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Damage control inputs: a comparison of conventional and organic farming systems

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  • Guan Zhengfei
  • Alfons Oude Lansink
  • Ada Wossink
  • Ruud Huirne

Abstract

The economic literature on pest control exclusively assumes a non-negative marginal product of pesticides based on a monotonic non-decreasing function of damage abatement, which may bias pesticide productivity estimates. This paper proposes a specification that allows for a negative marginal product of pesticides and a damage-abating role for labour and machinery. Pesticide productivity is found to be lower than previously reported. Conventional farms are found to rely substantially on pesticides and machinery for damage abatement, whereas organic farms mainly rely on machinery use and changes in cultural practices. Productivity analyses based on the asymmetric specification suggest that pesticides are used optimally in conventional farming, which contrasts with results in previous literature. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Guan Zhengfei & Alfons Oude Lansink & Ada Wossink & Ruud Huirne, 2005. "Damage control inputs: a comparison of conventional and organic farming systems," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 32(2), pages 167-189, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:erevae:v:32:y:2005:i:2:p:167-189
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    Cited by:

    1. Henderson, Stuart & Davidova, Sophia & Bailey, Alastair & Latruffe, Laure & Vedrine, Lionel & Desjeux, Yann, 2021. "Ecological Agriculture and Return to Skills: A Comparison between France and the UK," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315217, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Adélaïde Fadhuile & Stéphane Lemarié & Alain Pirotte, 2016. "Disaggregating the Demand for Pesticides: Does it Matter?," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 64(2), pages 223-252, June.
    3. Zhou, Jiajun & Mennig, Philipp & Sauer, Johannes, 2024. "Shadow prices of agrochemicals in the Chinese farming sector," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343528, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Theodoros Skevas & Teresa Serra, 2016. "The role of pest pressure in technical and environmental inefficiency analysis of Dutch arable farms: an event-specific data envelopment approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 139-153, December.
    5. K Hervé Dakpo & Yann Desjeux & Laure Latruffe, 2024. "Valuing Output Losses and Potential Pesticide Reduction in French Wine Production : Integrating Agronomic Principles in Production Frontier," Post-Print hal-04774496, HAL.
    6. Niklas Möhring & Martina Bozzola & Stefan Hirsch & Robert Finger, 2020. "Are pesticides risk decreasing? The relevance of pesticide indicator choice in empirical analysis," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(3), pages 429-444, May.
    7. Salomé Kahindo & Stéphane Blancard, 2022. "Reducing pesticide use through optimal reallocation at different spatial scales: The case of French arable farming," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(4), pages 648-666, July.
    8. Horna, J. Daniela & Smale, Melinda & Al-Hassan, Ramatu M. & Falck-Zepeda, Jose Benjamin & Timpo, Samuel E., 2008. "Insecticide Use on Vegetables in Ghana: Would GM Seed Benefit Farmers?," 2008 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2008, Orlando, Florida 6506, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    9. Zein Kallas & Teresa Serra & José Maria Gil, 2010. "Farmers’ objectives as determinants of organic farming adoption: the case of Catalonian vineyard production," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(5), pages 409-423, September.
    10. Xingliang Ma & Melinda Smale & David J. Spielman & Patricia Zambrano & Hina Nazli & Fatima Zaidi, 2017. "A Question of Integrity: Variants of Bt Cotton, Pesticides and Productivity in Pakistan," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(2), pages 366-385, June.
    11. Skevas, Theodoros & Stefanou, Spiro E. & Oude Lansink, Alfons, 2014. "Pesticide use, environmental spillovers and efficiency: A DEA risk-adjusted efficiency approach applied to Dutch arable farming," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 237(2), pages 658-664.
    12. Cai, Rong & Ma, Jie & Wang, shujuan & Cai, Shukai, 2024. "Can crop insurance help optimize farmers’ decisions on pesticides use? Evidence from family farms in East China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    13. Midingoyi, Soul-Kifouly & Affognon, Hippolyte & Macharia, Ibrahim & Leru, Bruno, 2021. "Productivity Effects of Biological Control of Maize Stemborer Pests in Kenya: Damage Control Function Approach," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315385, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Kassoum Ayouba, 2016. "On the estimation of damage reducing functions," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(4), pages 2394-2404.
    15. Skevas, Theodoros & Stefanou, Spiro E. & Oude Lansink, Alfons G.J.M., 2010. "Do Farmers Internalise External Impacts of Pesticides in Production?," 120th Seminar, September 2-4, 2010, Chania, Crete 109403, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Ayesh, Abubakr & Swinton, Scott M., 2020. "Does a Lemon Technology for Pest Control Act as a Substitute for Insecticides?," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304535, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Böcker, Thomas & Britz, Wolfgang & Finger, Robert, 2017. "Modelling the Effects of a Glyphosate Ban on Weed Management in Maize Production," 57th Annual Conference, Weihenstephan, Germany, September 13-15, 2017 261982, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    18. Ma, Xingliang & Smale, Melinda & Spielman, David J. & Zambrano, Patricia & Nazli, Hina & Zaidi, Fatima, 2016. "Varietal integrity, damage abatement, and productivity: Evidence from the cultivation of Bt cotton in Pakistan:," IFPRI discussion papers 1520, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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