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Thomas Böcker The effectiveness of policy measures to control pesticide applications depends on the farmer’s reaction to such changes. This highlights the relevance of exante analyses to identify effective measures. However, current analysis approaches are lacking, because aggregated variables or insufficient effectiveness of pesticides are used. For the example of German maize production, we present a detailed output damage control approach to identify the economically optimal herbicide application strategy, making use of weed spread data, herbicide effectiveness data and economic variables. Building upon this methodology, an implementation of pesticide applications into larger farm models is possible to better analyse pesticide’s policy measures. The effectiveness of policy measures to control pesticide applications depends on the farmer’s reaction to such changes. This highlights the relevance of exante analyses to identify effective measures. This paper provides a new and sufficiently detailed methodology to represent technology of pesticide application and related choices. We present an output damage control approach to identify the economically optimal herbicide application strategy for German maize production. Contrary to current approaches, it makes use of weed spread data and herbicide effectiveness data. The model is suitable for implementation into larger farm models for better analysis of pesticide policy measures. Till The German action program implementing the EU-Nitrates directive was revised in 2017 as a reaction to failing existing environmental goals. Its detailed environmental outcome and cost-efficiency at farm level has, to our knowledge, not been analyzed yet. We combine a bio-economic, mixed-integer, single farm optimization model with results from a plant modeling framework. The models are parameterized for typical farms in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Our results indicate substantial reduction of different nitrogen compounds as well as combined benefits for not targeted emissions like methane. Abatement costs come close to estimated minimal costs, hinting at a cost-efficient policy at farm level. The German implementation of the EU-Nitrates directive is revised in 2017. Its detailed environmental outcome and cost-efficiency at farm level has not been analyzed yet. We combine a unique, dynamic, bio-economic, mixed-integer, single farm optimization model with results from a plant modeling framework adapted to this task in terms of Nitrogen representation. The models are parameterized for typical farms in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Our results indicate a substantial reduction of nitrogen compounds as well as benefits for not-targeted emissions like methane. Abatement costs come close to estimated minimal costs, hinting at a cost-efficient policy at farm level. Mgeni Promoting rural employment, by creating new jobs in rural areas and upgrading the existing ones, could be a pathway to reduce rural poverty. However, many countries in the developing world including Tanzania, lack the required capacities and data to provide evidencebased policymaking. This paper assesses the performance of sunflower value chain on employment for rural economy in Tanzania, using a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) at the village level. Findings show that performance of the sunflower value chain in Tanzania in terms of rural employment is determined by the type of jobs created at each node of the chain. Introducing technological innovations in rural value chains could contribute to reduce rural poverty in developing countries. There is still strong need for evidence-based assessment of policy interventions. This paper evaluates the impact of the introduction of a mechanical oil extractor within the sunflower value chain in Tanzania. A comparison of Social Accounting Matrices (SAMs) before and after the intervention and a CGE analyses for a semi-arid and a semi-humid region is performed. Results show that the share of households under the poverty threshold decreases slightly following the creation of higher paying jobs and increased market revenues for sunflowers. Biobased products have the potential to reduce the dependency of our economy on fossil resources. However, consumer acceptance and market success varies highly between product categories. Hence, this study investigates why these products are perceived differently. By conducting a discrete choice experiment, german consumers (N=144) made purchasing decisions between biobased and oilbased products within different categories (medicines, cosmetics, plastics), and individual consumer attitudes were measured. The results show that risk and benefit perceptions significantly vary between product categories which in turn affects the likelihood of purchasing decision. In general, low benefit perceptions of biobased products should be addressed by companies. Bio-based products have the potential to reduce the dependency of our economy on fossil resources. However, market penetration varies highly between product categories. This paper analyzes differences in consumer’s risk and benefit perception between product categories. In a discrete choice experiment, German consumers (N=144) make purchasing decisions between bio- and oil-based products for medicines, cosmetics, and plastics. Results show that risk and benefit perceptions vary significantly (and independently) between product categories. The likelihood of purchasing cosmetics is strongly affected by the low benefit perception of bio-based products. (think about characterizing and choosing the product categories to reflect strong differenced with respect to certain attributes….functionality, price, frequency of use, ‘importance’...?) Tibor In recent decades the Norwegian dairy industry has undergone substantial changes and experienced extensive restructuring. Our interest is to detect the causes and effects between the transforming quota rules in an inter-temporal manner and developments of dairy productivity. Input-oriented primal Luenberger total factor productivity index is estimated in order to observe the potential dynamic linkages of production decisions under the examined periods. The differentiated mobility of dairy production rights in space implied by three different phases of dairy quota regulation cause significantly different productivity advancements. In recent decades the Norwegian dairy industry has undergone substantial changes and experienced extensive restructuring. It is hypothesized that the level of mobility of quota rights within and across regions impacts on productivity developments. Our aim is to detect the influence of different quota regulations on dairy productivity development. An input-oriented primal Luenberger total factor productivity index is calculated for the three different quota periods with different mobility regimes. Results reveal little impact of the differentiated quota periods as investments depending on other factors are more important for productivity developments. Assignment 5_Abstract_Zhao Ding Microcredit has been developing for several years as a service for poor borrowers who have been suffering from financial shortage. While the optimal structures of microcredit products are still in the air. We conducted a discrete choice experiment in China, to determine smallholders’ willingness to pay for microloan under the consideration of preference heterogeneity and attribute nonattendance using random parameter logit, latent class and endogenous attribute attendance models. Results indicate smallholders are potentially willing to pay higher interest rate, the combination of repayment schedule, interest rate, loan size and collateral method of current programs are far from optimal given estimates. Even though microcredit services are widely implemented, the optimal design is still strongly debated. This paper contributes to the debate by assessing the preference trade-off of different microcredit attributes more comprehensively than in previous analyses. We conduct a discrete choice experiment in China to determine smallholders’ willingness-to-pay for microcredit services with varying attribute combinations. A mixed logit is estimated taking preference heterogeneity and endogenous attribute attendance into account. Results indicate that service providers do not have to lower interest rates to attract new customers, if the combination of repayment schedule, interest rate, loan size and collateral method is appropriately adjusted. Nga, Pham Thi Thanh Climate change is expected to exacerbate negative impacts on the livelihood of most rural households that are contingent largely on agriculture. In that, flash flood and landslide, which lead to great losses of people and property, are getting more and more concern of researchers globally. In this context, an intensive research in order to estimate vulnerability level of smallholder farmers to these hazards was carried out, applying the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI). This survey collected data on socio-demographics, livelihood strategies, social networks, health, food, water, hazard impacts and climate variability from 405 households in Yen Bai province, one of the poor provinces frequently affected by flash floods and landslides. The final result indicated that food is the most vulnerable component under the impacts of flash floods and landslides. Due to climate change, flash floods and landslides increasingly threaten farm households and consequently receive rising attention by researchers as well. The objective of this paper is to estimate vulnerability to these hazards of smallholder farmers in the Yen Bai province, Vietnam. We apply the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) collecting data on livelihood strategies, social networks, health, food, water, hazard impacts and climate variability from 405 households. High availability of food and water before the events and functioning social networks decrease most strongly the vulnerability of the households. Social vulnerability to natural and climate-related hazards is dynamic over time and space. However, the assessment to assess the dynamic of vulnerability particularly in urban coastal area is still lacking. This research aims to examine vulnerability dynamic of coastal communities in Jakarta, Indonesia by applying adaptation measures namely dyke, reservoir, and relocation as trajectories of the transition. Empirical data collection is conducted through structured interviews to 441 households and semi-structured interviews to government and non-government officers. Research finds cognitive process and lack of resilience of communities and lack of community participatory in adaptation planning process are the key factors causing whether a household become more or less vulnerable. Social vulnerability to natural and climate-related hazards is a dynamic process of increasing concern. The assessment of such vulnerability and its determinants, particularly in urban coastal areas, is still rare. This research examines the vulnerability dynamics of coastal communities in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the context of introducing a dyke, a reservoir, and household relocation as hypothetical situations. Structured interviews with 441 households and semi-structured interviews with relevant institutions are conducted. Results show that risk perception and behavior lack of community participation in adaptation planning process are key factors causing social vulnerability to rise. Siranush Ghukasyan The promotion of agricultural development and food self-sufficiency is a declared policy doctrine in Russia and is decided at the federal level. Russia is a member of the WTO and faces constraints in using extensive federal support instruments. However, in Russia the different types of regions have different rights and obligations towards the federal government while at the same time enjoying some degrees of freedom in the choice and implementation of specific policy instruments and budgetary decisions. By digging into state and regional budgetary transfers to support agriculture in five Russian regions, the study reveals a lack of synchronization in actions leading to trade distortion and therefore potentially to a violation of WTO commitments. The promotion of agricultural development and food self-sufficiency is a declared policy objective of the federal Russian government. However, different hierarchical levels of regions enjoy degrees of freedom in the choice and implementation of agricultural support instruments and corresponding budgetary decisions if no budget is requested from the federal government. This paper assesses if this regional regulatory freedom may lead to potential violations of Russia’s commitments to the WTO. State and regional budgetary transfers on agricultural support from five Russian regions reveal that indeed, there is currently no mechanism ensuring Russia’s WTO obligations at the regional level. Felix Structural change in the rural labor market is necessary for the expansion of the biomass sector. It leads to reallocation of productive resources or employment of underutilized resources. However, there is no empirical research, which shows a structural change in the rural labor market in Western Africa. We use national cross-section household survey data from Ghana and Nigeria for analysis. Employment options and migration decision of the rural population is use as major indicators. Results indicate that, highest out-migration is from the agricultural sector. Services sector is important for both current and return migrants for employment and income in both countries. Establishing new economic activities in rural Africa implies a corresponding structural flexibility in the rural labor market. Necessary adjustments reallocate productive resources or employ underutilized resources. This aims to empirically analyze changes in rural labor markets in Western Africa filling a significant gap in current research. We use national, cross-sectional household survey for different points in time from Ghana and Nigeria focusing on employment options and migration decisions of the rural population. Results for both countries indicate that the highest out-migration occurs from the agricultural sector. The services sector is important for current and return migrants for employment and income. (consider differentiating results by household types and try to develop hypotheses for further deeper analysis on determinants) Amrouk, ElMamoun International cash crop prices also surged during the recent high food price episode. Given the importance of cash crops for many net-foodimporting developing countries, as they contribute to foreign currency reserves, we investigate the dynamic interactions between cash crop prices and staple food prices at a global level. We compare results from two approaches; spillover indices based on the forecast error variance decomposition and the multivariate GARCH. Results show the level and volatility of cash crop prices are positively influenced by the level and volatility of staple food prices, with the interaction effects being greater in times of high prices. The trade-off between cash crops and staple foods has been extensively researched at farm and national level. Analysis at international market level is lacking, however, even though price dynamics are highly relevant for countries’ balances of payments. This paper investigates the dynamic interactions between cash crop and staple food prices at a global level. Spillover indices based on forecast error variance decomposition and a multivariate GARCH show that the level and volatility of cash crop prices are positively influenced by the level and volatility of staple food prices, with the interaction effects being greater in times of high prices. Salwa Haddad Increasing global concerns about climate change and energy security have been the key incentives for several countries to shift from fossil to new bio-based economy. For this reason, the EU has established an ambitious strategy that aims to mitigating its GHG emissions by promoting the use of biofuels in transport sector. However, biofuels, made from biomass, are still a subject of global debate. Recent studies have shown that rapid expansion of this alternative energy source might lead to a significant increase in food prices, GHG emissions and deepen the problematic of “Food-Fuel competition” for natural resources. This study aims to give a methodological and an empirical comparison of MRIO and CGE trade models in assessing the potential economic and environmental impacts of increasing EU’s biofuel demand. Results show that in contrast to MRIO, CGE that allows for price effect, input substitution and supply constraints, seems to be more useful in assessing biofuels impacts. Global concerns about climate change and energy security set incentives for countries to shift from fossil to a bio-based economy. For global level analysis Multiple-Region-Input-Output (MRIO) and CGE models are currently used. Even though theoretical differences are clear, empirical studies assessing the relevance of the methodological choice for the results do not exist. This paper analyses the EU’s biofuel strategy by quantifying the impact of a corresponding increase in biofuel demand with an MRIO and a CGE using the same database. Results show that important indicators such as GHG emissions and land use change differ substantially between the two models.