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Productivity Growth and Human Capital in Italian Agriculture

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  • Ornella Wanda Maietta

Abstract

Economic literature recognises human capital as a key factor in productivity growth. The objective of the present paper is to verify whether and how human capital influenced the growth of total factor productivity in Italian agriculture. Analysis is performed on a panel of the Italian provinces over the 1951-91 period, the empirical production function being constructed through a DEA frontier approach after testing the input set specification. Subsequently output-oriented Malmquist indexes constructed with and without human capital indicators in the production set are computed. The results obtained show that human capital has not improved the use of agricultural resources directly, as an additional input in the production function; the growth of total factor productivity in Italian agriculture was the result of the accumulation of human capital and not of the initial endowment. Furthermore, human capital acted as a non-neutral production factor and primary education was no more effective than higher education in improving the use of resources in agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Ornella Wanda Maietta, 2004. "Productivity Growth and Human Capital in Italian Agriculture," QA - Rivista dell'Associazione Rossi-Doria, Associazione Rossi Doria, issue 4, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:rar:journl:0010
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Esposti, Roberto, 2012. "Knowledge, Technology and Innovations for a Bio-based Economy: Lessons from the Past, Challenges for the Future," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 1(3), pages 1-34, December.
    2. Roberto ESPOSTI, 2007. "On the Decline of Agriculture. Evidence from Italian Regions in the Post-WWII Period," Working Papers 300, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    3. Esposti, Roberto, 2008. "Why Should Regional Agricultural Productivity Growth Converge? Evidence from Italian Regions," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 43955, European Association of Agricultural Economists.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Total Factor Productivity Growth; Human Capital; Italian Agriculture;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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