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Patterns and causes of growth of European agricultural production, 1950-2005

Author

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  • Miguel Martín-Retortillo

    (Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Vicente Pinilla

    (Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain)

Abstract

The aim of this work is to analyze the evolution of agricultural production in Europe after World War Two. To study the evolution of production, we want to find the causes of its growth. We will start with the role played by the factors of production. We will also want to estimate the contribution to output growth from improvements in efficiency, for which we will calculate the total factor productivity growth. Preliminary results show three possible patterns to explain the evolution of agricultural production. The first one which included Western countries and Germany based their growth in the raised efficiency and a higher use of capital. The opposing model is that of the countries with centrally planned economies. In this group of countries the use of capital was crucial. The efficiency of the system improved, but by considerably less than in the rest of Europe. The intermediate situation is that of the lesser developed countries in the southern European periphery and the Nordic countries, but in distinction to those of the Soviet bloc, they tended to converge much earlier with the model of the Western countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla, 2013. "Patterns and causes of growth of European agricultural production, 1950-2005," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1302, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    • Handle: RePEc:ahe:dtaehe:1302
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    Cited by:

    1. Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla, 2019. "The fundamental causes of economic growth: a comparative analysis of the total factor productivity growth of European agriculture, 1950-2005," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1912, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    2. Midmore, Peter, 2017. "The Science of Impact and the Impact of Agricultural Science," 91st Annual Conference, April 24-26, 2017, Royal Dublin Society, Dublin, Ireland 258614, Agricultural Economics Society.
    3. Michał Borychowski & Sebastian Stępień & Jan Polcyn & Aleksandra Tošović-Stevanović & Dragan Ćalović & Goran Lalić & Milena Žuža, 2020. "Socio-Economic Determinants of Small Family Farms’ Resilience in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-30, December.
    4. Ignacio Cazcarro & Rosa Duarte & Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla & Ana Serrano, 2015. "How Sustainable is the Increase in the Water Footprint of the Spanish Agricultural Sector? A Provincial Analysis between 1955 and 2005–2010," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-26, April.
    5. Ignacio Cazcarro & Rosa Duarte & Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla & Ana Serrano, 2014. "Water scarcity and agricultural growth in Spain: from curse to blessing?," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1419, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    6. Lulu Yang & Xu Xiao & Ke Gu, 2021. "Agricultural Waste Recycling Optimization of Family Farms Based on Environmental Management Accounting in Rural China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla & Jackeline Velazco & Henry Willebald, 2016. "The dynamics of latin american agricultural production growth, 1950-2008," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1610, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agricultural productivity; European agriculture; European economic history;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N50 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N54 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Europe: 1913-
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices

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