scholarly journals The environmental effectiveness of alternative agri-environmental policy reforms: theoretical and empirical analysis

1999 ◽  
Vol 8 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. LANKOSKI ◽  
M. OLLIKAINEN
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Price Support ◽  
Producer Price ◽  
Nutrient Runoff ◽  
Environmental Effectiveness ◽  
Policy Mixes ◽  
The Government ◽  
Environmental Goals

This paper analyzes alternative agri-environmental policy reforms to reduce nutrient runoff when the government has price support, fertilizer tax, buffer zone subsidy and acreage subsidy as available instruments. To promote environmental goals, the government is assumed to adjust the tax and subsidyrates so as to keep the farmer’s profits constant. This instrument switch reduces the prices of less-polluting inputs and the farmer re-optimizes his production so that it becomes more environmentally friendly. The four alternative reforms under study are the following: a reduction of the producer price support or acreage subsidy compensated for by a higher buffer zone subsidy, and an increase in the fertilizer tax which is compensated for by either a higher acreage subsidy or a buffer zone subsidy. We show theoretically that although all reforms reduce the nutrient runoff, the last one is the most efficient. Our simulations show that at a 30 % abatement level of nitrogen runoffs all policy mixes decrease the average farmer’s profits after the re-adjustment, if the end price is not allowed to in-crease due to decreased production. The smallest loss in the farmer’s profits results from a policy mix which compensates for the higher fertilizer tax by a higher acreage subsidy.;

Effectiveness of Auctions in Securing Price Support for Farmers: The Case of a Grain Market in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cost ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Price Support ◽  
Minimum Support ◽  
Minimum Price ◽  
Support Price ◽  
The Government ◽  
Nonparametric Estimates ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Analyze Data

Abstract This paper reviews rice procurement operations of Government of India from the standpoints of cost of procurement as well as effectiveness in supporting farmers’ incomes. The two channels in use for procuring rice till 2015, were custom milling of rice and levy. In the first, the government bought paddy directly from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP) and got it milled from private millers; while in the second, it purchased rice from private millers at a pre-announced levy price thus providing indirect price support to farmers. Secondary data reveal that levy, despite implying lower cost of procurement was discriminated against till about a decade back and eventually abolished in 2015 in favor of custom milling, better trusted to provide minimum price support. We analyze data from auctions of paddy from a year when levy was still important to investigate its impact on farmers’ revenues. We use semi-nonparametric estimates of millers’ values to simulate farmers’ expected revenues and find these to be rather close to the MSP; a closer analysis shows that bidder competition is critical to this result. Finally, we use our estimates to quantify the impact of change in levy price on farmers’ revenues and use this to discuss ways to revive the levy channel.

scholarly journals Germany’s Labour Market Policies

2019 ◽  
pp. 283-303
Author(s):  
Florian Spohr
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Economic Resilience ◽  
Labour Market Policies ◽  
Employment Agency ◽  
Time Work ◽  
The Government ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Deep Recession

Germany has become one of the most competitive economies in the world. Only a decade and a half ago it was widely derided as stagnant, and ridden by political paralysis in reforming its labour market policies. However, in 2002, the discovery of manipulated statistics in the German Employment Agency opened a window of opportunity to break the stalemate in corporatist policymaking. In response, the government convened a commission to design labour market policy reforms: the Hartz Committee, named for its chair, Peter Hartz. Including experts, politicians, and members from interest groups in the commission enabled the government to promote the ‘Hartz Reforms’ on the basis of expertise and compromise. Their focus was on creating incentives for seeking employment. Job search assistance and monitoring gained importance, whereas ineffective job creation and early retirement schemes were abolished or reduced. These activating reforms successfully tackled structural unemployment and increased the overall employment rate. Their success in strengthening economic resilience was demonstrated during the 2008 economic crisis, when in combination with other measures such as the extension of short-time work, and controlled unit labour costs, they led Germany’s labour market through the deep recession.

Environmental Policy and the Economic Crisis

2018 ◽  
pp. 111-132
Author(s):  
Jakob Skovgaard ◽  
Roger Hildingsson ◽  
Bengt Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Path Dependence ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Ecological Modernization ◽  
The Political ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
International Pressure ◽  
The Government

This chapter employs qualitative analysis to apply the Index of Policy Activity (IPA) to climate policy in Sweden and Demark—two countries often identified as environmental leaders. It finds that the economic crisis that started in 2007–8 had substantial impacts in both states. However, Denmark, which was hit harder and for a much longer period of time than Sweden, witnessed more dismantling of its environmental policy. The analysis suggests that in both countries the political orientation of the government and changes of government proved to be key factors shaping policy ambition. Path dependence, manifested in an entrenched commitment to ecological modernization, helped to maintain support for progressive environmental policy. International pressure was also central in pushing Sweden in particular to express leadership and to promote ambitious climate policy.

scholarly journals Fiscal Policy Reforms and Their Effects on the Economic Viability of Mineral Projects in Ghana

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Peter Arroja Eshun
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Fiscal Policies ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
African Region ◽  
Mineral Industry ◽  
Mineral Sector ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Government

Mineral sector regulatory and fiscal policies in Ghana have undergone a lot of reforms over the past three decades in an effort to attract the much-needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the mineral sector and also to maximise the returns from the exploitation of mineral asset to the country. This paper puts in perspective the effect of changes in fiscal policies on the viability of mineral projects and assesses the general risk associated with investing in the mineral industry of Ghana, using the Sikaman Gold Mining (SGM) Project as a test case. Cash flow, sensitivity and risk analyses of the SGM Project under three fiscal regimes namely: PNDCL 153, Act 703, and amendments to Act 703, indicated the second regime as the most economically favourable as it gave the highest NPV and lowest risk. It is recommended that the government should involve the mineral industry players during such reviews to show all-inclusiveness. Furthermore, mineral investors are advised to explore stability and development agreements to protect their investments in the wake of changes in fiscal policies in the mineral industry of Ghana. Future research could consider comparing the current fiscal regime of Ghana with those of the competing countries within the Sub-Saharan African region to assess whether Ghana could continue to pride itself as a preferred investment destination within the sub-region.

scholarly journals Review of Indicators for Localizing Environmental Goals at Sub National and Local Level in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-307
Author(s):  
Ek Raj Sigdel ◽  
Martina Maria Keitsch
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Stakeholder Consultation ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government ◽  
Environmental Goals

Nepal, as a member of the United Nations, is committed to achieve the global initiatives of Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030. Toward translating the commitment into action, Nepal has produced preliminary SDGs Report in 2015, even before the formal adoption of the 2030. Moreover, Voluntary National Review Report, Sustainable Development Goals, Status and Roadmap: 2016-2030, and Sustainable Development Goals 2016-2030 National (Preliminary) Report were developed. Further, Nepal has initiated mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda into national policies and plans. The 14th periodic plan, the national budget, and other sectoral plans have been closely aligned with the SDGs and the approach paper for 15th five-year plan is intended to achieve the SDG. The upcoming 15th periodic plan will basically aim to support the government in achieving all the SDGs by 2030 and help Nepal emerge as a middle-income country by 2030. The indicators comprise of renewable energy for electricity and vehicles, injuries due to disaster (number), greenhouse gases, adaptation plans, trained man power, climate change educations, and climate smart villages and farming are identified as indicators under climate and energy goals. Similarly, under forest goals proportion of forest land, forest under community-based management (% of total dense forest areas), protected area (including forest, in % of total land area), handover of forests to leasehold forest groups (000 hectare), wild tigers (number), rhino (number) etc are included. Likewise, conservation of lakes, wetlands, and ponds (number) and potentially dangerous lakes (%) are included under fresh water goals. However, there was no scientific basis how the indicators were derived for the environmental goals. In this backdrop, a study in identifying site specific, measurable, time bound, relevant and attainable indicators was paramount. Based on the secondary literature review, stakeholder consultation at sub national and local level, the indicators were verified and suggested strategies that help localizing the environmental indicators at sub-national and local level in Nepal. The study was therefore centered on reviewing the environmental indicators and suggest appropriate strategies so that it helps expediting localization of SDG in Nepal.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GROWTH WHEN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IS ENDOGENOUS

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 1102-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Constant ◽  
Marion Davin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Pollution Abatement ◽  
Environmental Preferences ◽  
Tax Rate ◽  
Environment Policy ◽  
Damped Oscillations ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Government ◽  
Education Subsidy

This paper examines the relationship between environmental policy and growth when green preferences are endogenously determined by education and pollution. We consider an environmental policy in which the government implements a tax on pollution and recycles the revenue to fund pollution abatement activities and/or an education subsidy (influencing green behaviors). When the sensitivity of agents' environmental preferences to pollution and human capital is high, the economy can converge to a balanced growth path equilibrium with damped oscillations. We show that this environmental policy can both remove the oscillations, associated with intergenerational inequalities, and enhance the long-term growth rate. However, this solution requires that the revenue from the tax rate must be allocated to education and direct environmental protection simultaneously. We demonstrate that this type of mixed-instrument environment policy is an effective way to address environmental and economic issues in both the short and the long run.

Illegal Encounters

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Border Enforcement ◽  
The Government ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Young Immigrants

The book considers illegality, deportability, and deportation in the lives of young people—those who migrate as well as those who are affected by the migration of others. A primary focus of the volume is to understand how children and youth encounter, move through, or are outside of a range of legal processes, including border enforcement, immigration detention, federal custody, courts, and state processes of categorization. Even if young people do not directly interact with state immigration systems—because they are U.S. citizens or have avoided detention—they are nonetheless deeply impacted by the reach of the government in its many forms. Combining different perspectives from advocates, service providers, attorneys, researchers, and, significantly, young immigrants, the book presents ethnographically rich accounts that can contribute to informed debates and policy reforms. By underscoring the ways in which young people encounter and/or avoid legal systems, the book problematizes the policies, laws, and legal categories that shape so much of daily life of young immigrants. The book makes visible the burdens, hopes, and potential of a population of young people and their families who have been largely hidden from public view and are currently under siege, following young people as they move into, through, and out of the complicated immigration systems and institutions in the United States.

Trinidad and Tobago economy improves despite concerns

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Trinidad And Tobago ◽  
Foreign Relations ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Partnerships ◽  
Terrorism Financing ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Outlook

Subject Trinidad and Tobago's economic outlook. Significance After several years of contraction, the Trinidad and Tobago economy is now showing signs of recovery, based on rising natural gas production and an uptick in oil prices. In addition, the government has instituted policy reforms to better control public finances. Efforts are also being made to increase economic cooperation with other countries, but this has been complicated by a mixed picture in terms of foreign relations. Impacts Concerns over Islamist activities and a rise in suspected terrorism financing may mar the economic outlook. Efforts to build new international partnerships may see a rise in some business and infrastructure sectors. Rising gas production and oil prices will boost the hydrocarbons sector.

scholarly journals Corruption, environmental regulation and market entry

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit K. Biswas ◽  
Marcel Thum
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Environmental Regulation ◽  
Market Entry ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Environmental Standards ◽  
The Government ◽  
Polluting Firms

AbstractThe authors develop a simple analytical framework to study the welfare-maximizing environmental standards when market entry is endogenous and firms can circumvent regulation by bribing corrupt officials. Corruption changes the tradeoff in environmental policy. Corruption leads more polluting firms to enter into the market, which requires tighter environmental regulation. However, corruption also makes trading in some environmental protection for a marginally higher market entry optimal for the government.

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