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Calibrating the wealth effects of decoupled payments: Does decreasing absolute risk aversion matter?

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  • Just, David R.

Abstract

Arrow's hypotheses regarding the relationship between wealth and risk aversion measures have formed the basis for a large body of empirical research and theory. For example, many have suggested that decoupled farm subsidy payments may increase production as they decrease farmers' risk aversion. This paper develops a new calibration technique designed to measure the minimum change in concavity of a utility of wealth function necessary to describe a particular change in production behavior for some discrete change in wealth. I conclude that measurable changes in production levels should not be produced by changing levels of risk aversion except when wealth changes are a substantial portion of wealth. This tool draws into question the usefulness of Arrow's hypotheses in many current applications.

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  • Just, David R., 2011. "Calibrating the wealth effects of decoupled payments: Does decreasing absolute risk aversion matter?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 162(1), pages 25-34, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:econom:v:162:y:2011:i:1:p:25-34
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    5. Andreas Wagener & Juliane Zenker, 2021. "Decoupled but Not Neutral: The Effects of Counter‐Cyclical Cash Transfers on Investment and Incomes in Rural Thailand†," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(5), pages 1637-1660, October.
    6. Nakamura, Hiroshi & Wakutsu, Naohiko, 2020. "Reducing Reimbursement Drug Price Risk to Enhance R&D Incentives without Raising Drug Prices/Expenditures: Implications of Simulations Based on Questionnaire Survey of Pharmaceutical Companies in Japa," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(7), pages 714-720.
    7. Jason R.V. Franken & Joost M.E. Pennings & Philip Garcia, 2014. "Measuring the effect of risk attitude on marketing behavior," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(5), pages 525-535, September.
    8. Pierre Boulanger & Kirsten Boysen-Urban & George Philippidis, 2021. "European Union Agricultural Support ‘Coupling’ in Simulation Modelling: Measuring the Sustainability Impacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.
    9. Shyam Kumar Basnet & Torbjörn Jansson & Thomas Heckelei, 2021. "A Bayesian econometrics and risk programming approach for analysing the impact of decoupled payments in the European Union," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 65(3), pages 729-759, July.
    10. Robert G. Chambers & Daniel C. Voica, 2017. "“Decoupled” Farm Program Payments are Really Decoupled: The Theory," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 99(3), pages 773-782, April.
    11. Urban, Kirsten & Jensen, Hans Grinsted & Brockmeier, Martina, 2012. "How Decoupled is the SFP in GTAP: Using a Sensitivity Analysis to Uncover the Degree of Coupling," Conference papers 332173, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    12. Simola, A., 2018. "Choice of product mix and agricultural subsidies - evidence from a quasi-experiment in Agenda 2000 CAP reform," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277534, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Franken, Jason R.V. & Pennings, Joost M.E. & Garcia, Philip, 2012. "Measuring Risk Attitude and Relation to Marketing Behavior," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124471, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Yiğit Sağlam, 2019. "Welfare Implications of Water Scarcity: Higher Prices of Desalination," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 73(4), pages 995-1022, August.
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