[Objective] This paper aims to empirically analyze the situation of fertilizer overuse in China, considering that fertilizer, important for China＇s crop production, has brought serious environmental pollution to Chin...[Objective] This paper aims to empirically analyze the situation of fertilizer overuse in China, considering that fertilizer, important for China＇s crop production, has brought serious environmental pollution to China due to over application. [Method] Based on field survey data in four provinces of China, the magnitude of fertilizer overuse at farm level was empirically analyzed with Cobb-Douglas Produc- tion Function Method and profit optimization theory in the research. [Result] The resuits show that by average, 110.5 kg of chemical fertilizer were applied per mu of land, and 46.9 kg fertilizer was overused, occupying 42.5%. [Conclusion] There is large potential to reduce the overused amount and it is of great importance to re- duce fertilizer overuse effectively, which needs further intensive study.展开更多
Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa ...Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.展开更多
Strategic innovation diffusion converts newly created knowledge into increasing a firm’s value primarily through innovative product offerings.In this paper,we present a time-based adoption pattern with pricing and pr...Strategic innovation diffusion converts newly created knowledge into increasing a firm’s value primarily through innovative product offerings.In this paper,we present a time-based adoption pattern with pricing and promotional expenditure as a three-dimensional innovation diffusion model(3D-IDM).In our proposed 3D-IDM,we assume that value of the product plays a crucial role of being the major driver of diffusion,and is classified into the following three main factors:(1)continuation time of the product in the market–representing goodwill of the product;(2)price of the product–indicating consumers’buying behaviour;and(3)marketing efforts of the firm.A special form of the Cobb–Douglas production function is used to design the three-dimensional framework.An empirical study is performed on number of consumer-durable sales data to validate and compare the proposed model.Various performance measures are treated uniquely using the Mahalanobis distance-based approach(DBA)to determine the relative strength of each model.展开更多
Unsustainable land use management and the resulting soil erosion are among the most pervasive problems in rural Ethiopia,where most of the country’s people live,jeopardizing food security.Despite various efforts to i...Unsustainable land use management and the resulting soil erosion are among the most pervasive problems in rural Ethiopia,where most of the country’s people live,jeopardizing food security.Despite various efforts to introduce soil conservation measures and assess their costs and benefits,it is unclear how efficient these measures are from an economic point of view in securing food production.This paper examines the costs and benefits of three soil conservation measures applied in the country in three different rural districts facing different degrees of soil erosion problems using survey data collected from 750 farm households.A production function is estimated to quantify the costs and benefits of more sustainable land use management practices.We show that the soil conservation measures significantly increase productivity and hence food security.Comparing the costs and benefits,the results indicate that implementing soil conservation measures would benefit farm communities in the case study areas through increased grain productivity and food security.展开更多
[Objective] To analyze the input and output in rice cultivation based on CD function. [Method] Based on the input factors, Cobb-Douglas production （CD） function was used to do the quantitative analysis on the input-...[Objective] To analyze the input and output in rice cultivation based on CD function. [Method] Based on the input factors, Cobb-Douglas production （CD） function was used to do the quantitative analysis on the input-output in rice production with rice growers as the objective. [Result] Considering the substitution effect of labor in- put and capital input, under the same technical conditions, the effect of increasing labor input on the rice production in per 667 m2 was negative, based on which 2 pieces of policy suggestions were put forward to promote the transfer of surplus la- bor force of rice growers and ensure the capital supply for rice production. [Conclusion] This study laid the foundation for the realization of reasonable allocation of rice production resources.展开更多
文摘[Objective] This paper aims to empirically analyze the situation of fertilizer overuse in China, considering that fertilizer, important for China＇s crop production, has brought serious environmental pollution to China due to over application. [Method] Based on field survey data in four provinces of China, the magnitude of fertilizer overuse at farm level was empirically analyzed with Cobb-Douglas Produc- tion Function Method and profit optimization theory in the research. [Result] The resuits show that by average, 110.5 kg of chemical fertilizer were applied per mu of land, and 46.9 kg fertilizer was overused, occupying 42.5%. [Conclusion] There is large potential to reduce the overused amount and it is of great importance to re- duce fertilizer overuse effectively, which needs further intensive study.
文摘Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.
文摘Strategic innovation diffusion converts newly created knowledge into increasing a firm’s value primarily through innovative product offerings.In this paper,we present a time-based adoption pattern with pricing and promotional expenditure as a three-dimensional innovation diffusion model(3D-IDM).In our proposed 3D-IDM,we assume that value of the product plays a crucial role of being the major driver of diffusion,and is classified into the following three main factors:(1)continuation time of the product in the market–representing goodwill of the product;(2)price of the product–indicating consumers’buying behaviour;and(3)marketing efforts of the firm.A special form of the Cobb–Douglas production function is used to design the three-dimensional framework.An empirical study is performed on number of consumer-durable sales data to validate and compare the proposed model.Various performance measures are treated uniquely using the Mahalanobis distance-based approach(DBA)to determine the relative strength of each model.
基金The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research(NWOWOTRO)is gratefully acknowledged for funding this project.We are also grateful for the co-funding received from the Institute for Environmental Studies,VU University Amsterdam.A word of thanks goes to Ted Veldkamp and Jurre Tanja from the VU University Amsterdam for their help with the on-site pre-testing of the survey and focus group discussions,and Dr.Melesse Temesgen and Mr.Sebsib Belay from Addis Ababa University for their assistance in organizing the pre-test and data collection.Finally,we are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on previous versions of this paper.As always,the authors remain sole responsible for the content of the paper.
文摘Unsustainable land use management and the resulting soil erosion are among the most pervasive problems in rural Ethiopia,where most of the country’s people live,jeopardizing food security.Despite various efforts to introduce soil conservation measures and assess their costs and benefits,it is unclear how efficient these measures are from an economic point of view in securing food production.This paper examines the costs and benefits of three soil conservation measures applied in the country in three different rural districts facing different degrees of soil erosion problems using survey data collected from 750 farm households.A production function is estimated to quantify the costs and benefits of more sustainable land use management practices.We show that the soil conservation measures significantly increase productivity and hence food security.Comparing the costs and benefits,the results indicate that implementing soil conservation measures would benefit farm communities in the case study areas through increased grain productivity and food security.
基金Supported by the Philosophy and Social Science Foundation of Hunan Province,China(2010YBA012)~~
文摘[Objective] To analyze the input and output in rice cultivation based on CD function. [Method] Based on the input factors, Cobb-Douglas production （CD） function was used to do the quantitative analysis on the input-output in rice production with rice growers as the objective. [Result] Considering the substitution effect of labor in- put and capital input, under the same technical conditions, the effect of increasing labor input on the rice production in per 667 m2 was negative, based on which 2 pieces of policy suggestions were put forward to promote the transfer of surplus la- bor force of rice growers and ensure the capital supply for rice production. [Conclusion] This study laid the foundation for the realization of reasonable allocation of rice production resources.
