Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia

This article investigates the effects of wheat genetic diversity and land degradation on risk and agricultural productivity in less favored production environments of a developing agricultural economy. Drawing production data from a household survey conducted in the highlands of Ethiopia, we estimat...

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Main Authors: Di Falco, Salvatore, Chavas, Jean-Paul, Smale, Melinda
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171837
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author Di Falco, Salvatore
Chavas, Jean-Paul
Smale, Melinda
author_browse Chavas, Jean-Paul
Di Falco, Salvatore
Smale, Melinda
author_facet Di Falco, Salvatore
Chavas, Jean-Paul
Smale, Melinda
author_sort Di Falco, Salvatore
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This article investigates the effects of wheat genetic diversity and land degradation on risk and agricultural productivity in less favored production environments of a developing agricultural economy. Drawing production data from a household survey conducted in the highlands of Ethiopia, we estimate a stochastic production function to evaluate the effects of variety richness, land degradation, and their interaction on the mean and the variance of wheat yield. Ethiopia is a center of diversity for durum wheat and farmers manage complex variety mixtures on multiple plots. Econometric evidence shows that variety richness increases farm productivity. Variety richness also reduces yield variability but only for high levels of genetic diversity. Simulations with estimated parameters illustrate how planting more diverse durum wheat varieties on multiple plots contribute to improving farmer’s welfare.
format Journal Article
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publishDate 2007
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spelling CGSpace1718372025-02-19T14:07:55Z Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia Di Falco, Salvatore Chavas, Jean-Paul Smale, Melinda wheat land degradation productivity risk household surveys diversification biodiversity This article investigates the effects of wheat genetic diversity and land degradation on risk and agricultural productivity in less favored production environments of a developing agricultural economy. Drawing production data from a household survey conducted in the highlands of Ethiopia, we estimate a stochastic production function to evaluate the effects of variety richness, land degradation, and their interaction on the mean and the variance of wheat yield. Ethiopia is a center of diversity for durum wheat and farmers manage complex variety mixtures on multiple plots. Econometric evidence shows that variety richness increases farm productivity. Variety richness also reduces yield variability but only for high levels of genetic diversity. Simulations with estimated parameters illustrate how planting more diverse durum wheat varieties on multiple plots contribute to improving farmer’s welfare. 2007-03 2025-01-29T12:58:49Z 2025-01-29T12:58:49Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171837 en Limited Access Wiley Di Falco, Salvatore; Chavas, Jean-Paul; Smale, Melinda. 2007. Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics 36 (2): 147-156. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00194.x
spellingShingle wheat
land degradation
productivity
risk
household surveys
diversification
biodiversity
Di Falco, Salvatore
Chavas, Jean-Paul
Smale, Melinda
Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
title Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
title_full Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
title_fullStr Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
title_short Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
title_sort farmer management of production risk on degraded lands the role of wheat genetic diversity in tigray region ethiopia
topic wheat
land degradation
productivity
risk
household surveys
diversification
biodiversity
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171837
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AT chavasjeanpaul farmermanagementofproductionriskondegradedlandstheroleofwheatgeneticdiversityintigrayregionethiopia
AT smalemelinda farmermanagementofproductionriskondegradedlandstheroleofwheatgeneticdiversityintigrayregionethiopia