Maria Fay Rola-Rubzen

Micro and macro-level approaches to modelling decision making

Abstract Farm households form a significant unit of study for the rural policy analyst as it is at this level of aggregation that the decisions to participate in government policy initiatives and to adopt new technologies are taken, although the true micro-level impacts of such decisions might be felt more acutely at the intra-household level. This paper describes a range of modelling approaches that have been used to represent micro-level decision making related to sustainable agricultural development. While none of the examples was undertaken in a pluralistic framework, they illustrate that two or more methodologies can be integrated so that the complementarity and/or conflict between the results would enhance the quality of the outcomes. The paper argues that because of the integrated nature of the relationship between the farm household (or the decision-making unit), the farming system, and the environment, more progress can be made by using more than one methodology even though their assumptions may be incompatible and their results imply different solutions to the problem. The dialogue created by this diversity will provide better solutions than a reliance on one paradigm and its associated methodologies. One methodological approach will not be sufficient to capture the decision-making process and its subsequent impacts and a pluralist approach is advocated.

Review of farmers' markets

Purpose of review: The popularity of farmers’ markets is increasing, yet little is understood about their contribution in developing social or economic benefits for the farmers who use them. This paper reviews the literature on farmers’ markets and the contributions that they make, not only to the rural community but also the urban centres within which they operate, and the various challenges associated with their operation. Main findings: Although there are many advantages of farmers’ markets, the review identifies a clear gap in the research literature relating to the potential impact of farmers’ markets on urban areas and tourism. While most studies have been undertaken in developed countries, research in developing countries is equally if not more important, given the potential role of farmers’ markets in enhancing the economic wellbeing of smallholder producers. Directions for future research: Future research should guide policy makers by providing more evidence on the economic impact of farmers’ markets and the potential for tourism and urban development.

Measuring environmental sustainability in agriculture: A composite environmental impact index approach

The present study develops a composite environmental impact index (CEII) to evaluate the extent of environmental degradation in agriculture after successfully validating its flexibility, applicability and relevance as a tool. The CEII tool is then applied to empirically measure the extent of environmental impacts of High Yield Variety (HYV) rice cultivation in three districts of north-western Bangladesh for a single crop year (October, 2012-September, 2013). Results reveal that 27 to 69 per cent of the theoretical maximum level of environmental damage is created due to HYV rice cultivation with significant regional variations in the CEII scores, implying that policy interventions are required in environmentally critical areas in order to sustain agriculture in Bangladesh.

Effects of Out-migration on Rice-farming Households and Women Left Behind in Vietnam

Abstract Vietnam is one of the major rice-producing countries in Asia, and since 1989 it has been a rice-exporting country. However, poor rice-farming households that depend primarily upon their own labor for farming face significant constraints on production that push members to migrate. Out-migration could have effects on agricultural production and household welfare. This study was conducted to draw correlations across migration, livelihoods, farming outcomes, and gender roles to derive gender-responsive policy recommendations for action in rice-producing villages of the Mekong Delta in the south and Red River Delta in the north. Results revealed that labor out-migration was highest in the rainfed villages in the south where the poor are located. Remittances comprised signifi cant proportions of total household income, often more important than rice income, as was the case in the north. The effects of out-migration on family members left behind, particularly women, depend on the characteristics of the migrant, the duration of absence of the migrant, use of remittances, and women’s access to productive resources. The findings of this study have far-reaching implications for gender-responsive research and extension programs dealing with ricebased farming systems in Vietnam and other Asian countries that facelabor shortages due to out-migration from rural areas.

Increasing the Economic Role for Smallholder Farmers in the World Market for Horticultural Food

Smallholder farmers will be critical to meeting the growing demand for food in the next 40 years. However, currently they face many challenges in meeting the changing demands of modern markets, including the effects of climate change, deficiencies in their enabling environment, resources, capacities and institutional models for change and development. In this chapter we set the context by defining these deficiencies and their implications for development of the smallholder horticultural sector. We present a dualistic agribusiness systems framework that helps focus analysis on the interactions in the system and the complexity of the problems. This framework helps highlight the need to develop new institutional approaches to link smallholder farmers to markets and to improve their productivity. We then review some options for linking them to markets and conclude that a range of solutions will be required, but that contract farming and traditional cooperatives will only be relevant to a limited range of contexts. We suggest that cluster marketing arrangements will be another important solution, because they are suited better to smallholder resources and capacities. They can also be used as a means to develop a horticultural innovation system that meets the needs of smallholder farmers rather than just the needs of larger enterprises.

Ag econ angst crisis revisited: a rejoinder

Poverty reduction has been an underlying goal of governments and the development community since the Second World War, but it was the 1973 Nairobi address of Robert S. McNamara, then President of the World Bank, that created a new commitment to directly address poverty reduction in the quest for development (McNamara 1973). More than half a century after the war and close to 30 years after Robert McNamara’s speech, poverty is still rampant in many parts of the globe. Reflections on why this scourge remains, and what we as agricultural economists can do about it, were the driving forces behind our paper with the late John L. Dillon entitled ‘Agricultural economists and world poverty: progress and prospects’ (Rola-Rubzen et al. 2001). The part of our paper that Johnson, Rossmiller and Sandiford-Rossmiller (JRS) have reacted to was deliberately provocative to stimulate thinking on ways to combat poverty. We are pleased that someone has taken the bait. As the two surviving authors, we find ourselves in agreement with much that JRS have written. However, in preparing this rejoinder we have sadly missed John Dillon, especially his broad international experience. We note that in several respects JRS amplify and support some of our points, as well as adding a new perspective of their own, dealing with the new institutional economics. We find it hard to work out just where they differ from us.