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A Test of Separability of Consumption and Production Decisions of Farm Households in Ethiopia

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  • Christophe Muller

    ( Aix-Marseille University (Aix-Marseille School of Economics), CNRS & EHESS)

Abstract

In this paper, we test and reject the separability of production and consumption decisions of agricultural households in Ethiopia, using data from a rural household survey conducted in 1994 and an estimated labour demand equation. We also elicit socio-demographic and asset variables that are positively linked with agricultural labour demands. These results reflect the limited development of fully organised labour markets in rural Ethiopia. They also imply that purely market-driven agricultural policies, e.g., price subsidies or taxes, may have only limited or perverse impacts, and should be complemented by policies directly affecting household decisions, such as food aid, technology transfer, free supply of fertilizers, etc.

Suggested Citation

  • Christophe Muller, 2014. "A Test of Separability of Consumption and Production Decisions of Farm Households in Ethiopia," AMSE Working Papers 1418, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France, revised May 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:aim:wpaimx:1418
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dercon, Stefan & Christiaensen, Luc, 2011. "Consumption risk, technology adoption and poverty traps: Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(2), pages 159-173, November.
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    7. Behrman, Jere R. & Foster, Andrew D. & Rosenzweig, Mark R., 1997. "The dynamics of agricultural production and the calorie-income relationship: Evidence from Pakistan," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 187-207, March.
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    11. Croppenstedt, Andre & Muller, Christophe, 2000. "The Impact of Farmers' Health and Nutritional Status on Their Productivity and Efficiency: Evidence from Ethiopia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 48(3), pages 475-502, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Christophe Muller & Nouréini Sayouti, 2019. "How Do Agro-Pastoral Policies Affect the Dietary Intake of Agro-Pastoralists? Evidence from Niger," AMSE Working Papers 1917, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France, revised Apr 2020.
    2. repec:hal:cdiwps:halshs-02532955 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Allen, James E., 2018. "Are agricultural markets more developed around cities? Testing for urban heterogeneity in separability in Tanzania," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 199-212.
    4. Mayéko Léon, 2020. "Hunger and the Issue of Agricultural Productivity in Congo," Journal of Agricultural Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 8(2), pages 306-322, June.
    5. Touhami Abdelkhalek & Fouzia Ejjanoui, 2015. "Tests De Séparabilité dans les Decisioins des Menages Agricoles: Cas du Maroc," Working Papers 955, Economic Research Forum, revised Oct 2015.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    agricultural household; separability; Ethiopia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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