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Effects of the Income Stabilization Tool on farm income level, variability and concentration in Italian agriculture

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  • Simone Severini

    (Tuscia University)

  • Giuliano Di Tommaso

    (Tuscia University)

  • Robert Finger

    (ETH Zurich)

Abstract

This paper provides an ex ante assessment of the effects of the Income Stabilization Tool (IST), a new risk management tool proposed in the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. We investigate the effects of IST on income variability and levels as well as on income inequality in the farming population. We take Italian agriculture as an example as the introduction of IST is currently under discussion there. A rich panel of 2777 farms was studied over a period of 7 years. We use stochastic simulation to derive different income inequality estimates and apply Gini decomposition approaches to assess the distributional implications of IST. We compare the current income situation with that resulting from a hypothetical implementation of IST under different policy scenarios, also accounting for reduced levels of CAP direct payments. We find that IST not only stabilizes farm income but also enhances its level and reduces income inequality in Italian agriculture. IST is more effective in reducing income inequality when farmers pay contributions to mutual funds that are proportional to their income compared to the case of flat rate contributions. Finally, results do not support the hypothesis that the impact of IST will differ if the level of direct payments were to be reduced. Thus, results seem robust enough to accommodate future policy conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Simone Severini & Giuliano Di Tommaso & Robert Finger, 2019. "Effects of the Income Stabilization Tool on farm income level, variability and concentration in Italian agriculture," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:7:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-019-0141-9
    DOI: 10.1186/s40100-019-0141-9
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    3. Abel Tiemtore, 2021. "Examining the effects of agricultural income insurance on farmers in Burkina Faso," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 46(3), pages 422-439, July.
    4. Giulio Fusco, 2021. "Twenty Years of Common Agricultural Policy in Europe: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-15, September.
    5. Andrzej Czyżewski & Ryszard Kata & Anna Matuszczak, 2022. "Expenditure of Poland’s Agricultural Budgets in the Context of Selected Macroeconomic Relations," Ekonomista, Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne, issue 1, pages 41-66.
    6. Kamel Louhichi & Daël Merisier, 2023. "Potential impacts of the Income Stabilisation Tool on farmers' income and crop diversity: a French case study [Impacts potentiels de l'outil de stabilisation des revenus sur les revenus des agricul," Post-Print hal-04195630, HAL.
    7. Willemijn Vroege & Robert Finger, 2020. "Insuring Weather Risks in European Agriculture," EuroChoices, The Agricultural Economics Society, vol. 19(2), pages 54-62, August.
    8. Ole Boysen & Kirsten Boysen‐Urban & Alan Matthews, 2023. "Stabilizing European Union farm incomes in the era of climate change," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(3), pages 1634-1658, September.
    9. Simone Severini & Cinzia Zinnanti & Valeria Borsellino & Emanuele Schimmenti, 2021. "EU income stabilization tool: potential impacts, financial sustainability and farmer’s risk aversion," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, December.
    10. Giampietri, Elisa & Yu, Xiaohua & Trestini, Samuele, 2020. "The role of trust and perceived barriers on farmer’s intention to adopt risk management tools," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 9(1), April.
    11. Ryszard Kata & Małgorzata Wosiek, 2020. "Inequality of Income in Agricultural Holdings in Poland in the Context of Sustainable Agricultural Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.

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