In recent years, output on genetic diversity in the economic literature has included conceptual pieces on the definition and measurement of crop genetic diversity, methodologies for estimating its value, and efforts to analyze its contribution to productivity and stability. However, because...

This paper investigates the role of expected protein levels in determining the impact of protein premiums and discounts on firstly, a grower’s income stream, and secondly, a grower’s willingness-to-pay for a forward contract. The impact is examined for a range of expected protein levels...

This paper seeks first to quantify the relative importance of the different factors contributing to growth in Australia’s wine industry over the ten years to 1996. This growth accounting exercise uses an economy-wide model for Australia that separately distinguishes nonpremium from premium red...

The NSW, Victorian and Commonwealth Governments are in the process of corporatising the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. As part of this process a water inquiry was established to assist in the determination of the environmental operating conditions of the new business, Snowy Hydro Ltd....

This paper reports on an expanded and revised version of the spatial equilibrium model of the Australian dairy industry developed by MacAulay (1997). In the expanded version there is demand for five manufactured products. The transformation from bulk milk to final product is modelled by...

Uncertainty has been under-recognised as an impediment to the adoption of innovative land conservation practices. High levels of uncertainty inhibit adoption because (a) most farmers are psychologically averse to risk and uncertainty, (b) uncertainty leaves room for misunderstanding and...

In this paper we review some recent studies of the impact of National Competition Policy on rural Australia. National Competition Policy has tended to assume that both domestic and international deregulation of industry leads to a shift from a noncompetitive to a competitive industry structure....

The widespread clearance of native vegetation has been identified as one of the major environmental issues facing Australia. Impacts of clearing include dryland salinity, weed invasion, soil erosion, soil structural decline and the loss of species. Development of effective polices to deal with...

Precision farming has the potential to increase farm productivity, lower input costs and increase expected returns. Despite these potential benefits, the adoption of precision farming technology in Australia has been relatively slow. One of the reasons for this is the lack of information...

In this paper, a bioeconomic model is used to investigate possible externalities imposed by forestry on giant-clam farming in Solomon Islands. This is of economic interest due to the rapid expansion of forestry in that country and the potential for mariculture to become an important source of...