IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cup/agrerw/v34y2005i02p265-279_00.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Implications of a Carbon-Based Energy Tax for U.S. Agriculture

Author

Listed:
  • Schneider, Uwe A.
  • McCarl, Bruce A.

Abstract

Policies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are likely to increase energy prices. Higher energy prices raise farmer costs for diesel and other fuels, irrigation water, farm chemicals, and grain drying. Simultaneously, renewable energy options become more attractive to agricultural producers. We consider both of these impacts, estimating the economic and environmental consequences of higher energy prices on U.S. agriculture. To do this we employ a price-endogenous agricultural sector model and solve that model for a range of carbon-tax-based energy price changes. Our results show mostly positive impacts on net farm income in the intermediate run. Through market price adjustments, fossil fuel costs are largely passed on to consumers. Additional farm revenue arises from the production of biofuels when carbon taxes reach $30 per ton of carbon or more. Positive environmental benefits include not only greenhouse gas emission offsets but also reduced levels of nitrogen leaching.

Suggested Citation

  • Schneider, Uwe A. & McCarl, Bruce A., 2005. "Implications of a Carbon-Based Energy Tax for U.S. Agriculture," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(2), pages 265-279, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:34:y:2005:i:02:p:265-279_00
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1068280500008418/type/journal_article
    File Function: link to article abstract page
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Puppim de Oliveira, J. A., 2002. "The policymaking process for creating competitive assets for the use of biomass energy: the Brazilian alcohol programme," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 6(1-2), pages 129-140.
    2. Spreen, Thomas H., 2006. "Price Endogenous Mathematical Programming Models and Trade Analysis," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 38(2), pages 1-5, August.
    3. Ribaudo, Marc O., 1989. "Water Quality Benefits from the Conservation Reserve Program," Agricultural Economic Reports 308069, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    4. Hayri Önal & Bruce A. McCarl, 1991. "Exact Aggregation in Mathematical Programming Sector Models," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 39(2), pages 319-334, July.
    5. Chen, Chi-Chung & McCarl, Bruce A., 2000. "The Value Of Enso Information To Agriculture: Consideration Of Event Strength And Trade," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 25(2), pages 1-18, December.
    6. Alig, Ralph J. & Adams, Darius M. & McCarl, Bruce A., 1998. "Impacts of Incorporating Land Exchanges Between Forestry and Agriculture in Sector Models," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 30(2), pages 389-401, December.
    7. Bruce A. McCarl & Thomas H. Spreen, 1980. "Price Endogenous Mathematical Programming As a Tool for Sector Analysis," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 62(1), pages 87-102.
    8. Moreira, Jose R. & Goldemberg, Jose, 1999. "The alcohol program," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 229-245, April.
    9. Uwe Schneider & Bruce McCarl, 2003. "Economic Potential of Biomass Based Fuels for Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 24(4), pages 291-312, April.
    10. Konyar, Kazim & Howitt, Richard E., 2000. "The Cost Of The Kyoto Protocol To U.S. Crop Production: Measuring Crop Price, Regional Acreage, Welfare, And Input Substitution Effects," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 25(2), pages 1-21, December.
    11. Ching-Cheng Chang & Bruce A. McCarl & James W. Mjelde & James W. Richardson, 1992. "Sectoral Implications of Farm Program Modifications," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 74(1), pages 38-49.
    12. Uwe A. Schneider & Bruce A. McCarl, 2002. "Potential of U.S. Agriculture and Forestry to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Agricultural Sector Analysis, The," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 02-wp300, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    13. Antle, John M. & Capalbo, Susan M. & Johnson, James B. & Miljkovic, Dragan, 1999. "The Kyoto Protocol: Economic Effects of Energy Prices on Northern Plains Dryland Grain Production," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 28(1), pages 96-105, April.
    14. Schneider, Uwe A. & Kumar, Pushpam, 2008. "Greenhouse Gas Mitigation through Agriculture," Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 23(1), pages 1-5.
    15. Harry S. Baumes & Bruce A. McCarl, 1978. "Linear Programming And Social Welfare: Model Formulation And Objective Function Alternatives," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 26(3), pages 53-60, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Heng-Chi Lee & Bruce McCarl & Uwe Schneider & Chi-Chung Chen, 2007. "Leakage and Comparative Advantage Implications of Agricultural Participation in Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 471-494, May.
    2. Schneider, Uwe A. & McCarl, Bruce A. & Schmid, Erwin, 2007. "Agricultural sector analysis on greenhouse gas mitigation in US agriculture and forestry," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(2), pages 128-140, May.
    3. Uwe A. Schneider & Michael Obersteiner & Erwin Schmid & Bruce A. McCarl, 2007. "Agricultural adaptation to climate policies under technical change," Working Papers FNU-133, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised Jan 2008.
    4. Uwe A. Schneider & Bruce A. McCarl, 2003. "Measuring Abatement Potentials When Multiple Change Is Present: The Case Of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation In U.S. Agriculture And Forestry," Working Papers FNU-23, Research unit Sustainability and Global Change, Hamburg University, revised Apr 2002.
    5. McCarl, Bruce A., 1992. "Mathematical Programming For Resource Policy Appraisal Under Multiple Objectives," Working Papers 11888, Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Training Project.
    6. Kung, Chih-Chun & Zhang, Ning & Choi, Yongrok & Xiong, Kai & Yu, Jiangli, 2019. "Effectiveness of crop residuals in ethanol and pyrolysis-based electricity production: A stochastic analysis under uncertain climate impacts," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 267-276.
    7. David Walker, 2014. "The Economic Potential for Forest-Based Carbon Sequestration under Different Emissions Targets and Accounting Schemes," Working Papers 2014.02, School of Economics, La Trobe University.
    8. Kung, Chih-Chun & Wu, Tao, 2021. "Influence of water allocation on bioenergy production under climate change: A stochastic mathematical programming approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    9. Szulczyk, Kenneth R. & McCarl, Bruce A., 2010. "Market penetration of biodiesel," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(8), pages 2426-2433, October.
    10. Uwe Schneider & Bruce McCarl, 2003. "Economic Potential of Biomass Based Fuels for Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 24(4), pages 291-312, April.
    11. Kung, Chih-Chun & Cao, Xiaoyong & Choi, Yongrok & Kung, Shan-Shan, 2019. "A stochastic analysis of cropland utilization and resource allocation under climate change," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    12. Szulczyk, Kenneth R. & McCarl, Bruce A. & Cornforth, Gerald, 2010. "Market penetration of ethanol," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 394-403, January.
    13. Chih-Chun Kung & Meng-Shiuh Chang, 2015. "Effect of Agricultural Feedstock to Energy Conversion Rate on Bioenergy and GHG Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-15, May.
    14. Callaway, J.M., 2000. "Assessing the Costs and Market Impacts of Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change and Acid Rain," Other publications TiSEM c58adec9-1535-46cf-b213-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    15. Kung, Chih-Chun & Zhang, Liguo & Kong, Fanbin, 2016. "How government subsidy leads to sustainable bioenergy development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 275-284.
    16. Mario Andres Fernandez & Pei Huang & Bruce McCarl & Vikram Mehta, 2016. "Value of decadal climate variability information for agriculture in the Missouri River basin," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 517-533, December.
    17. Kung, Chih-Chun, 2019. "A stochastic evaluation of economic and environmental effects of Taiwan's biofuel development under climate change," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 1051-1064.
    18. Chih-Chun KUNG, 2018. "A dynamic framework of sustainable development in agriculture and bioenergy," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 64(10), pages 445-455.
    19. Kesheng Shu & Uwe A. Schneider & Jürgen Scheffran, 2015. "Bioenergy and Food Supply: A Spatial-Agent Dynamic Model of Agricultural Land Use for Jiangsu Province in China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-24, November.
    20. Uwe A. Schneider & Bruce A. McCarl, 2006. "Appraising agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation potentials: effects of alternative assumptions," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 35(3), pages 277-287, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:34:y:2005:i:02:p:265-279_00. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kirk Stebbing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cambridge.org/age .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.