This paper presents an integrated model for the economic and environmental assessment of the use of natural resources when new activities (i.e. biomass crops for energy production) are introduced into the farm production plan. The methodology is based on the integration of positive mathematical...

The increased interest in Integrated Assessment (IA) of agricultural systems reflects the growing complexity of policy objectives and corresponding impacts related to this sector. The paper contemplates on the status of quantitative tools for IA in agriculture, drawing on recent European...

Grasslands received policy attention in the Czech Republic only just fifteen years ago, when they were threatened to be abandoned in the economic transition process. The supports to farming on grasslands have grown gradually, particularly after the EU accession. The policy followed the notion of...

Since 2003, direct payments have accounted for a signifi cant portion of farm program payments. If direct payments were eliminated, many agricultural producers would be affected, both through the loss of income and potential declines in land values and rental rates. This report considers the...

When it comes to farmland liquidity, instead of farmland dealing, leasing has been increasing rapidly in the Hokkaido paddy field zone since the second half of the 1980s. The leased land development is especially remarkable because of the formation of a large number of lenders of farmland,...

This paper discusses why progress in farmland liquidation through leasing has been very slow in the agricultural sector in Japan, focusing on the transaction costs related to farmland leasing. First, this paper points out that transaction costs are an important constraint for farmland leasing,...

In order to comments about the controversy over rice policy, we analyzed the present situation of structural change on paddy farming, profitability and cost level of rice production, and strategies on paddy field farms. The main conclusions of this survey are summarized as follows. (1) According...

This paper reviews theories, current conditions, and barriers to liquidization and concentration of farmland in Japan and discusses perspectives on further research. We make special effort in introducing theoretical approach to understand institutional barriers to farmland liquidization, such as...

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