5 research outputs found
Does it pay to switch from free grazing to stall feeding? Impact of stall feeding practice on household welfare in Tigrai Ethiopia
No full textIn this paper, efforts were made to the impact of full and seasonal stall feeding technology on households’ economic, ecological, and social welfare outcome indicators in rural Northern Ethiopia using data obtained from the survey of 518 rural farmers. In order to address our primary objective, an endogenous switching regression model was applied. The overall result indicated that SF adoption ensures significant gains in terms of the specified outcome indicators. Using endogenous switching regression models, we estimated different outcome indicators for both adopters from adoption (ATT), and non-adopters had they adopted (ATU). It is identified that there would be a decline of 21% in milk production and productivity if adopters would not have adopted this technology while non-adopters are estimated to increase their milk production and productivity by 100 and 48% if they would adopt this technology. The results further show that SF adoption had a significant increment in the lactation period. An increase of consumption expenditure by 17% from FSF and 44% in the case of SSF could be considered significant on livelihoods for smallholder farmers. On average, adoption of SF increased manure use in the range of 258–294 kg for adopters. The results showed that SF has decreased the propensity of hiring labor by about 29% and purchase of animal feed by 31%. We have found that participation in SF, on average, decreased total cattle stock by 1 TLU but increased the probability of keeping milking cow by 23%. The adoption of SF increased the likelihood of participating in an animal sale market by 29% for adopters and by 47% for non-adopters had they decided to adopt. The adoption of SF leads to a gain in a number of plants of 11 trees and 29 m of physical construction for the typical adopter and 36 trees and 133 m if the typical non-adopter were to adopt the SF technology on their plots. The adoption process also increased the propensity of growing trees by 19% and decreased household animal shock experience by a probability of 19% for adopters and about 15%
Welfare and food security response of animal feed and water resource scarcity in Northern Ethiopia
No full textAbstract The scarcity of grazing and water for an animal has a negative effect on household welfare and food security either by affecting livestock production directly, affecting crop or off-farm income due to labor reallocation or through its direct impact on time leisure consumption. The economic impacts of resource (grazing and water) scarcity on welfare are undermined. Thus, a better understanding that is derived from the factual evidence is required. The first objective of this paper is to explore the link between natural resource scarcity and per capita food consumption expenditure (PCFE) as proxy for welfare and food security followed by the second objective of analyzing whether this effect is uniform across all quantile groups and there is gender differential effect using distance and shadow price as resource scarcity indicators. The paper used a relatively unique data set from a randomly drawn 518 sample farmers in Northern Ethiopia. To address our first objective, we employ the IV two-stage least square estimation for welfare and probit model for food security drawing on non-separable farm household model. Our estimates show that about 48% of the households were food secure while 52% were food insecure. Our results confirmed the theoretical prediction that resource scarcity affects household PCFE and food security adversely as predicted by the downward spiral hypothesis. The results indicate that animal feed and water scarcity have an important impact on welfare and food security. As expected, in aggregate, reducing time spent searching for water per day leads to an increase in PCFE and food security. Similarly, a decrease in time wastage for searching grazing increase PCFE and food security respectively, and an increment of PCFE and food security is achieved by a reduction in crop residue transporting time per day. The gender differential analysis signals that increasing resource scarcity results in low PCFE and food security, with the male are considerably likely to have less food consumption expenditure and being food insecure more as compared to female households. The total impact of time spent searching for water, grazing, and transporting straw on per PCFE is − 0.142%, − 0.102%, and − 0.092%, respectively, and decreasing reaching time to a water, grazing, and straw source by 0.6 min will increase PCFE by 354 ETB, 254 ETB, and 229 ETB for the median household. Depending on results from the quantile regression, the effect of water and feed scarcity is not uniform across the food consumption distribution
The economic implication of animal feed scarcity on farm intensifcation, food production and consumption : empirical evidence from Tigrai, Ethiopia
No full textThis dissertation analyses cattle farming in order to (i) test the hypotheses of Boserup and Malthus in the merits of distinguishing both direct and indirect effects of population pressure on farm intensification, and (ii) test the downward spiral hypothesis which states that people in poverty are forced to deplete resources to survive, and this environmental depletion further impoverishes them. The main dissertation is composed of 4 manuscripts. The first paper attempts to examine the effect of rising population pressure on (i) farm and herd size (ii) modern input use and (iii) farm output by applying a recursive estimation combined with a control function approach using data from 518 randomly selected farmers. The finding reveals that both Malthusian and Boserupian forces co-exist. Population pressure affected both input demand and output supply. Consistent with Malthus theory, high population pressure is found to be associated with small farm size and herd size. As predicted by Boserup’s theory, the use of modern input and output supply initially increase with increasing population pressure but decline again when population densities pass a critical threshold (800 persons/km²), supporting Malthus’ hypothesis.
In the second Paper, we pay specific attention to the economic effect of resource (grazing, water and crop residue) scarcity measured in a traveling time and shadow cost on labor for crop farming and crop food production. The analysis in this paper was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that increasing time spent on searching for grazing, water and collecting straw has a negative effect on crop farm labor time and crop farm production based on non-separable household model. Our results favor the hypothesis of a negative relationship between labor input to crop farming and resource scarcity. In aggregate, the findings confirm that reducing time spent looking for water and animal feed increases food production. Likewise, our results show that moderate significant difference in crop output value between male and female resulting from a resource scarcity. The quantile regression also proved that the effects of these scarce resources are heterogeneous.
Paper 3 focus on the link between animal resource scarcities measured in a traveling time and shadow cost and welfare and food security drawing on a separable farm household model. The theoretical prediction that resource scarcity adversely affects household per capita food consumption expenditure (welfare) and food security, as predicted by the downward spiral hypothesis was tested using a double log IV 2SLS for the case of welfare and probit model in the case of food security. In aggregate, our principal findings confirmed that resource scarcity affect household welfare and food security adversely and effect is not uniform across the food income groups.
Paper 4 assess the effects of production risk and time preference on animal feeding practice use and feeding choice. Using the theoretical framework suggested by Antle (1987) and Koundouri et al. (2006), the author shows production risk to be the main determinants of stall feeding adoption and its full application using estimated moments of the value of milk production. It further considers discount factor and animal shock exposure into account as key factors of SF adoption and its application. Our empirical analysis revealed that production risk and time preferences are key determinant of SF adoption and full year application
Konsekvenser av fórknapphet på kvegdrift, matproduksjon og forbru : empirisk evidens fra Tigrai, Etiopia
No full textThis dissertation analyses cattle farming in order to (i) test the hypotheses of Boserup and Malthus in the merits of distinguishing both direct and indirect effects of population pressure on farm intensification, and (ii) test the downward spiral hypothesis which states that people in poverty are forced to deplete resources to survive, and this environmental depletion further impoverishes them. The main dissertation is composed of 4 manuscripts. The first paper attempts to examine the effect of rising population pressure on (i) farm and herd size (ii) modern input use and (iii) farm output by applying a recursive estimation combined with a control function approach using data from 518 randomly selected farmers. The finding reveals that both Malthusian and Boserupian forces co-exist. Population pressure affected both input demand and output supply. Consistent with Malthus theory, high population pressure is found to be associated with small farm size and herd size. As predicted by Boserup’s theory, the use of modern input and output supply initially increase with increasing population pressure but decline again when population densities pass a critical threshold (800 persons/km²), supporting Malthus’ hypothesis.
In the second Paper, we pay specific attention to the economic effect of resource (grazing, water and crop residue) scarcity measured in a traveling time and shadow cost on labor for crop farming and crop food production. The analysis in this paper was conducted in order to test the hypothesis that increasing time spent on searching for grazing, water and collecting straw has a negative effect on crop farm labor time and crop farm production based on non-separable household model. Our results favor the hypothesis of a negative relationship between labor input to crop farming and resource scarcity. In aggregate, the findings confirm that reducing time spent looking for water and animal feed increases food production. Likewise, our results show that moderate significant difference in crop output value between male and female resulting from a resource scarcity. The quantile regression also proved that the effects of these scarce resources are heterogeneous.
Paper 3 focus on the link between animal resource scarcities measured in a traveling time and shadow cost and welfare and food security drawing on a separable farm household model. The theoretical prediction that resource scarcity adversely affects household per capita food consumption expenditure (welfare) and food security, as predicted by the downward spiral hypothesis was tested using a double log IV 2SLS for the case of welfare and probit model in the case of food security. In aggregate, our principal findings confirmed that resource scarcity affect household welfare and food security adversely and effect is not uniform across the food income groups.
Paper 4 assess the effects of production risk and time preference on animal feeding practice use and feeding choice. Using the theoretical framework suggested by Antle (1987) and Koundouri et al. (2006), the author shows production risk to be the main determinants of stall feeding adoption and its full application using estimated moments of the value of milk production. It further considers discount factor and animal shock exposure into account as key factors of SF adoption and its application. Our empirical analysis revealed that production risk and time preferences are key determinant of SF adoption and full year application.Denne avhandlingen analyserer storfelandbruk i nordlige Etiopia for å i) teste hypotesene til Boserup og Malthus knyttet til hvordan befolkningspress påvirker intensivering av landbruket, og ii) den nedgående spiralhypotesen som sier at fattige er tvunget til å overforbruke de begrensede ressursene for å overleve, og dette gjør dem enda fattigere. Avhandlingen består av fire selvstendige artikler. Den første studerer virkningen av varierende befolkningspress/tetthet på i) bruksstørrelse og antall storfe pr bruk, ii) bruk av moderne innsatsfaktorer og iii) produksjon pr bruk. Analysen består av recursive regresjoner med en kontrollfunksjon tilnærming basert på et datasett bestående av 518 tilfeldig utvalgte bruk. Analysen viser at både Multhusiske og Boserupske faktorer har betydning. Befolkningspress påvirker både etterspørsel etter innsatsvarer og produksjon. Konsistent med Malthus’ teori så bidrar høyt befolkningspress til mindre bruksstørrelse og flere storfe pr bruk. Som predikert av Boserup’s teori øker bruken av innsatsvarer og produksjon med økende befolkningspress opp til en øvre grense for befolkningstetthet (800 personer/km2 ), men avtar over dette i tråd med Malthus’ teori.
I artikkel 2 studeres den økonomiske effekten av ressursknapphet (beiteareal, vann og halm fra kornproduksjon) målt i transporttid og skyggekostnader på arbeidsbehovet i planteproduksjon. Artikkelen forsøker å teste hypotesen at økende tid brukt på å skaffe fôr og vann har en negativ effekt på tid brukt i planteproduksjon og på produsert mengde. Resultatene påviser en negative sammenheng mellom ressursknapphet og arbeidsforbruk i planteproduksjon.
I artikkel 3 studeres sammenhengen mellom ressursknapphet i tilknytning til storfehold målt i form at tidsbruk og skyggekostnader og virkning på matvaresikkerhet (selvforsyning med mat). En negativ sammenheng ansees som en test av hypotesen om en negativ spiral i ressurbruk og produksjon over tid. Den økonometriske analysen indikerer at en slik sammeheng eksisterer med det er betydelig lokal variasjon mellom inntektsgrupper.
Artikkel 4 studerer effektene av produksjonsrisiko og tidspreferanser på fôringsregimet for storfe, inklusive valg av fôrslag. Basert på det teoretiske rammeverket til Antle (1987) og Koundouri et al. (2006) vises det at produksjonsrisiko er den viktigste faktoren som fører til adopsjon av nullbeiting. Studien ser også på hvordan tidspreferanser og sjokk som direkte påvirker storfehusholdet påvirker adopsjon av nullbeiting. Det vises at også tidspreferanser har betydning for adopsjon av nullbeiting.Mekelle University ; NORA
