Definition and Measurement of Crop Diversity for Economic Analysis

Meng, Erika C.H.; Smale, Mélinda; Bellon, Mauricio R.; Grimanelli, D.

doi:10.1007/978-94-009-0011-0_2

Cited by 46 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Units summarized by each scalar metric are counts or shares of crop varieties, as farmers, taxonomists, or plant breeders understand them. More sophisticated indices, in terms of either mathematics of genetics, can also be constructed using molecular data (see Chapter 1 and Meng et al, 1998 for an overview). In general, however, the more sophisticated the index the more it is removed from the choices farmers make and costly to obtain in a large cross-sectional data set.…”

Section: Revealed Preferences Analysis Based On the Household Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scope, limitations and future directions.

Smale

Lipper²,

Koundouri³

2005

Valuing Crop Biodiversity: On-Farm Genetic Resources and Economic Change

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Section: Revealed Preferences Analysis Based On the Household Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scope, limitations and future directions.

Smale

Lipper²,

Koundouri³

2005

Valuing Crop Biodiversity: On-Farm Genetic Resources and Economic Change

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“…These two questions have been the subject of significant interest. Previous research documenting positive effects of biodiversity on agroecosystem productivity (sometimes called overyielding) includes that of Di Falco and Chavas (2009), Heisey et al (1997), Meng et al (1998), Priestley and Bayles (1980), and Smale et al (1998Smale et al ( , 2002Smale et al ( , 2003. But where do such benefits come from?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is captured by ecological diversity indices including the Margalef index, the Shannon index, and the Simpson index (e.g., Hill 1973;Lande 1996;May 1975;Simpson 1949). These indices have been used extensively in the empirical analysis of biodiversity issues (e.g., Di Falco and Chavas 2009;Heisey et al 1997;Meng et al 1998;Priestley and Bayles 1980;Smale et al 1998Smale et al , 2002Smale et al , 2003). Yet, they raise several issues.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Productive Value of Crop Biodiversity: Evidence from the Highlands of Ethiopia

Chavas¹,

Falco²

2011

Land Economics

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“…This index captures species richness. Its use is appropriate when "diversity is apparent to farmers" (Meng et al 1998): the larger is the index, the greater is the number of barley varieties grown in a given farm. The Margalef diversity index has been widely used in the literature (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

On Crop Biodiversity, Risk Exposure, and Food Security in the Highlands of Ethiopia

Falco

Chavas

2009

American J Agri Economics

337

263

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This paper investigates the effects of crop genetic diversity on farm productivity and production risk in the highlands of Ethiopia. Using a moment-based approach, the analysis uses a stochastic production function capturing mean, variance, and skewness effects. Welfare implications of diversity are evaluated using a certainty equivalent, measured as expected income minus a risk premium (reflecting the cost of risk). We find that the effect of diversity on skewness dominates its effect on variance, meaning that diversity reduces the cost of risk. The analysis also shows that the beneficial effects of diversity become of greater value in degraded land.Key words: barley, diversity, Ethiopia, food security, land degradation, risk.Production risk is one of the quintessential features of agriculture. Unpredictable weather can expose farm households to significant production uncertainty and serious hardship. Under harsh climatic and agroecological conditions, this can result in food insecurity and famine. The highlands of Ethiopia are a prime example of such environment. During the last forty years, Ethiopia has experienced many severe droughts, 1 leading to production levels that fell short of basic subsistence levels for many farm households (Relief Society of Tigray (REST) and NORAGRIC at the Agricultural University of Norway 1995, p. 137). Harvest failure due to drought is the most important cause of risk-related hardship of Ethiopian rural households, with adverse effects on farm household consumption and welfare (Dercon 2004(Dercon , 2005. When facing prospects of harvest failure, ex-ante farm production decisions, such as crop or varietal choice, remain a part of risk management strategies (Just and Candler 1985;Fafchamps 1992;Chavas and Holt 1996;Dercon 1996;Smale et al. 1998). The authors would like to thank the editor, three anonymous referees, Melinda Smale, Chris Barrett, and Fitsum Hagos for useful comments on an earlier draft of the paper. We also thank John Pender for making the data available. The usual disclaimer applies.1 Ethiopia experienced droughts in 1965Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1974Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1983Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1984Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1987Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1990Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1991Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 1999Ethiopia experienced droughts in , 2000Ethiopia experienced droughts in , and 2002 In this environment, management options are somewhat restricted. Insurance and risk coping mechanisms often function poorly because of credit constraints, information asymmetries, and commitment failures (Deaton 1989;Fafchamps 1992;Kurosaki and Fafchamps 2002). Safety nets typically provide only limited support We argue that, in dry environments, farmers' reliance on crop biodiversity is an essential part of ex-ante risk management strategies. Diversity in genetic resources embedded in crop seeds can support productivity and help manage risk . Ethiopia is a recognized global center of g...

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Definition and Measurement of Crop Diversity for Economic Analysis

Cited by 46 publications

References 24 publications

Scope, limitations and future directions.

Scope, limitations and future directions.

On the Productive Value of Crop Biodiversity: Evidence from the Highlands of Ethiopia

On Crop Biodiversity, Risk Exposure, and Food Security in the Highlands of Ethiopia

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