Suchergebnisse

Agroindustrialization and agricultural commercialization are both consequences of economic growth and urbanization. Commercialization of agricultural systems leads to greater market orientation; progressive substitution out of non-traded inputs for purchased inputs; and the decline of integrated farming systems. Agricultural commercialization can have both negative and positive impacts on the natural resource base. Higher opportunity cost of labor increases farmer reliance on herbicides for weed control, primarily for the staple crops. The use of insecticides and fungicides could also rise, especially for high value fruit and vegetable crops. Increased use of agricultural chemicals could lead to higher environmental and human health risks. On the other hand, global integration and the consequent rationalization of agricultural policies could have significant environmental benefits, especially in terms of a reduced rate of salinity build up and ground water depletion in irrigated environments. The extent to which positive environmental effects manifest themselves depends on both macroeconomic and microeconomic policy reforms.

"This book features a comprehensive foresight assessment, exploring the pressures — threats as well as opportunities — on the global agriculture & food systems between now and 2050. The overarching aim is to help readers understand the context, by analyzing global trends and anticipating change for better planning and constructing pathways from the present to the future by focusing on the right questions and problems. The book contextualizes the role of international agricultural research in addressing the complex challenges posed by UN 2030 Agenda and beyond, and identifies the decisions that scientific leaders, donors and policy makers need to take today, and in the years ahead, to ensure that a global population rising to nine billion or more combined with rising incomes and changing diets can be fed sustainably and equitably, in the face of the growing climate threats."--

Volume 3 of this series of the Handbooks in Economics follows on from the previous two volumes by focusing on the fundamental concepts of agricultural economics. The first part of the volume examines the developments in human resources and technology mastery. The second part follows on by considering the processes and impact of invention and innovation in this field. The effects of market forces are examined in the third part, and the volume concludes by analysing the economics of our changing natural resources, including the past effects of climate change. Overall this volume forms a comprehensive and accessible survey of the field of agricultural economics and is recommended reading for anyone with an interest, either academic or professional, in this area. *Part of the renown Handbooks in Economics series *Contributors are leaders of their areas *International in scope and comprehensive in coverage

AbstractIn the past decade, declining rice prices, a slowdown in research expenditures and output growth, reduced irrigation investment and degradation of irrigated land, declining marginal returns to input use, and a stagnant technological yield frontier caused declining growth in rice yields per hectare in much of Asia. Future growth in rice productivity will increasingly come from improved management and efficiency of use of the resources utilized in rice production, in contrast to the rapid dissemination of modern technology which has been dominant in the past. The foundations for increased efficiency in rice production are greater investment in research, extension, and education to upgrade human capital, combined with establishment of economic incentives that reflect the social opportunity costs of scarce resources.

Fehlschläge bei der Modernisierung der Landwirtschaft in Afrika werden auf falsche technologische Prioritäten zurückgeführt. Die Autoren wägen verschiedene Forschungsstrategien für Länder mit unterschiedlicher Ausstattung an bebaubarem Land, Arbeitskraft und Klima ab. Kosteneffektive Agrartechnologien sind den verschiedenen Anbausystemen anzupassen. Afrikas Staaten werden klassifiziert auf der Grundlage ökologischer und demographischer Faktoren, und für jede Ländergruppe werden entsprechende technologische Strategien vorgeschlagen. (DÜI-Wsl)