targeted extension for heterogeneous farming systems is a challenge in developing countries. farm type identification and characterization based on estimates of income from different farm components allows simplifying diversity in farming systems. use of multivariate statistical techniques, such as principal component analysis (pca) and cluster analysis (ca), help in such farm typology delineat...

This paper aims to construct an empirical model for the analysis of two principal simultaneous decisions of farm operators: participation in the off-farm labor market, and the amount of resources to invest in farm capital. We first develop a theoretical model analyzing the effects of exogenous shocks on farmers’ decisions. Then, we estimate jointly a multinomial probit model of farmers’ off-far...

Mathematical models are invaluable tools for quantifying potential epidemics and devising optimal control strategies in case of an outbreak. State-of-the-art models increasingly require detailed individual farm-based and sensitive data, which may not be available due to either lack of capacity for data collection or privacy concerns. However, in many situations, aggregated data are available fo...

This study aims at assessing if benefits, based on the economic performance of farms operating in an agro-food supply chain, are generated by a vertical coordination. A panel data (2008–2011) of durum wheat producers was used, namely the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Outcomes of coordinated and non-coordinated farms with equal farm and farmer characteristics were calculated thro...

We examine the driving forces behind farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change, and the impact of adaptation on farmers’ food production. We investigate whether there are differences in the food production functions of farm households that adapted and those that did not adapt. We estimate a simultaneous equations model with endogenous switching to account for the heterogeneity in the decisi...

The farm household model has played a central role in improving the understanding of small-scale agricultural households and non-farm enterprises. Under the assumptions that all current and future markets exist and that farmers treat all prices as given, the model simplifies households' simultaneous production and consumption decisions into a recursive form in which production can be treated as...

Abstract A split-panel latent class stochastic frontier model is applied to account for technological heterogeneity among Swiss dairy farms and assess the potential performance improvements through technology choice change over 11 years. Three classes with substantially different productivity levels are identified considering unobserved observed farm characteristics. Technologies seem on averag...

________________________________________________________________________ We assess whether bank branch placement in Bangladesh responds to any unexploited potential for non-farm rural development. The location choices of the famous Grameen Bank are compared to those of more traditional banks. We allow for heterogeneity in household characteristics conducive to success in non-farm activities whe...

If farmers are risk averse, greater farm income variability should increase off-farm labor supply. This effect is confirmed for a sample of Kansas farmers. Off-farm employment of farmers and their spouses is also found to be significantly influenced by farm experience, off-farm work experience, farm size, leverage, efficiency, and farm-specific education. In addition, farm operators and spouses...

Measuring farm sustainability performance is a crucial component for improving agricultural sustainability. While extensive assessments and indicators exist that reflect the different facets of agricultural sustainability, because of the relatively large number of measures and interactions among them, a composite indicator that integrates and aggregates over several variables is particularly us...