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The Role of Strategic and Tactical Flexibility in Managing Input Variability on Farms

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  • Lisa Cowan
  • Geoff Kaine
  • Victor Wright

Abstract

Accepting that increased climate variability will require that farmers make significant changes to their farm systems, we can see that maintaining flexibility is an important coping strategy. Using general systems theory, we offer a conceptual model for describing the tactical and strategic flexibility of farm systems to reveal the sensitivity of farm systems to variable critical inputs. The model is used to classify farm systems as rigid, robust, or elastic on the basis of two factors, the capacity of the farmer to reduce reliance on critical inputs by altering the following: (i) the use of critical inputs and (ii) farm output. The different production emphasis for the different types of systems has implications for how these farmers are able to respond to increased variability and on public policies that may support viable farm businesses in the face of increased variability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Lisa Cowan & Geoff Kaine & Victor Wright, 2013. "The Role of Strategic and Tactical Flexibility in Managing Input Variability on Farms," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 470-494, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:srbeha:v:30:y:2013:i:4:p:470-494
    DOI: 10.1002/sres.2137
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Catalina Fernández Rosso & Franco Bilotto & Andrea Lauric & Gerónimo A. De Leo & Carlos Torres Carbonell & Mauricio A. Arroqui & Claus G. Sørensen & Claudio F. Machado, 2021. "An innovation path in Argentinean cow–calf operations: Insights from participatory farm system modelling," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 488-502, August.
    2. Tsakiridis, Andreas & Breen, James & O'Donoghue, Cathal & Hanrahan, Kevin & Wallace, Michael & Crosson, Paul, 2016. "Flexibility of beef suckler cow systems under varying calf retention strategies," 90th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2016, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 236289, Agricultural Economics Society.

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