IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/stagec/208884.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technical efficiency of organic agriculture: a quantitative review

Author

Listed:
  • Djokoto, Justice G.

Abstract

This article examines the variations in mean technical efficiency estimates in organic agriculture and the factors that explain the observed variations. A three-stage process was employed in data collection. Firstly, journals on organic agriculture and related disciplines were identified and searched. Secondly, several publishers’ websites and databases, namely Cambridge Journals, Elsevier, Emerald, Oxford University Press, Sage, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley, among others, were covered. Databases included AgEcon Search, CAB Abstracts, DOAJ, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. Thirdly, the reference lists of studies found in the first and second stages were searched to identify additional literature. In all, 42 studies constituting 109 observations covering the period 2002-2014 were found. Unlike existing literature on technical efficiency quantitative reviews in agriculture, this article employs a battery of tests to select the appropriate solution for multiple observations from the same primary study, as well as the appropriate functional form for the selected fractional regression model. The mean technical efficiency of organic agriculture for the period of study and the effects of other study characteristics are thoroughly discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Djokoto, Justice G., 2015. "Technical efficiency of organic agriculture: a quantitative review," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 117(2), pages 1-11, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:stagec:208884
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.208884
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/208884/files/1512-djokoto.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.208884?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Salhofer, Klaus & Kargiannis, Giannis & Sinabell, Franz, 2012. "Scale Efficiency in Organic and Conventional Dairy Farming," 2012 First Congress, June 4-5, 2012, Trento, Italy 124119, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA).
    2. Teresa Serra & Barry Goodwin, 2009. "The efficiency of Spanish arable crop organic farms, a local maximum likelihood approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 113-124, April.
    3. Zúniga-González, Carlos Alberto, 2009. "Technical efficiency of Organic Fertilizer in small farms of Nicaragua: 1998-2005," 111th Seminar, June 26-27, 2009, Canterbury, UK 53078, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Madau, Fabio A., 2007. "Technical Efficiency in Organic and Conventional Farming: Evidence from Italian Cereal Farms," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 8(1), pages 1-17, January.
    5. Esmeralda Ramalho & Joaquim Ramalho & Pedro Henriques, 2010. "Fractional regression models for second stage DEA efficiency analyses," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 239-255, December.
    6. Alfons Oude Lansink & Ky–sti Pietola, 2002. "Effciency and productivity of conventional and organic farms in Finland 1994--1997," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 29(1), pages 51-66, March.
    7. Torben Tiedemann & Uwe Latacz-Lohmann, 2013. "Production Risk and Technical Efficiency in Organic and Conventional Agriculture – The Case of Arable Farms in Germany," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(1), pages 73-96, February.
    8. Davidson, Russell & MacKinnon, James G, 1981. "Several Tests for Model Specification in the Presence of Alternative Hypotheses," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(3), pages 781-793, May.
    9. Boris Bravo-Ureta & Daniel Solís & Víctor Moreira López & José Maripani & Abdourahmane Thiam & Teodoro Rivas, 2007. "Technical efficiency in farming: a meta-regression analysis," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 57-72, February.
    10. Laure Latruffe & Céline Nauges, 2014. "Technical efficiency and conversion to organic farming: the case of France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 41(2), pages 227-253.
    11. Esmeralda A. Ramalho & Joaquim J.S. Ramalho & José M.R. Murteira, 2011. "Alternative Estimating And Testing Empirical Strategies For Fractional Regression Models," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 19-68, February.
    12. Subal Kumbhakar & Efthymios Tsionas & Timo Sipiläinen, 2009. "Joint estimation of technology choice and technical efficiency: an application to organic and conventional dairy farming," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 151-161, June.
    13. Fried, Harold O. & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Shelton S. (ed.), 1993. "The Measurement of Productive Efficiency: Techniques and Applications," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195072181.
    14. T. D. Stanley, 2008. "Meta‐Regression Methods for Detecting and Estimating Empirical Effects in the Presence of Publication Selection," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 70(1), pages 103-127, February.
    15. Carlos D. Mayen & Joseph V. Balagtas & Corinne E. Alexander, 2010. "Technology Adoption and Technical Efficiency: Organic and Conventional Dairy Farms in the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 92(1), pages 181-195.
    16. Charyulu Kumara D. & Biswas, Subho, 2010. "Economics and Efficiency of Organic Farming vis-à-vis Conventional Farming in India," IIMA Working Papers WP2010-04-03, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    17. Larsen, Karin & Foster, Kenneth A., 2005. "Technical Efficiency among Organic and Conventional Farms in Sweden 2000-2002: A Counterfactual and Self-Selection Analysis," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19219, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    18. Arandia Miura, Amaia & Aldanondo-Ochoa, Ana, 2008. "Social Versus Private Efficiency: A Comparison of Conventional and Organic Farming Systems in Vineyard Production," 2008 International Congress, August 26-29, 2008, Ghent, Belgium 44416, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Victor, Afari-Sefa & Gockowski, James & Agyeman, Nana Fredua & Dziwornu, Ambrose K., 2010. "Economic Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Certified Sustainable Cocoa Production In Ghana," 2010 AAAE Third Conference/AEASA 48th Conference, September 19-23, 2010, Cape Town, South Africa 97085, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    20. Lakner, Sebastian & Kirchweger, Stefan & Hoop, Daniel & Brümmer, Bernhard & Kantelhardt, Jochen, 2014. "Technical Efficiency of Organic Farming in the Alpine Region – the Impact of Farm Structures and Policies," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 182763, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    21. Lakner, Sebastian, 2009. "Technical efficiency of organic milk-farms in Germany - the role of subsidies and of regional factors," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51301, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    22. D. Kumara Charyulu & Subho Biswas, 2010. "Economics and Efficiency of Organic Farming vis-Ã -vis Conventional Farming in India," Working Papers id:2497, eSocialSciences.
    23. Sipilainen, Timo & Marklund, Per-Olov & Huhtala, Anni, 2008. "Efficiency In Agricultural Production Of Biodiversity: Organic Vs. Conventional Practices," 107th Seminar, January 30-February 1, 2008, Sevilla, Spain 6478, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    24. Breustedt, Gunnar & Tiedemann, Torben & Latacz-Lohmann, Uwe, 2009. "What is my optimal technology? A metafrontier approach using Data Envelopment Analysis for the choice between conventional and organic farming," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51754, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    25. Lohr, Luanne & Park, Timothy A., 2006. "Technical Efficiency of U. S. Organic Farmers: The Complementary Roles of Soil Management Techniques and Farm Experience," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 327-338, October.
    26. Ogundari, Kolawole, 2009. "A Meta-Analysis Of Technical Efficiency In Nigerian Agriculture," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 50327, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    27. Luanne Lohr & Timothy Park, 2010. "Local Selling Decisions and the Technical Efficiency of Organic Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-15, January.
    28. Jon Nelson & Peter Kennedy, 2009. "The Use (and Abuse) of Meta-Analysis in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: An Assessment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 42(3), pages 345-377, March.
    29. Papke, Leslie E & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M, 1996. "Econometric Methods for Fractional Response Variables with an Application to 401(K) Plan Participation Rates," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(6), pages 619-632, Nov.-Dec..
    30. Cisilino, Federica & Madau, Fabio A., 2007. "Organic and Conventional Farming: a Comparison Analysis through the Italian FADN," MPRA Paper 21786, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    31. Ogundari, Kolawole, 2014. "The Paradigm of Agricultural Efficiency and its Implication on Food Security in Africa: What Does Meta-analysis Reveal?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 690-702.
    32. Guesmi, Bouali & Serra, Teresa & Radwan, Amr & Gil, José María, 2014. "Efficiency of Egyptian Organic Agriculture: a Local Maximum Likelihood Approach," 2014 International Congress, August 26-29, 2014, Ljubljana, Slovenia 183023, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    33. Poudel, Krishna Lal & Yamamoto, Naoyuki & Sugimoto, Yasuhiro & Nishiwaki, Aya & Kano, Hideyuki, 2011. "Comparing technical efficiency of organic and conventional coffee farms in Nepal using data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach," 85th Annual Conference, April 18-20, 2011, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 108949, Agricultural Economics Society.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maria Raimondo & Francesco Caracciolo & Concetta Nazzaro & Giuseppe Marotta, 2021. "Organic Farming Increases the Technical Efficiency of Olive Farms in Italy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Geraldo Souza & Eliane Gonçalves Gomes & Eliseu Roberto Alves, 2022. "Two-part fractional regression model with conditional FDH responses: an application to Brazilian agriculture," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 314(2), pages 393-409, July.
    3. Artiom Volkov & Mangirdas Morkunas & Tomas Balezentis & Vaida Šapolaitė, 2020. "Economic and Environmental Performance of the Agricultural Sectors of the Selected EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Daraio, Cinzia & Kerstens, Kristiaan & Nepomuceno, Thyago & Sickles, Robin C., 2019. "Empirical Surveys of Frontier Applications: A Meta-Review," Working Papers 19-005, Rice University, Department of Economics.
    5. Thi Lam Bui & Huu Cuong Tran & Hossein Azadi & Philippe Lebailly, 2018. "Improving the Technical Efficiency of Sengcu Rice Producers through Better Financial Management and Sustainable Farming Practices in Mountainous Areas of Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Justice G. Djokoto & Ferguson K. Gidiglo & Francis Y. Srofenyoh & Kofi Aaron A-O. Agyei-Henaku & Akua A. Afrane Arthur & Charlotte Badu-Prah & John Fry, 2020. "Sectoral and spatio-temporal differentiation in technical efficiency: A meta-regression," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 1773659-177, January.
    7. DJOKOTO, Justice G. & BADU-PRAH, Charlotte & GIDIGLO, Ferguson K. & SROFENYOH, Francis Y. & AGYEI-HENAKU, Kofi Aaron A-O. & AFRANE ARTHUR, Akua A., 2022. "Farm Size And Efficiency Nexus: Evidence From A Meta-Regression," Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics (RAAE), Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra, vol. 25(1), March.
    8. Phuc Trong Ho & Michael Burton & Chunbo Ma & Atakelty Hailu, 2022. "Quantifying heterogeneity, heteroscedasticity and publication bias effects on technical efficiency estimates of rice farming: A meta‐regression analysis," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(2), pages 580-597, June.
    9. Nguyen To The & Anh Nguyen Tuan, 2019. "Efficiency and adoption of organic tea production: Evidence from Vi Xuyen district, Ha Giang province, Vietnam," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 201-217, February.
    10. Akua Agyeiwaa-Afrane & Kofi A. A-O. Agyei-Henaku & Charlotte Badu-Prah & Francis Srofenyoh & Ferguson K. Gidiglo & James K. A. Amezi & Justice G. Djokoto, 2023. "Drivers of Ghanaians’ approval of the electronic levy," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-20, January.

    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. Lakner, Sebastian & Breustedt, Gunnar, 2015. "Efficiency analysis of organic farming systems- a review of methods, topics, results, and conclusions," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212025, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Justice G. Djokoto & Ferguson K. Gidiglo & Francis Y. Srofenyoh & Kofi Aaron A-O. Agyei-Henaku & Akua A. Afrane Arthur & Charlotte Badu-Prah & John Fry, 2020. "Sectoral and spatio-temporal differentiation in technical efficiency: A meta-regression," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 1773659-177, January.
    3. Spiegel, Alisa & Coletta, Attilio & Severini, Simone, 2022. "The distortive effect of organic payments: An example of policy failure in the case of hazelnut plantation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Djokoto, Justice Gameli & Afari-Sefa, Victor, 2017. "Alternative functional forms for technology choice: Application to cocoa production technologies," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 110-120.
    5. Ogundari, Kolawole, 2014. "The Paradigm of Agricultural Efficiency and its Implication on Food Security in Africa: What Does Meta-analysis Reveal?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 690-702.
    6. Singh, S.P. & Sajwan, Priya & Sajwan, Komal, 2023. "Technical Efficiency in Organic and Conventional Wheat Farms: Evidence from a Primary Survey from Two Districts of Ganga River Basin, India," 97th Annual Conference, March 27-29, 2023, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 334558, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    7. Justice G. Djokoto & Korbla F. Gidiglo, 2016. "Technical Efficiency in Agribusiness: A Meta‐Analysis on Ghana," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 397-415, July.
    8. Moritz Flubacher & George Sheldon & Adrian Müller, 2015. "Comparison of the Economic Performance between Organic and Conventional Dairy Farms in the Swiss Mountain Region Using Matching and Stochastic Frontier Analysis," Journal of Socio-Economics in Agriculture (Until 2015: Yearbook of Socioeconomics in Agriculture), Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, vol. 7(1), pages 76-84.
    9. Laure Latruffe & Céline Nauges, 2014. "Technical efficiency and conversion to organic farming: the case of France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Foundation for the European Review of Agricultural Economics, vol. 41(2), pages 227-253.
    10. Nguyen-Anh, Tuan & Hoang-Duc, Chinh & Tiet, Tuyen & Nguyen-Van, Phu & To-The, Nguyen, 2022. "Composite effects of human, natural and social capitals on sustainable food-crop farming in Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    11. Latruffe, Laure & Nauges, Celine, 2010. "Converting to organic farming in France: Is there a selection problem?," 120th Seminar, September 2-4, 2010, Chania, Crete 109386, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Mercedes Beltrán & Ernest Reig, 2014. "Comparing conventional and organic citrus grower efficiency in Spain," Working Papers 1406, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    13. Galluzzo Nicola, 2020. "A Technical Efficiency Analysis of Financial Subsidies Allocated by the Cap in Romanian Farms Using Stochastic Frontier Analysis," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 12(4), pages 494-505, December.
    14. Akua Agyeiwaa-Afrane & Kofi A. A-O. Agyei-Henaku & Charlotte Badu-Prah & Francis Srofenyoh & Ferguson K. Gidiglo & James K. A. Amezi & Justice G. Djokoto, 2023. "Drivers of Ghanaians’ approval of the electronic levy," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-20, January.
    15. Fall, François & Akim, Al-mouksit & Wassongma, Harouna, 2018. "DEA and SFA research on the efficiency of microfinance institutions: A meta-analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 176-188.
    16. Joaquim Ramalho & J. Silva, 2013. "Functional form issues in the regression analysis of financial leverage ratios," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 799-831, April.
    17. DJOKOTO, Justice Gameli & OWUSU, Victor & AWUNYO-VITOR, Dadson, 2020. "Is Organic Agriculture More Scale Efficient Than Conventional Agriculture? The Case Of Cocoa Cultivation In Ghana," Review of Agricultural and Applied Economics (RAAE), Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak Agricultural University in Nitra, vol. 23(2), October.
    18. Francesco Aiello & Graziella Bonanno, 2019. "Explaining Differences In Efficiency: A Meta‐Study On Local Government Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 999-1027, July.
    19. Vladimír Kostlivý & Zuzana Fuksová, 2019. "Technical efficiency and its determinants for Czech livestock farms," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 65(4), pages 175-184.
    20. Alperovych, Yan & Hübner, Georges & Lobet, Fabrice, 2015. "How does governmental versus private venture capital backing affect a firm's efficiency? Evidence from Belgium," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 508-525.

    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:ags:stagec:208884. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/akiiihu.html .

    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.