Special Issue "Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 January 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Boon Lee
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4001, Australia
Interests: productivity and efficiency analysis in transportation; higher education and agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent times have witnessed an increased frequency and severity of droughts and floods, and increased agricultural and industrial greenhouse gas emissions. These outcomes pose a threat to agriculture production and food security, and the livelihoods of farmers in terms of food security and income. In addition to facing extreme weather and greenhouse gases, farmers have to practice sustainable farming methods to prevent soil degradation. In the face of these challenges, farmers therefore have to be efficient and productive in their farming practices while minimising their impact on ecosystems through sustainable practices. This Special Issue therefore seeks to gain new insights into agricultural efficiency and productivity, and the impact on the environment via sustainable practices with focus on policy implications. Papers selected for this Special Issue shall be subject to a rigorous peer review procedure with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results and applications.

Dr. Boon Lee
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • productivity
  • efficiency
  • sustainability
  • food security
  • agriculture

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Article
Technical Efficiency of Traditional Village Chicken Production in Africa: Entry Points for Sustainable Transformation and Improved Livelihood
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8539; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158539 - 30 Jul 2021
Viewed by 316
Abstract
Increasing poultry product consumption trends have attracted researchers and development practitioners to look for interventions that transform the low-input low-output-based village chicken production to a high yielding production system. However, due to the intricate nature of the production system, there is a dearth [...] Read more.
Increasing poultry product consumption trends have attracted researchers and development practitioners to look for interventions that transform the low-input low-output-based village chicken production to a high yielding production system. However, due to the intricate nature of the production system, there is a dearth of evidence that helps design comprehensive interventions at the smallholder level. Using national-level representative data collected from 3555 village chicken producers in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, this study examines the technical efficiency of village chicken production and investigates the main factors that explain the level of inefficiency. We applied a stochastic frontier analysis to simultaneously quantify the level of technical efficiency and identify factors associated with heterogeneity in inefficiency. We found that the level of technical efficiency is extremely low in the three countries, suggesting enormous opportunities to enhance productivity using available resources. The heterogeneity in technical efficiency is strongly associated with producers’ experience in breed improvements and flock management, limited technical knowledge and skills, limited access to institutions and markets, smaller flock size, gender disparities, and household livelihood orientation. We argue the need to adopt an integrated approach to enhance village producers’ productivity and transform the traditional subsistence-based production system into a commercially oriented semi-intensive production system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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Article
Technology, Policy, and Market Adaptation Mechanisms for Sustainable Fresh Produce Industry: The Case of Tomato Production in Florida, USA
Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5933; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115933 - 25 May 2021
Viewed by 590
Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Florida, a state located in the south-eastern region of the United States. The state is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the country and contributes to almost 90% of the domestic [...] Read more.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Florida, a state located in the south-eastern region of the United States. The state is the second largest producer of tomatoes in the country and contributes to almost 90% of the domestic winter tomato supplies. However, tomato farmers in Florida have come under increasing pressure due to climate changes, foreign imports, and rising production costs. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether Florida tomato growers will continue to sustain their production given the seasonal and geographic production advantage, yet against various internal and external threats emerging throughout the fresh produce supply chain. We developed our study on a multi-disciplinary conceptual model of network (supply chain) relationship and primary and secondary data gathered from various stakeholders and the literature. We found that Florida farmers have done remarkably well by adapting to warming temperatures and changing consumer expectations about environmental sustainability and responsible labor practices. However, foreign competition, labor shortage, the rising costs of inputs, extreme weather events (hurricanes), and pests and diseases due to humid climate continue to affect the sustainability of the Florida tomato production. Our paper suggests various farm-, market-, and institution-level adaptation mechanisms for preventing the regional production advantage of the Florida tomato industry from eroding. Newer immigration laws are necessary for easing the labor situation. In order to have a level playing field with respect to the use of protected agriculture technology such as in Mexico and Canada, U.S. farmers in general and Florida farmers in particular need government support. Florida farmers need to diversify their fresh produce market strategies, finding new product streams. There is also a need for reforming the product certification landscape, which some growers find cumbersome and cost prohibitive. Growers may gain from being better able to convey to consumers the information regarding their effort put into environmental sustainability, workers welfare, and safe food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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Article
The Role of Technical Efficiency Achieving Sustainable Development: A Dynamic Analysis of Norwegian Dairy Farms
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1841; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041841 - 08 Feb 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 814
Abstract
Growing environmental concerns have prompted governments to make sustainable choices in agricultural resource use. Evaluating the sustainability of agricultural systems is a key issue for the implementation of policies and practices aimed at revealing sustainability. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of [...] Read more.
Growing environmental concerns have prompted governments to make sustainable choices in agricultural resource use. Evaluating the sustainability of agricultural systems is a key issue for the implementation of policies and practices aimed at revealing sustainability. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of Norwegian dairy farms, accounting for marginal effects of environmental (exogenous) variables. We adopted the dynamic parametric approach within the input distance function framework to estimate the performance of Norwegian dairy farms, focusing on the technical efficiency and determinates. For comparison, we also estimated the static parametric model, which was used by previous studies. We used unbalanced farm-level panel data for the period 2000–2018. The result shows a mean technical efficiency score of 0.92 for the dynamic model and 0.87 for the static models. The empirical result shows that the previous studies that focused on the static model reported a biased result on the performance of dairy farms. The dynamic efficiency score suggests that Norwegian dairy farms can reduce the input requirement of producing the average output by 8% if the operation becomes technically efficient. The environmental variables have a different effect on the performance of the farmers; thus, policymakers need to place special focus on these variables for the sustainable development of the dairy sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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Article
Irrigation, Technical Efficiency, and Farm Size: The Case of Brazil
Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031132 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 528
Abstract
In developing countries, irrigation can help to decrease poverty in rural areas through increased employment in the agricultural sector. Evidence shows that irrigation may increase farm productivity and technical efficiency. In this paper, we estimate the effect of irrigation on farm technical efficiency [...] Read more.
In developing countries, irrigation can help to decrease poverty in rural areas through increased employment in the agricultural sector. Evidence shows that irrigation may increase farm productivity and technical efficiency. In this paper, we estimate the effect of irrigation on farm technical efficiency in Brazil using the 2006 Agricultural Census dataset on more than 4 million farms. We estimate a stochastic production frontier at farm level, considering potential selection bias in irrigation adoption. We find that farms using irrigation are on average 2.51% more technically efficient compared to rain-fed farms. Our findings also suggest that while small farms are more efficient than medium and large farms, the largest difference in technical efficiency between rain-fed and irrigated farms is among large farms. Our results indicate that policies that seek to support expansion of irrigation adoption has also the potential to achieve greater rural development given the estimated effects estimated in this paper among very small and small farms, which are more than 70% of the farms in Brazil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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Article
Sustainability of Agricultural Crop Policies in Rwanda: An Integrated Cost–Benefit Analysis
Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010048 - 23 Dec 2020
Viewed by 510
Abstract
Rwanda has aimed to achieve food self-sufficiency but faces binding land and budgetary constraints. A set of government policies have been in force for 20 years that have controlled the major cropping decisions of farmers. A cost–benefit analysis methodology is employed to evaluate [...] Read more.
Rwanda has aimed to achieve food self-sufficiency but faces binding land and budgetary constraints. A set of government policies have been in force for 20 years that have controlled the major cropping decisions of farmers. A cost–benefit analysis methodology is employed to evaluate the financial and resource flow statements of the key stakeholders. The object of the analysis is to determine the sustainability of the prevailing agricultural policies from the perspectives of the farmers, the economy, and the government budget. A total of seven crops were evaluated. In all provinces, one or more of the crops were either not sustainable from the financial perspective of the farmers or are economically inefficient in the use of Rwanda’s scarce resources. The annual fiscal cost to the government of supporting the sector is substantial but overall viewed to be sustainable. A major refocusing is needed of agricultural policies, away from a monocropping strategy to one that allows the farmers to adapt to local circumstances. A more market-oriented approach is needed if the government wishes to achieve its economic development goal of having a sustainable agricultural sector that supports the policy goal of achieving food self-sufficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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Article
Analysis of Environmental Policy and the Performance of Sustainable Agricultural Development in China
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10453; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410453 - 14 Dec 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 658
Abstract
A community with a shared future for mankind embodies the concept of sustainable development. This is also China’s contribution to global governance. Some of the Sustainable Development Goals (such as the elimination of hunger and malnutrition) require countries to implement people-centered overall agricultural [...] Read more.
A community with a shared future for mankind embodies the concept of sustainable development. This is also China’s contribution to global governance. Some of the Sustainable Development Goals (such as the elimination of hunger and malnutrition) require countries to implement people-centered overall agricultural transformations, and achieving such agricultural transformations is key to ensuring sustainable agricultural development and shifting agriculture toward a greener and more ecological direction. This paper uses the SBM Directional Distance Function and Malmquist Productivity Index with calculated data from 2000 to 2016. The results show that, since 2000, China’s environmental performance index growth has been slow, with an average annual growth rate of only 0.80%. This growth has gone through three phases: a stable up and down phase, a volatility decrease phase, and a volatility increase phase. In general, agricultural technological advances have played a more visible role in promoting a strong performance in reducing carbon emissions. Agriculture in China is also on the way to becoming more sustainable and green. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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Article
Effects of Agricultural Cooperative Society on Farmers’ Technical Efficiency: Evidence from Stochastic Frontier Analysis
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8194; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198194 - 05 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 773
Abstract
The impact of agricultural cooperatives on apple farmers’ technical efficiency (TE) in China was examined. The cooperatives were divided into two groups: a collective marketing group for farmers and an equivalent non-marketing group that did not provide a marketing service, although other functions [...] Read more.
The impact of agricultural cooperatives on apple farmers’ technical efficiency (TE) in China was examined. The cooperatives were divided into two groups: a collective marketing group for farmers and an equivalent non-marketing group that did not provide a marketing service, although other functions remained the same. Using the propensity score matching (PSM) procedure and stochastic production frontier (SPF) modelling, cooperatives’ key functions that potentially increase farmers’ TE can be identified. The results indicate that membership of either group is positively related to yield. However, cooperatives that were not engaged in marketing achieved higher TE than non-members. This suggests that policy makers should encourage cooperatives to focus on activities that do not include direct marketing to increase TE in apple production in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policies for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency)
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