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This paper uses panel cointegration techniques and Granger causality tests to investigate the dynamic causal links between per capita renewable energy consumption, agricultural value added (AVA), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, and real gross domestic product (GDP) for a panel of five North Africa countries spanning the period 1980–2011. In the short-run, Granger causality tests show the existence of bidirectional causality between CO 2 emissions and agriculture; a unidirectional causality running from agriculture to GDP, from GDP to renewable energy consumption, and from renewable energy consumption to agriculture. In the long-run, there is bidirectional causality between agriculture and CO 2 emissions; a unidirectional causality running from renewable energy to agriculture and to emissions, and from output to agriculture and to emissions. Long-run parameter estimates show that an increase in GDP or in renewable energy consumption (including combustible and waste) increases CO 2 emissions, whereas an increase in agricultural value added reduces CO 2 emissions. As policy recommendation, North African authorities should encourage renewable energy consumption, and especially clean renewable energy such as solar or wind, as this improves agricultural production and help to combat global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper measures agricultural productivity growth by means of the sequential Malmquist Total Factor Productivity (TFP) index among a set of 32 West European, Central and East European (CEE), and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries for the period 1961–2002. In a second stage, the authors also investigate whether this measure is converging among these countries by employing cross-sectional tests for absolute and conditional β-convergence as well as for club convergence. The results suggest that, despite the fact that the CEE and MENA countries have exhibited a high rate of productivity growth since the 1990s, absolute convergence cannot be confirmed. Evidence for conditional convergence is still found and the formation of two separate clubs of countries that converge to different equilibrium points is identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]