The heterogeneity of farms and the problem of self-selection are challenging the evaluation of treatments in agriculture. This is particularly the case for rural development measures whit voluntary participation and heterogeneous outcomes. But knowledge about the selection mechanisms for a...

Recent trade evolutions credit China with a large and growing market potential, and explain the increasing attractiveness of the Chinese market to foreign producers. In 2007 one tenth of internationally traded products were shipped to China. The present paper aims to determine the countries that...

Biogas production is one of the influential innovations of recent decades in German agriculture. Due to high guaranteed energy prices biogas production led to distortions in agricultural and land markets. This paper provides insights in effects of biogas production on farms, farm structures and...

This paper aims to understand the state of adjustment process and dynamic structure in Polish agriculture. A dynamic cost frontier model using the shadow cost approach is formulated to decompose cost efficiency into allocative and technical efficiencies. The dynamic cost efficiency model is...

In this paper, we develop core of an expert system for planning of innovation. The practical outcome of the paper is based on rules determination for search of perspective innovation and its distinguish from commercially unperceptive innovation. The second practical outcome of the paper is a...

The paper analyses the impact that European Union (EU) farmers’ and rural population’s awareness of biotechnology innovations and access to/trust in information on these issues (amongst other a priori determinants) have on their perceptions of risks and benefits of the applications of...

Fair Trade-products gained increasing importance during the last 15 years and entered the mainstream market. Nowadays, they are no longer sold only by a few selected shops but supermarkets and discount shops also offer them. The entrance into a different market is accompanied by an adjustment to...

On the example of a commercial microfinance institution (MFI) in Tanzania this paper investigates first whether agricultural firms have a different probability to get a loan and whether their loans are differently volume rationed than loans to non-agricultural firms. Second, we analyze whether...

Weather risk is one of the main causes for income fluctuation in agriculture. Since 1997, the economic consequences of weather risk can be insured with weather derivatives, which are offered for many different weather events, such as temperature, rainfall, snow or hurricanes. It is well known...

A survey among cow-calf producers was conducted during 2006 in Western Canada, to assess producers’ preferences towards participation in beef alliances. Producers’ choices were analyzed by varying the degree of vertical coordination in hypothetical lliance participation, while controlling...