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Agricultural productivity and European industrialization, 1890-1980

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  • PATRICK K. O'BRIEN
  • LEANDRO PRADOS DE LA ESCOSURA

Abstract

This exercise in comparative measurement and analysis surveys indicators for labour and land productivities in European agricultures between 1890 and 1980. It exposes the empirical flaws and above all the range of conceptual difficulties involved in defining agricultural outputs and inputs for purposes of international comparison. Yet the numbers do reveal how the industrialization of continental economies was constrained (and severely constrained in Mediterranean Europe) compared with that of the UK by malign historical legacies of high ratios of labour to land and an unfavourable ecological environment for the diffusion of the animal intensive technology of the first agrarian revolution.
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Suggested Citation

  • Patrick K. O'Brien & Leandro Prados De La Escosura, 1992. "Agricultural productivity and European industrialization, 1890-1980," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 45(3), pages 514-536, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:45:y:1992:i:3:p:514-536
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1468-0289.1992.tb02150.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John W. Kendrick & Beatrice N. Vaccara, 1980. "New Developments in Productivity Measurement and Analysis," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number kend80-1, December.
    2. Broadberry, S N & Crafts, N F R, 1990. "European Productivity in the Twentieth Century: Introduction," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 52(4), pages 331-341, Special I.
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    Cited by:

    1. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro, 2000. "International Comparisons of Real Product, 1820-1990: An Alternative Data Set," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 1-41, January.
    2. Robert Fenge & Beatrice Scheubel, 2017. "Pensions and fertility: back to the roots," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 30(1), pages 93-139, January.
    3. Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla, 2019. "The fundamental causes of economic growth: a comparative analysis of the total factor productivity growth of European agriculture, 1950-2005," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1912, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    4. Francisco J. Beltran Tapia & Julio Martinez-Galarrage, 2015. "Inequality and poverty in a developing economy: Evidence from regional data (Spain, 1860-1930)," Working Papers 0078, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    5. Miguel Martín-Retorillo & Vincente Pinilla, 2012. "Why did agricultural labour productivity not converge in Europe from 1950 to 2005?," Working Papers 0025, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    6. Izdebski, Adam & Koloch, Grzegorz & Słoczyński, Tymon & Tycner, Marta, 2016. "On the use of palynological data in economic history: New methods and an application to agricultural output in Central Europe, 0–2000AD," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 17-39.
    7. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Rosés, Joan R., 2008. "Proximate causes of economic growth in Spain, 1850-2000," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp08-12, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    8. Vicente Pinilla & Miguel Martin-Retortillo, 2012. "Why did agricultural labour productivity not converge in Europe, 1950-2006?," Working Papers 12016, Economic History Society.
    9. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Rosés, Joan R., 2009. "The Sources of Long-Run Growth in Spain, 1850-2000," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 69(4), pages 1063-1091, December.
    10. Robert Fenge & Beatrice Scheubel, 2013. "Pensions and Fertility: Back to the Roots - The Introduction of Bismarck's Pension Scheme and the European Fertility Decline," CESifo Working Paper Series 4383, CESifo.
    11. Joan R. Ros s & Kevin H. O'Rourke & Jeffrey G. Williamson, 2007. "Globalization, Growth and Distribution in Spain 1500-1913," Trinity Economics Papers tep0407, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    12. Miguel Martín-Retortillo & Vicente Pinilla, 2013. "Patterns and causes of growth of European agricultural production, 1950-2005," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1302, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.

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