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Technical efficiency of Swiss dairy farms locat-ed in the mountain area considering both eco-nomic and environmental resources

Author

Listed:
  • Pierrick Jan

    (Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART)

  • Markus Lips

    (Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART)

  • Michel Dumondel

    (ETH Zürich, Institute for Environmental Decisions)

Abstract

Increasing the efficiency of the use of economic and environmental resources of Swiss farms is a priority of Swiss agricultural policy as part of the objective of improving the sustainable performance of the Swiss agricultural sector. In this paper we assess the long-run technical efficiency of the use of economic and environmental resources of a sample of 480 Swiss dairy farms located in the mountain area using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analy-sis approach. In a second step, using a linear regression, we inves-tigate the determinants of this technical efficiency. The results of the regression performed show that farm size and the strategic orientation of farm activity have a much greater effect on efficiency than the characteristics of the dairy production system or dairy herd management. An increase in farm size and an increased ori-entation towards para-agricultural activities are shown to exert a strong positive effect on technical efficiency. Conversely, part-time farming turns out to have a substantial negative impact on the effi-ciency of resource use.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierrick Jan & Markus Lips & Michel Dumondel, 2010. "Technical efficiency of Swiss dairy farms locat-ed in the mountain area considering both eco-nomic and environmental resources," Journal of Socio-Economics in Agriculture (Until 2015: Yearbook of Socioeconomics in Agriculture), Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, vol. 3(1), pages 39-76.
    • Handle: RePEc:cha:ysa001:v:3:y:2010:i:1:p:39-76
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jan, Pierrick & Lips, Markus, 2012. "Total factor productivity change of Swiss dairy farms in the mountain region in the period 1999 to 2008," Review of Agricultural and Environmental Studies - Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement (RAEStud), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 93(3).
    2. Sebastian Lakner & Stefan Kirchweger & Daniel Hoop & Bernhard Brümmer & Jochen Kantelhardt, 2018. "The Effects of Diversification Activities on the Technical Efficiency of Organic Farms in Switzerland, Austria, and Southern Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, April.
    3. Mamardashvili, Phatima & Emvalomatis, Grigorios & Jan, Pierrick, 2016. "Environmental Performance and Shadow Value of Polluting on Swiss Dairy Farms," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 41(2), May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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