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Soil conservation practices and production efficiency of smallholder farms in Central China

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  • Zhihai Yang

    (Huazhong Agricultural University)

  • Amin W. Mugera

    (The University of Western Australia M089)

  • Ning Yin

    (Huazhong Agricultural University)

  • Yumeng Wang

    (Renmin University of China)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to evaluate and analyze the impact of adoption of soil conservation practices (SCPs) on the technical efficiency of smallholder rice producers in Central China. We address self-selection bias and unobserved heterogeneity problems by estimating a switching regression model for the adoption decision function and separate stochastic production frontiers for SCP and Conventional farms while allowing for production inefficiency. SCP farms exhibit statistically higher average technical efficiency than Conventional farms. Education, extension services, membership in cooperatives, access to credit, and alternative income sources are positively and significantly associated with technical efficiency for both groups. Conventional farms display higher partial output elasticity for land, while only SCP farms show significant elasticity for capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhihai Yang & Amin W. Mugera & Ning Yin & Yumeng Wang, 2018. "Soil conservation practices and production efficiency of smallholder farms in Central China," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1517-1533, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:20:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-017-9951-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-017-9951-7
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    2. Huifang Shang & Xiaoyan Yi & Changbin Yin & Yinjun Chen & Zewei Zhang, 2021. "How Does the Stability of Land Management Right (SLMR) Affect Family Farms’ Cultivated Land Protection and Quality Improvement Behavior (CLPQIB) in China?," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Tong, Q. & Swallow, B. & Zhang, L. & Zhang, J., 2018. "Risk Attitude, Technical Efficiency and Adoption: An Integrated Approach to Climate-Smart Rice Production in the Jianghan Plain, China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277311, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Hui Zhang & Yumeng Zhang & Shuang Wu & Rong Cai, 2020. "The Effect of Labor Migration on Farmers’ Cultivated Land Quality Protection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, April.

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