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The relationship between farm size expansion and efficiency is a key topic in agricultural economics, especially for achieving sustainable land use and food security. While existing literature focuses on land productivity, technical efficiency, and total factor productivity, the link between farm size and cost efficiency remains less explored. Cost efficiency is a critical indicator of production effectiveness and directly impacts agricultural sustainability and food security. This paper analyzes how farm size expansion affects the cost efficiency of Chinese rapeseed production, with a particular emphasis on sustainable agricultural production and food security. Our findings indicate an average cost efficiency of 0.740 for rapeseed in China, suggesting potential for improvement. We observe an inverted U-shaped relationship between farm size and rapeseed cost efficiency, with variations based on regional and topographic conditions. Optimal rapeseed farm size is between 10 and 30 mu in eastern and central China, and smaller than 10 mu in western China. Interestingly, in central China and plains regions, larger farm sizes have a less negative impact on cost efficiency. Finally, increasing plot size positively moderates the relationship between farm size and rapeseed cost efficiency, suggesting benefits from expanding both plot and farm sizes simultaneously. These findings provide empirical evidence to inform policy decisions related to sustainable land use, cost-efficient agriculture, and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2023, a new format of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been implemented in Europe. Market forces alone cannot guarantee land services, which can be described as flows of goods and services from ecosystems to human systems as functions of nature. Market forces also cannot ensure food security everywhere and at all times, so deliberate measures should incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and maintain necessary skills and resources. This study identifies, quantifies, and interprets four narratives that are typical in the approach to food security and the public debate about the land services in the CAP Strategic Plans: (A) provision of land services within the Pillar 1 economics; (B) small vs. large farms; (C) direct payments in comparison with rural development; and (D) choices by the old and new member states. Participatory processes, descriptive statistics, and partial component analysis were used in terms of the methodology. The key finding is that the importance attached to eco-schemes varies among member states, although a majority dedicate approximately 25% of the Pillar 1 budget to them. We showed that small-scale farming countries move resources from Pillar 2 to strengthen direct payments. In contrast, affluent countries with robust agricultural structures can afford to reinforce Pillar 2 rural development through transfers from direct payments. To support small-scale and medium farms, appropriate support requires a combination of several measures, including the sizable hectare payment in Pillar 1 and farmer-oriented agri-environmental measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to justify, on the basis of the theoretical foundations of the economic and social function of land property and generalization of the European practice in this area, the directions of changes in Ukraine's agrarian policy with a view to creating conditions under which small and medium-sized producers will remain participants of the agrarian market and will be able to realize their right to purchase land for agricultural production and fulfil their mission of maintaining the country's agri-food security and preserving the well-developed rural areas. Methods/methodology/approach. In the course of the study, the following methods were used: monographic (analysis of land use by small and medium-sized farms and their production); comparative analysis (identification of the peculiarities of institutional models of state support for the realization of peasants' rights to land in Ukraine and EU member states); empirical (assessment of the consequences for small and medium-sized agribusiness of the current legislation on liberalization of the agricultural land market); abstract and logical (generalization and formation of the main conclusions and recommendations). Findings. The results of the study indicate the importance of implementing radical changes in Ukraine's agrarian policy concerning small and medium-sized farms, which is the main factor in the formation of the farming agricultural system and the suspension of further development of the processes of financialization of agricultural land and the formation of an oligarchiclatifundist type of land use. The impossibility of small and medium-sized farms to participate in the land market due to lack of access to long-term credit has been proven. Recommendations have been developed to bring the institutional model of state support for the financial capabilities of small and medium-sized farms to expand land use as an important factor in increasing their competitiveness in line with the Western European legal framework and practice, which is required by Ukraine's expected European integration. Originality/scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the substantiation of the state policy aimed at socializing the agricultural land market in Ukraine by forming an institutional model of financial support for the realization of peasants' rights to land in the context of European integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic economic logic, which often simplifies assessments and explanations of agricultural policy issues, is vitally important in communicating with policy‐makers. Resources are limited, and there is a premium on getting decisions at least approximately right first time. Examples from southern Africa illustrate the importance of parity pricing, and its links to household food security (Lesotho), price risk, the emergence of an agricultural futures market, and its central role in allocating scarce agricultural resources (South Africa). Insights derived from an appreciation of parity pricing are relevant in other national contexts and also help explain how international grain markets operate. The parity pricing concept provides a framework for sense‐checking complicated debates relating to two issues that have been prominent in recent years; first, whether and to what extent speculation in futures markets has been a driver of agricultural price spikes, and second, how far indirect land use change (ILUC), triggered by the use of agricultural feedstocks to produce renewable energy, is a material issue. These issues are likely to be of heightened importance in the face of climate change. Each emphasises that agricultural economics matters, and that it matters that we get the economics right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the comprehension of alterations in land use holds paramount importance for water management in semi-arid regions due to its effects on hydrology and agricultural economics. Allowing agricultural land to lie fallow has emerged as a technique to decrease water use. This research employs the methodology of system dynamics modeling to evaluate the hydrologic and agricultural economic ramifications of employing the fallowing strategy, which aims to preserve water resources in interconnected socio-hydrologic systems. This strategy is explored across three different crops, focusing on the Mesilla–Rincon Valley (MRV) in southern New Mexico. The study's timeline spans from 2022 to 2050 with historical background from 1969 and encompasses various dimensions, including water availability, land utilization, and agricultural economics. Three types of crops were selected for the fallowing strategy, including cotton, alfalfa/hay, and chile. For each crop, 2500 acres of it would be designated for fallowing separately in two subsequent years, allowing the land to be cultivated in the third year and recurring such pattern. Simulation findings across scenarios (GFDL, UKMO, and NCAR) indicate that water withdrawals for all crops decreased significantly, ranging from approximately 2.69% to 4.37%. Similarly, agriculture income experienced reductions, varying from around 1.53% to 2.26%. Also, surface water and groundwater withdrawals are represented as percentages. The data illustrate significant reductions in water withdrawals across all scenarios. For instance, in the GFDL scenario, surface water withdrawal decreased by approximately 1.85% for cotton, 2.56% for alfalfa/hay, and 1.58% for chile. Similarly, groundwater withdrawals saw substantial reductions, such as 14.93% for cotton, 20.44% for alfalfa/hay, and 12.62% for chile. These numbers emphasize the urgent need for sustainable water management practices to address the challenges posed by reduced water availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuestiones Políticas is the property of Revista Cuestiones Politicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Current research on the Southwest Archaic has focused on understanding the origins of agriculture and the transition from foraging to farming economies. This transition varied widely across the region depending on the local setting. However, significantly fewer studies have given their attention to understanding the process leading up to the initial use of cultigens. We present the results of our research on the Middle Archaic occupation in the Northern Rio Grande valley circa 3500 to 1500 B.C. A comparison of grassland and woodland areas reveals a complementary pattern of long-term land use between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, a pattern that is also represented by two separate historical trajectories which provided alternative opportunities for these foraging groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the dynamics and effects of land allocation choices between two different agricultural sectors, A and B , in an evolutionary context and under sectoral interdependencies. The analysis of the proposed model identifies three possible scenarios. In the first scenario, where the expansion of one sector A generates negative effects on both sectors, the outcome may be a "poverty trap". In the second scenario, a "symbiotic" relationship between sectors exists: profits in sector A (B) increase if sector B (A) expands. This enables a stable and Pareto-superior economic diversification in the regional economy. In the third scenario, a change in land use towards sector A (B) generates negative market externalities on sector B (A); this context favors the specialization in one of the two sectors. For each scenario, policy implications and empirical examples are discussed. • We model an economy with two farming sectors characterized by dynamic interdependence. • Externalities and land marginal profits affect properties of possible scenarios. • We show conditions for Pareto-dominant diversification and for coordination problems. • Policy implications and real-world cases of the different scenarios are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. For our country, grain is a strategic market product and is a serious source of income. According to scientific studies, the actual volumes of grain production can be much higher, provided that land use is stabilized and intensive technologies are introduced. Our country, given its natural potential, can and should produce much more grain. One of the factors of increasing the gross production of grain is the provision of high-yield seeds to commodity producers. Methods. The following methods were used in the research process: comparative analysis - to compare data, determine changes in market indicators in time and space; abstract and logical - for the purpose of forming assumptions, hypotheses, as well as conclusions and generalizations; analysis and synthesis - when assessing the state of the research object and substantiating proposals for its improvement and ensuring full-fledged development in the future. The results. The market is a system of social relations based on the comparison of supply and demand and cannot be completely free. As in other areas of the economy, market relations are subject to science-based management through such levers as price, tax, finance, credit, etc. Thus, demand and supply are two specific categories that illustrate the interaction of production and consumption in a market economy. The price of seeds is the most accurate and universal indicator of the economic condition of the cereal seed market. The pricing system for grain crop seeds and the demand for them are directly dependent on the prices for commercial grain of these crops and the demand for grain. Discussion. In the conditions of the post-war revival of the agrarian economy of Ukraine, there will be an increase in the demand for the seeds of grain crops. In this case, the levers of state protection of producers of domestic seed products should be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legacy effect of a previous crop on a subsequent crop in rotation is a valuable and often underutilized ecosystem service which can provide benefits when designing cropping systems, especially in the case of cereal-based land use. To support future diversification of crop sequencing in Finland, this study was carried out with the aims to identify the variation in the pre-crop values of relevant crop combinations in farmers' fields in Finland, depending on the weather and farm conditions. We used a method developed to estimate on-farm realized pre-crop value from Sentinel − 2 images available annually for 120,174–711,828 field parcels in Finland during 2016–2020 (the total number of observations was >1,818,000). Both the weather and farming conditions explained the variation in the pre-crop values, which might range from positive to negative. For example, a higher mean temperature and fewer rainy days during the growing season of a previous crop often reduced the legacy effects of crop sequencing, however, this was dependent on the crop choices. A higher number of rainy days and elevated temperatures during the subsequent crop's season often increased the pre-crop value, while prolonged droughts in either of the growing seasons tended to reduce these. The farmers' current land use did not support the realization of pre-crop value – especially in the case of potential benefits provided by grasslands for croplands. This study highlights the challenges that weather variation and complexity of the production systems may cause for a farmer when aiming to identify the impacts of crop sequencing on yields, ecosystem services, and farm economy. Hence, there is an evident need to develop a decision support system that recognizes regional farming systems, available crop choices, crop management, weather conditions, and the farmers' rationale concerning decision making. [Display omitted] • On-farm realized pre-crop values were estimated from Sentinel-2 images in total on >1,818,000 field parcels in Finland. • Pre-crop values may range from positive to negative depending on conditions which may challenge planning of rotations. • A higher mean temperature and fewer rainy days during pre-crop's season often reduced the legacy effects. • A higher number of rainy days and elevated temperatures during subsequent crop's season often increased the pre-crop effects. • Farmers' current use of grasslands did not support the realization of pre-crop benefits of grasslands for croplands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drained agricultural peatlands emit significantly higher amounts of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per hectare than mineral soils. GHG abatement costs for representative cereals (CF) and dairy (DF) farms in southwestern Finland were estimated by integrating an emission-based tax together with an option to invest in a subsidized adjustable drainage system on peat soils in a farm-level dynamic optimization model. With an average 10% share of peat soils from overall farm area, emissions tax rates over 15 (CF) and 19 (DF) €/tCO2e triggered adjustable drainage investments with a significant reduction in GHG emissions per ha, when assuming no crop-yield effect from the adjustable drainage. Abatement costs for emissions tax rates €12–50/tCO2e/ha were €16–44/tCO2e (CF) and €26–51/tCO2e (DF) for whole farm-soil emissions, depending on the share of peatlands on the farm, on the yield effects of adjustable drainage, and on crop prices. High emissions tax rates imply higher abatement costs since farms have a limited capability to adjust their production and land use. Thus, emissions reductions from peatlands can be achieved at reasonable costs when investing in adjustable drainage on peatlands. The income losses due to emissions tax, however, are high, but they can be compensated for farmers by lumpsum payments independent of their production decisions. Since existing agricultural policies such as the EU CAP system may have limited effectiveness on GHG emissions, the emissions tax and adjustable drainage on peatlands could promote GHG abatement significantly on farms and areas with abundant peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Land use in the United States (US) is driven by multiple forces operating at the global level, such as income and population growth, yield and productivity improvement, trade policy, climate change, and changing diets. Future land use has implications for biodiversity, run-off, carbon storage, ecosystem values, agriculture, and the broader economy. We investigate those forces and their implications from a multisector, multisystem dynamics (MSD) perspective focused on understanding dynamics and resilience in complex interdependent systems. Historical trends show slight increases in grassland and natural forest areas and decreases in cropland. We project these trends to intensify under higher pressures for agriculture land and reduce under lower pressures, with no evidence of tipping points toward larger agricultural land abandonment or deforestation. However, US sectoral output and trade, fertilizer use, N2O and CH4 emissions from agriculture activities, and CO2 emissions from land use changes are substantially impacted under land use forcing scenarios.

Climate change is currently affecting both biodiversity and human activities; land use change and greenhouse gas emissions are the main drivers. Many agricultural services are affected by the change, which in turn reflects on the basic provisioning services, which supply food, fibre and biofuels. Biofuels are getting increasing interest because of their sustainability potential. Jatropha curcas gained popularity as a biodiesel crop, due to its ease of cultivation even in harsh environmental conditions. Notwithstanding its high economic importance, few studies are available about its co‐occurrence with pests of the genus Aphthona in sub‐Saharan Africa, where these insects feed on J. curcas, leading to relevant economic losses. Using ecological niche modelling and GIS post‐modelling analyses, we infer the current and future suitable territories for both these taxa, delineating areas where J. curcas cultivations may occur without suffering the presence of Aphthona, in the context of future climate and land use changing. We introduce an area‐normalized index, the 'Potential‐Actual Cultivation Index', to better depict the ratio between the suitable areas shared both by the crop and its pest, and the number of actual cultivations, in a target country. Moreover, we find high economic losses (~−50%) both in terms of carbon sequestration and in biodiesel production when J. curcas co‐occur with the Aphthona cookei species group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eutopía: Revista de Desarrollo Económico Territorial is the property of Eutopia: Revista de Desarrollo Economico Territorial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper provides historical and analytical perspectives for the assessment of the challenges and opportunities of cattle raising activities in the transition toward a low-carbon agriculture in Brazil. It is organized as follows. The first section poses the problem. The second presents long run historical perspectives on the development of cattle raising in Brazil. The third section analyzes the patterns of growth of cattle raising in Brazil based upon municipal panel data of Agricultural Census from 1975 to 2006. The fourth section uses a framework analogous to Hayami and Ruttan (1985) to estimate growth convergence equations for major aspects of cattle raising activities, namely the stocking ratio, the specialization in cattle and farm expansion. The report concludes with a discussion of policy options for a transition toward sustainable cattle raising in Brazil.

• The rented land area and rental rates in China have increased steadily in recent years. • Rent accounted for 55 percent of the total production cost for larger farmers in China. • The rental prices of larger plots are lower than those of smaller plots due to the scarcity of funds. • China's government should improve infrastructure, secure land tenure, and stop subsidizing. To promote its agricultural competitiveness, China must expand the scale of farming. Due to the country's distinct land system, renting land is the main way to expand the scale of farming in China; however, a national supervision system of land rental rates has not been established. This study aims to investigate how much land rental rates are, how they vary regionally, and what factors impact them. The amount of rented farmland in China has increased steadily in recent years. In 2016, 35.1 percent of the national total farmland was recorded as being rented out, and land rental rates have been rapidly increasing. In the fourth quarter of 2017, rental prices for irrigated land and rain-fed land were 1763 and 1370 US dollars (Base year = 2014; 1 USD = 6.5 RMB), respectively. For farmers of large farms, rent has become the largest cost related to agricultural production. Rates in the main agricultural production regions and the regions around developed cities are significantly higher than those in other regions. Land quality, land area, land tenure, road access, grain prices and subsidies are important in explaining grain land rental rates. Unexpectedly, the rental prices for larger consolidated plots are lower than those for smaller consolidated plots, and a scarcity of funds may be the main cause of this pattern. We suggest that to actively promote agricultural scale management, China's government should continue to improve agricultural infrastructure such as irrigation conditions and roads, secure land tenure, and stop intervening in market prices and subsidizing larger farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study takes stock of the confusion that exists around the environmental state of Lake Inle, a flagship destination for tourism in Myanmar. Reports on the dynamics of its iconic floating gardens and on the evolution of the Lake's dimensions in response to land‐use change in the watershed are inconsistent and provide a poor basis for policymaking. Here, we (a) present a critical overview of the literature concerning land degradation around Lake Inle; (b) provide an independent and quantitative reexamination of the Lake's size; (c) carry out a methodic assessment of the history of floating gardens based on written sources, interviews, and high‐resolution imagery from 1967, 1983, 2002, and 2014; and (d) produce the first comprehensive and biseasonal bathymetric survey of the Lake, thereby providing a baseline water volume estimate fit for future monitoring purposes. Results challenge previous reports and show that floating agriculture boomed in the 1970s (11 km2 in 1967 and 29 km2 in 1983), peaked in 2002 (35 km2), then declined slightly (33 km2 in 2014). Our bathymetric survey reveals that the Lake volume at the peak of the 2015 rainy season was 122.6 × 106 m3, with maximum water depths having diminished substantially from 6 m (as reported in 1918) to just 3 m today as a combined result of sediment aggradation and waterlevel decline (−1 m in 25 years). Those dynamics have critical implications for the sustainability of floating agriculture, fishing, and the local tourist economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Built-up land occupy cropland is the main land use type change pattern. • The initial core city and the peripheral area shows the most obvious land use type change. • NDVI and NEP were both under weak increasing trend on the whole. • Woodland shrinking contributed the most to carbon storage loss. • Land use intensities and anthropogenic carbon emissions kept increasing. Abstract Land use change can greatly affect the carbon balance for both terrestrial ecosystems and anthropogenic carbon emissions. However, "physical-social" integrated carbon balance examinations and the link to multiangle land use change analysis are still lacking. Based on land use data, field observations, climate data, and socioeconomic data, this study performed a comprehensive analysis of land use change from the aspects of land use type, land cover and land use intensity and examined the effect on carbon storage, the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and energy consumption-related carbon emissions. Finally, this study proposed multiangle land use strategies for low-carbon development. The results show that built-up land occupation of cropland was the main land use type change pattern in Nanjing City. The period of 2005–2010 presented the most obvious land use type change. Between 2000–2015, vegetation carbon storage loss reached 8.21×104 t, with woodland shrinkage contributing the most. The initial core city and the peripheral area show the most obvious land use type changes, with decreases in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and NEP. For all of Nanjing City, the NDVI followed a weak increasing trend from 2000 to 2015, and the NEP also exhibited a weak increasing trend for areas without built-up land and water. Spatially, the NDVI and NEP present similar changing trends for most grids. Land use intensities were continuously increasing, and energy-related carbon emissions increased from 4389.35×104 t in 2000 to 10145.09×104 t in 2015, with the industry sector contributing more than 80% of the total carbon emissions. In total, NEP accumulation can offset 2% of energy-related carbon emissions. Low-carbon land management should be strengthened from multi-land use aspects, including urban expansion control, ecological land protection, and land use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Transnational labor migration from Myanmar contributes to upland smallholder agricultural intensification in China. • This in-migration from Myanmar to China is long-term rather than only being seasonal. • Smallholders will change future land use practices due to the substitution of labor from Myanmar. • We contribute to research on agrarian changes in upland rural society in the context of out- and in-migration. Abstract This paper examines the effects of transnational labor migration from Myanmar (Burma) on upland land use practices on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar borderland, particularly in the context of out-migration and the aging of the local labor force. The study is based on a combined framework, with economic and geopolitical dimensions, and using in-depth fieldwork. The findings are as follows: (1) The increase of available labor from Myanmar, as a substitution for and supplementation of the outgoing local labor force that is migrating to China's cities, helps local villagers cultivate crops, thus influencing smallholder land use. (2) This inward migration from Myanmar to China is long-term (rather than only being seasonal), based on the year-round nature and demands of China's farming activities. (3) Due to the in-migration of labor from Myanmar, local villagers will flexibly adapt to planting cash crops that provide stable market prices. Such practices may delay the marginalization of farmland use. We argue that agricultural intensification can be achieved in the upland of the China-Myanmar borderland in the context of out- and in-migration. Smallholders can obtain profits from agricultural activities by hiring Burmese laborers, which helps to avoid a land abandonment scenario. This paper contributes to the existing body of literature on agrarian changes and rethinks agricultural growth in the upland rural society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Countrywide study of all larger defence sites in Denmark. • An overall positive impact of military land use on land cover composition and biodiversity. • A typology of six key LULC trajectories of Danish defence sites. Abstract Counting for as much as 6% of Earth's terrestrial surface, military land use constitutes an important share of human land use. Yet, only few studies analyse the general impact of military land use on landscape and biodiversity. This article presents a countrywide study of land use, land use change and biodiversity content on all Danish defence sites larger than 10 ha, comprising roughly 40,000 ha or 1% of the Danish terrestrial area. Based on interpretation of historical maps, land use history was analysed for the period from the 1870′s to the present. Furthermore, available national data were applied to assess present land use and biodiversity content within and in the surrounding of defence sites. The historical analysis revealed six typical trajectories of land use change. In terms of total area, the two most important were conservation of open, semi-natural habitat types (47%) and change from agriculture to open, semi-natural habitat types (34%). Results also show, that for sites characterised by these two land use change trajectories, present proportions of open semi-natural habitats as well as biodiversity contents are significantly higher within the sites compared to their surroundings. It is concluded that military land use in most cases had a significant beneficial impact on present day land cover composition and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the cost-income data of agricultural products and relevant statistical data, taking major grain crops and economic crops in the process of cultivated land use as study cases, we studied characteristics of the temporal variation of cultivated land use intensity and its composition in Shandong Province from 1980 to 2015, and then analyzed its main driving factors. The results showed that: (1) The total intensity of major crops in Shandong Province showed a rising trend from 919.73 Yuan ha–1 in 1980 to 3285.06 Yuan ha–1 in 2015, and the average annual intensity of economic crops was higher than that of grain crops. The labor cost and material cost of major crops both showed an increasing trend, but the material input was much higher than labor input for grain crops, while the labor input was much higher than material input for economic crops. (2) The labor intensity of major crops in Shandong Province showed a decreasing trend from 501.75 man-day ha–1 in 1980 to 161.93 man-day ha–1 in 2015. The labor intensity of grain crops was lower than that of economic crops and its decline rate was fast. On the contrary, the capital intensity showed an increasing trend from 518.33 Yuan ha–1 in 1980 to 1159.95 Yuan ha–1 in 2015. In the internal composition of capital intensity, the proportion of yield-increasing inputs such as seed, farmyard manure, fertilizer, pesticide and drainage and irrigation decreased gradually, while the proportion of labor-saving inputs such as agricultural machinery increased significantly. (3) The cultivated land use intensity in Shandong Province had significant negative correlations with the amount of agricultural labor and cultivated land area per capita. The primary direct driving factor was the net income per unit cost of major crops, but the time response lagged by 1–3 years. The main indirect driving factor was the reform of agricultural policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the long-term relationship between farm size and productivity in China at the national level. Design/methodology/approach: In contrast to the micro-data examination conducted by earlier literature, in this study, the authors use household aggregate panel data on 29 provinces in China for 1988–2012. Using the panel data PMG model, the authors control the factor of difference in land quality due to the fixed effect in each province, and the authors consider the difference in the long-run coefficients of farm size and land productivity rather than the difference in their short-run relationship. Thus, the authors examine the long-term relationship between farm size and productivity. Furthermore, the authors examine the robustness of this relationship in the long-term using samples of rice, wheat and corn production by region. Findings: In contrast with the findings presented previously, the authors find that the relationship between farm size and agricultural productivity is statistically positive in the long term. Originality/value: The relationship between farm size and agricultural productivity is a key research issue in agricultural and development economics. In China, many studies have provided evidence of the inverse relationship between farm size and agricultural productivity at the family farm level. However, this inverse relationship seems to reflect specific regions and specific periods in the relationship between farm size and land productivity. At the nationwide level, in the long-term, this is not an inverse but a positive relationship. It is desirable to expand farm size for the long-term development of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This presidential address highlights the foundational and ongoing importance of the historical commitments of agricultural economists to applied research and outreach programs. In addition, I stress that institutional alertness increases the pragmatic approach. When research, extension, and institutional alertness are fully integrated, agricultural economists have the potential to generate grounded knowledge, which has meaningful implications to our effort to improve life. I develop these ideas generally and with specific reference to my own research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian wheat industry is an important contributor to the Australian economy and farm sector. This paper investigates the determinants of land use and profitability in wheat production for the Australian wheat-sheep zone. Wheat area supply response and its profitability were estimated across the wheat-sheep zone for the period 1990-2015. The results indicated that the growers in Western Australia are more (relative expected) price responsive than the growers in the South Eastern states. The current wheat area is highly depended on the previous year's wheat area, and the area adjustment is also not significantly different between the regions. Estimates for own-price (wheat-wheat) and cross-price (wheat-wool) elasticities are with the expected signs, and the cross-price elasticities are more inelastic compared to the own price elasticities. Wheat productivity influenced negatively by the area sown but showed the positive influence of locations and periods, which implies technological progress has been playing a significant role to improve wheat production. Ricardian approach for wheat profitability indicates the regional effect of minimum temperature on determining wheat net revenue in the Australian wheat-sheep zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses a multinomial endogenous treatment effects model in combination with propensity score matching techniques to evaluate the impact of land tenure on the adoption of agri-environmental practices by smallholder farmers in Benin. We rely on a unique and detailed cross-sectional plot-level dataset that covers a random sample of 2800 smallholder farmers and 4233 plots. The results indicate that land tenure arrangement significantly influences farmers’ decision to invest in agri-environmental practices. The intensity of the adoption of agri-environmental practices is consistently higher on owned plots than borrowed, rented or sharecropped plots. We found strong evidence that the hypothesis of selectivity bias cannot be rejected. Although estimates of the adoption gap between plot owners and borrowers are larger when using the matched sample, the results are broadly consistent across specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall of the communist system in Central Europe was followed by dynamic social and economic change that also had its clear impact on the food sector. One of the key factors shaping the contemporary condition of the agricultural sector in region has been change of ownership, with the collapse of the nationalised sector and restitution of property to former owners. The work presented here considers the main directions of changes and assessment of selected economic processes ongoing in the farming sector over the last quarter-century throughout the region under consideration. This analysis may be further broken down in relation to the three suggested phases of change, i.e. transformation, integration and polarisation. The work took in five countries of the former Eastern Bloc, i.e. the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the impact of transnational labor migration on agriculture in urbanizing communities in Bolivia. Previous research shows that the characteristics of rural out-migration communities affect whether agricultural practices are intensified and improved. Using a mixed methods approach, two closely located peri-urban communities with distinct prerequisites for agricultural development are analyzed. This study shows weak migration-induced changes in agriculture and concludes that transnational migration does not necessarily accelerate an ongoing urbanization process. It shows that remittances function to maintain farming for subsistence and as a secondary livelihood activity. However, major investments in agricultural intensification are not attractive due to the communities' proximity to the main cities. This article highlights the need for nuanced conceptualization when studying migration-driven agricultural change in hybrid peri-urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uptake of energy crop production is slow, even though the returns are competitive with traditional crops, suggesting the existence of barriers to adoption. Danish farm-level data from 2006 to 2013 are used to identify incentive mechanisms and potential barriers to uptake. The results identify land quality, existing farm activities and local markets as important conditions. The influence of farm size and the decisions of neighbouring farmers suggest more subtle barriers: learning costs, uncertainties about future markets and start-up costs. The study thus points towards some of the underlying barriers for the uptake of energy crops and potential new policy directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted improves method of the assessment of the ecological sustainability of agricultural land use in the territorial structure of region. Approbation of this method was carried out on the example of the districts of the Lviv region, located in the western part of Ukraine. The analysis of ecological parameters and modern structure of lands of the territory of Lviv region is presented. Based on the analysis of the coefficients of ecological sustainability of agricultural land use, three groups of districts have been identified, depending on the level of this indicator: stable, average sustainability, low sustainability. Using correlation-regression analysis, we established the relationship between ecological parameters of the organization of the territory and humus content, as well as the normative-monetary valuation of land, using the example of Lviv region districts. The proposed method for assessing the ecological sustainability use can be an integral part of the ecological passport of the territory, which makes it possible to consider the environmental factors that have resulted in the result of the assessment in combination and interdependence. The application of the proposed methodology makes it possible to choose the best variant of the organization of land use in agrosphere, which will increase the efficiency of production, as well as optimization of natural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Large‐scale peat extraction, in Finland and elsewhere, typically takes place on rather small extraction sites but has major impacts on surrounding aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The environmental conditions prior to drainage (baseline conditions) must be quantified in a statutory environmental impact assessment (EIA), but this is generally difficult due to lack of historical data. In this study, we developed and tested a method for EIA based on a reference area approach and remote sensing. The method calculates the normalized difference vegetation index in preextraction and postextraction periods using Landsat images of affected areas and reference surrounding areas. In a case study, we applied the method to assess changes after peat extraction at a site in northern Finland. The peat extraction area showed significant transformation from peatland vegetation to bare soil. Adjacent areas downstream and upstream were also affected by extraction. These results indicate that our method is a useful tool for EIA of peatland drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture has been an economic mainstay of countries throughout history. Recently, its importance and essential role in local and regional growth and development have also received due acknowledgment. However, agritourism entrepreneurs often lack the necessary means, when relying only on their own funds alone. For these reasons, targeted aid measures are provided at the regional, national and European levels, provided they fulfill specified subjective and objective eligibility criteria. This investigation aims at understanding the rationale, if any, according to which the Public Administration allots such contributions. To this end, a two-tiered analysis was conducted on the data collected by way of a comprehensive search. Specifically, the first of the two tiers refers to a merely descriptive analysis, by which a number of underlying facts and data points were observed. Subsequently, using the R programming language and statistical environment, the second-tier, that is, the statistical analysis, was conducted so as to substantiate the results. This latter analysis served as the basis upon which a statistical model could be devised and whose purpose was to clarify the relationship between the funding awarded and other related variables. These findings ultimately served to identify identifiable criteria according to which the Region awarded grants to a given agritourism entrepreneur or not. Bringing such models to entrepreneurs’ knowledge may prove of practical significance, permitting them to appraise, beforehand, whether it would be worthwhile to invest their time and money in a specific agritourism business project. Nevertheless, for sake of clarity, the results deriving from any particular assessment apply only to the specific case investigated and, thus, should not be generalized. However, with appropriate tools, these statistical models could be adapted to any context, thereby overcoming this inherent limitation, and thus be exploited to the potential benefit of many entrepreneurs. The conclusion is that changes are underway in the supply of agritourism, which increasingly focuses on promoting, developing and enhancing the value of the rural and natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the productive value of biodiversity have emphasised that crop diversity increases crop yields. Here, we focus on the management of crop biodiversity for wheat, winter barley and rapeseed productions. We introduce productive capacity of biodiversity into a structural dynamic model with supply, variable input demand and acreage functions. We estimate the model for a sample of French farms between 2007 and 2012. We highlight that biodiversity indicators influence the yield of crops and variable input uses. We find evidence that farmers manage their acreage to benefit from the productive capacity of crop biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]