The aim of this study is to explore whether efforts to encourage producers to use agricultural machinery and equipment will significantly improve agricultural productivity, income distribution amongst social groups, as well as macroeconomic performance in Thailand. A 2000 Social Accounting...

Wind-borne diseases can spread rapidly and cause large losses. Producers may have little incentive to prevent disease spread because prevention may not be welfare-maximizing. This study proposes a market-based mitigation program that indemnifies producers against disease-related losses and...

This study investigates the optimal agricultural land use allocation and nitrogen application to arepresentative Japanese farm. The site-specific nature of numerous agri-environmental issues necessitates analysis ata disaggregated level in order to capture the underlying heterogeneity of...

Agri-environmental programs in Japan have generally been promoted through the provision of fixedpayments for certain environment-friendly farming and management practices. However, the auctioning of agrienvironmentalcontracts is a noteworthy alternative for the furtherance of such programs....

Nitrate pollution from agriculture is an important environmental problem, caused bythe excessive use of inorganic fertilizers. The internalization of this externality, via a tax onmineral nitrogen, could lead to a second best solution, reducing nitrate emissions. Severalauthors suggest that a...

Agri-environmental schemes are the main policy instrument currently available in the EU to promoteenvironmentally friendly farming practices. Nevertheless, the adoption rate of these measures is stilllimited. This paper develops a theoretical framework to explain farmer sign-up decision and...

The onus on landholders in relation to environmental performance is ever increasing. One toolfor achieving environmental improvements is the design and promotion of region-specific‘best management practices’ (BMPs). These are conservation practices aimed at reducingdiffuse source pollution...

The paper demonstrates a group incentive program to encourage farmer adoption of best management practices. It is demonstrated that the best management practices may not actually reduce farm profits but may increase farm profits and reduce environmental pollution. This may bring about a win-win...

This paper identifies and synthesises strategic opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand’s sheep meat and beef sector over the next 10 to 15 years. A Delphi surveydraws on the sector’s collective knowledge and identifies areas of consensus anddivergence of opinion. Using the results...

Multi-Agent Simulation (MAS) models are intended to capture emergent properties of complex systems that are not amenable to equilibrium analysis. They are beginning to see some use for analysing agricultural systems. The paper reports on work in progress to create a MAS for specific sectors in...