for subjective indicators.


Book Synopsis Anchoring Bias in Recall Data by : Godlonton, Susan

Download or read book Anchoring Bias in Recall Data written by Godlonton, Susan and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2016-05-20 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the magnitude and source of measurement biases in self-reported data is critical to effective economic policy research. This paper examines the role of anchoring bias in self-reports of objective and subjective outcomes under recall. The research exploits a unique panel survey data set collected over a three-year period from four countries in Central America. It assesses whether respondents use their reported value of specific measures from the most recent survey period as a cognitive heuristic when recalling the value from a previous period, while controlling for the value they reported earlier. We find strong evidence of sizable anchoring bias in self-reported retrospective indicators for both objective measures (household and per capita income, wages, and hours spent on the household’s main activity) and subjective measures (reports of happiness, health, stress, and well-being). In general, we also observe a larger bias in response to negative changes for objective indicators and a larger bias in response to positive changes for subjective indicators.