The economic well-being of most U.S. farm households depends on income from both onfarm and off-farm activities. Consequently, for many farm households, economic decisions (including technology adoption and other production decisions) are likely to be shaped by the allocation of managerial time among such activities. While time allocation decisions are usually not measured directly, we observe ...

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing major changes in farm land ownership and use, which are both cause and consequence of the economic transformations that the region is now experiencing. The rapid rise of emergent investor farms in the 5 to 100 hectare category represents a revolutionary change in Africa’s farm structure since 2000. The rise of investor farmers is affecting the region in divers...

This paper examines whether and to what extent off-farm employment affects the technical efficiency of agricultural production. The level of technical efficiency is measured using a stochastic frontier production function approach. We find that there is a positive significant effect of off-farm employment on the level of technical efficiency. We also find that fragmentation of farmland is a bar...

This paper reviews recent development of China’s agricultural domestic support policy, especially the transition from taxing farmers and agriculture to providing direct subsidies to grain production and purchased inputs. A model-based quantitative analysis on the effects of these policy changes has been conducted. Simulation results suggest that recent policy changes have likely achieved the de...

This paper estimates the returns to health and nutrition in both farm and off-farm activities of agricultural households in rural Bangladesh. The findings of this paper indicate that the health of adults in rural Bangladesh influences the households’ choice of employment activities as well as their incomes given their participation decisions. Adult height has a significant positive effect on of...

The literature about economic and social impacts of Bt cotton adoption on farm households in developing countries is growing. Yet, there is still uncertainty about wider implications of this technology for rural development, including effects for landless rural laborers. Bt-related yield advantages may lead to intensified production and higher demand for labor. Building on farm survey data coll...

Anti-wind farm activists repeatedly claim that families said to be adversely affected by noise from wind turbines "abandon" their homes. In Australia, a claim of "more than 40 families" has been made by a prominent anti-wind farm activist. Six sources (parliamentary submissions, media reports, an anti-wind farm website, wind industry sources, correspondence with known anti-wind farm activists a...

Income from o®-farm sources is especially important for land-poor households. However, the pattern of participation in o®-farm activities is heterogeneous across space. We explore the determinants of participation in o®-farm employment using data from rural Mexico. In particular, we try to undertand how the neighborhood and the neighbors a®ect the individual decision to participate in o®-farm l...

Human capital raises rural incomes, but this effect is swamped by higher returns to human capital in urban markets. This leads to “brain drain” from rural areas. Populations grow more rapidly in rural counties that have a diversified employment base. Farm population grows faster (or declines more slowly) in counties with relatively high farm income, and nonfarm populations grow faster in counti...