scholarly journals Farm Size, Risk Aversion and Overuse of Fertilizer: The Heterogeneity of Large-Scale and Small-Scale Wheat Farmers in Northern China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Haixia Wu ◽  
Hantao Hao ◽  
Hongzhen Lei ◽  
Yan Ge ◽  
Hengtong Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Deviation Degree ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The excessive use of fertilizer has resulted in serious environmental degradation and a high health cost in China. Understanding the reasons for the overuse of fertilizer is critical to the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture, and large-scale operation is considered as one of the measures to deal with the excessive fertilizer use. Under the premise of fully considering the resource endowment and heterogeneity of large-scale farmers and small-scale farmers in production and management, different production decision-making frameworks were constructed. Based on the 300 large-scale farmers and 480 small-scale farmers in eight provinces of northern China wheat region, we analyzed the optimal fertilizer use amount and its deviation as well as the influencing factors of small-scale and large-scale farmers, then further clarified whether the development of scale management could solve the problem of excessive fertilizer use. The empirical results show that: (1) both small-scale farmers and large-scale farmers deviated from the optimal fertilizer application amount, where the deviation degree of optimal fertilizer application of small-scale farmers is significantly higher than that of large-scale farmers, with a deviation degree of 35.43% and 23.69% for small and large scale farmers, respectively; (2) not all wheat growers in North China had the problem of excessive use of chemical fertilizer, as the optimal level of chemical fertilizer application in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia are 346.5 kgha−1 and 335.25 kgha−1, while the actual fertilizer use amount was 337.2 kgha−1 and 324.6 kgha−1, respectively; and (3) the higher the risk aversion level, farmers tended to apply more fertilizer to ensure grain output. Therefore, increasing farm size should be integrated into actions such as improving technological innovation and providing better information transfer to achieve the goal of zero-increase in Chinese fertilizer use.

scholarly journals Analysis of Economic Efficiency and Farm Size: A Case Study of Wheat Farmers in Nakuru District, Kenya

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Mburu ◽  
Chris Ackello-Ogutu ◽  
Richard Mulwa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wheat Production ◽  
The Social ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The primary objective of this study is to examine the effect of farm size on economic efficiency among wheat producers and to suggest ways to improve wheat production in the country. Specifically, the study attempts to estimate the levels of technical, allocative, and economic efficiencies among the sampled 130 large and small scale wheat producers in Nakuru District. The social-economic factors that influence economic efficiency in wheat production have also been determined. Results indicate that the mean technical, allocative, and economic efficiency indices of small scale wheat farmers are 85%, 96%, and 84%, respectively. The corresponding figures for the large scale farmers are 91%, 94%, and 88%, respectively. The number of years of school a farmer has had in formal education, distance to extension advice, and the size of the farm have strong influence on the efficiency levels. The relatively high levels of technical efficiency among the small scale farmers defy the notion that wheat can only be efficiently produced by the large scale farmers.

scholarly journals Large-scale agricultural investments in Eastern Africa: consequences for small-scale farmers and the environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 342-357
Author(s):  
Julie Gwendolin Zaehringer ◽  
Peter Messerli ◽  
Markus Giger ◽  
Boniface Kiteme ◽  
Ali Atumane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Agricultural Investments

scholarly journals Food pedagogy for transformative social change

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Klinke ◽  
Gertrude Korkor Samar
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food Studies ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Transformative Change ◽  
Urban Farming ◽  
Transformative Engagement ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The contemporary global agrarian regime has altered the patterns of food production, circulation, and consumption. Its efforts towards food security vis-á-vis capitalist modes of mechanized cultivation have produced large-scale climatic and socioeconomic ramifications, including the dispossession of small-scale farmers from their lands and positions in market value-chains. In an effort to improve the dynamics of contemporary agro-food systems, food practitioners and scholars are engaging in critical analyses of land-grabbing, the feminization of agriculture, extractive-led development, and more. However, we argue that there is a gap between Food Studies scholarship and community-based transformative engagement. To support social justice frameworks, our paper calls for an academic paradigm shift wherein learner-centered experiential classrooms bridge academic-public divides and enhance student learning. Through a case-study of urban farming in Calgary, we also explore topics in place-based learning and participatory approaches that acknowledge and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, being, and connecting. Our paper provides strategies for supporting local food systems through activist scholarship, capacity building of leadership and technical skills in advanced urban farming, and intercultural relationship building. We conclude by evaluating the success of our approach, presenting potential benefits and challenges, and providing recommendations for best practices in food scholarship to support transformative change.

Transformation from Subsistence to Commercial Agriculture in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
pp. 409-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiodun E. Obayelu
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Acquisition ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Collective Actions ◽  
Commercial Agriculture ◽  
Land Owners ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
Large Scale Land ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
Policies And Programs

Agriculture is in critical state in Nigeria with domestic food production being less than the growing population. The chapter analyzes the ongoing transformation of subsistence agriculture to commercial in Nigeria and the attendant effects of large-scale land acquisition on small-scale farmers. It uses both theoretical and empirical research designs with direct interviews of relevant stakeholders and case studies. It reviews past and present policies and programs aimed at transforming agriculture from subsistence to commercial in Nigeria. The results reveal that large-scale land acquisition and farming is not new in Nigeria. Acquisitions of land by foreigners has always been with the help and consent of government, unlike the case when it involves indigenous investors. Acquisitions have in most cases been characterized by conflicts between the landowners or tillers and investors. To transition successfully from subsistence to commercial agriculture, there is a need for strong collective actions between the depraved land owners, government, and investors.

Determinants of technical efficiency in agriculture in new EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe

2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Štefan Bojnec ◽  
Imre Fertő ◽  
Attila Jámbor ◽  
József Tóth
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Economy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
New Eu Member States

Technical efficiency in agriculture of 10 new EU member states is analysed by Data Envelopment Analysis and econometric panel data analysis. Technical efficiency in agriculture is significantly positively associated with agricultural factor endowments, average farm size, farm specialisation, small-scale farms, and technological change. Foreign direct investments have an ambiguous effect. Reform and institutional developments, large-scale privatisation and price liberalisation, and urban- rural income gap are associated with technical efficiency in agriculture positively. An increase in technical efficiency in agriculture and the development of the rural economy are seen as a strategy to boost the level of living standards in agriculture and in rural areas.

scholarly journals Are There Road Blocks to Access Micro-Credit From Selected Microfinance Banks in Delta State, Nigeria? Implications for Small Scale Farmers Sustainability!

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gbigbi Theophilus Miebi
Keyword(s):  
Sex Education ◽  
Logit Model ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cash Balance ◽  
Socioeconomic Characteristics ◽  
Cooperative Society ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Small Scale Farmers

The study was carried out to investigate the factors that affect small scale farmers to access fund and utilized for greater efficiency in production in Delta State, Nigeria. The logit model was used to analyze the data. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used for the study. Charts were used to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmers. About 120 farmers were interviewed using pretested questionnaire. The study showed that sex, education, farm size, cash balance, collateral, frequency of transaction and membership of cooperative society were positive and significant at 1%, 5% and 10% probability levels respectively. The coefficient of age, interest rate, household size and distance were negative and significant at 10% and 5% levels. The results of the study call for policies aimed at encouraging microfinance banks to consider the farmers in accessing credit to increase their output, income and productivity in the study area.

A two-stage approach for assessment of distributional impacts in model-based delta planning: exploration of plausible inequality patterns and justice-based evaluation of policies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bramka Arga Jafino ◽  
Jan Kwakkel
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mekong Delta ◽  
Adaptation Planning ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Adaptation Policies ◽  
Small Scale Farmers ◽  
New Policies ◽  
Distributional Impacts

<p>Climate-related inequality can arise from the implementation of adaptation policies. As an example, the dike expansion policy for protecting rice farmers in the Vietnam Mekong Delta in the long run backfires to the small-scale farmers. The prevention of annual flooding reduces the supply of natural sediments, forcing farmers to apply more and more fertilizers to achieve the same yield. While large-scale farmers can afford this, small-scale farmers do not possess the required economics of scale and are thus harmed eventually. Together with climatic and socioeconomic uncertainties, the implementation of new policies can not only exacerbate existing inequalities, but also induce new inequalities. Hence, distributional impacts to affected stakeholders should be assessed in climate change adaptation planning.</p><p>In this study, we propose a two-stage approach to assess the distributional impacts of policies in model-based support for adaptation planning. The first stage is intended to explore potential inequality patterns that may emerge due to combination of new policies and the realization of exogenous scenarios. This stage comprises four steps: (i) disaggregation of performance indicators in the model in order to observe distributional impacts, (ii) performance of large-scale simulation experimentation to account for deep uncertainties, (iii) clustering of simulation results to identify distinctive inequality patterns, and (iv) application of scenario discovery tools, in particular classification and regression trees, to identify combinations of policies and uncertainties that lead to a specific inequality pattern.</p><p>In the second stage we attempt to asses which policies are morally preferable with respect to the inequality patterns they generate, rather than only descriptively explore the patterns which is the case in the previous stage. To perform a normative evaluation of the distributional impacts, we operationalize five alternative principles of justice: improvement of total welfare (utilitarianism), prioritization of worse-off actors (prioritarianism), reduction of welfare differences across actors (two derivations: absolute inequality and envy measure), and improvement of worst-off actor (Rawlsian difference). The different operationalization of each of these principles forms the so-called social welfare function with which the distributional impacts can be aggregated.</p><p>To test this approach, we use an agricultural planning case study in the upper Vietnam Mekong Delta. Specifically, we assess the distributional impacts of alternative adaptation policies in the upper Vietnam Mekong Delta by using an integrated assessment model. We consider six alternative policies as well as uncertainties related to upstream discharge, sediment supply, and land-use change. Through the first stage, we identify six potential inequality patterns among the 23 districts in the study area, as well as the combinations of policies and uncertainties that result in these types of patterns. From applying the second stage we obtain complete rankings of alternative policies, based on their performance with respect to distributional impacts, under different realizations of scenarios. The explorative stage allows policy-makers to identify potential actions to compensate worse-off actors while the normative stage helps them to easily rank alternative policies based on a preferred moral principle.</p>

Analysis of Current Situation and Influence Factors for Fertilizer Application from the View of Environmental Sustainability

2014 ◽  
Vol 962-965 ◽  
pp. 1989-1992
Author(s):  
Hai Jun Xie
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Influence Factors ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Chemical Fertilizer ◽  
Agricultural Product ◽  
Important Condition ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Output Increase ◽  
Fertilizer Effect

Chemical fertilizer is an important agricultural product resource, is food supplier’s food. Fertilization scientific and reasonable is an important condition to stabilize output, increase output and benefit. This paper researched the factors affect quality of chemical fertilizer use correlation and econometric analyse. The result is that chemical fertilizer import quantity and fertilizer quality of one period of time delay and the price of chemical fertilizer effect fertilization differently.

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