This volume is written primarily for agricultural economists doing research on productivity. It includes discussions of the theoretical underpinnings of productivity measurement as well as the many practical considerations that go into translating this theory into actual measures of aggregated outputs and inputs. The unifying concept of agricultural productivity used across the chapters of this volume is aggregate total factor productivity (TFP) of the sector. The volume also contains detailed analysis of the underlying causes of agricultural productivity growth. Part I (chapters 2-6) examines agricultural productivity in high-income and transition countries. Part II (chapters 7-11) examines agricultural productivity growth and its driving forces in five important agricultural producers in Asia and Latin America. Part III (chapters 12-14) focuses on measuring and identifying constraints to agricultural productivity growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Part IV (chapters 15-16) gives a global perspective on agricultural productivity.

Food and food markets still enjoy a pivotal role in the world economy and the international food industry is moving towards greater consolidation and globalization, with increased vertical integration and changes to market structure. Companies grow bigger in order to obtain economies of scale and issues and such as food security, quality, obesity and health are ever important factors. This book describes the link between food markets and food companies from a theoretical and a business economics perspective. The relationships, trends and impacts on the international food market are presented, and the topic is related to actual business conditions. Each chapter is accompanied by questions and assignments designed to help students in their learning. .

Stay a step ahead of the global competition in food and fiber production, processing, and sales! Multinational Agribusinesses is an essential guide to the inner workings of companies with direct investments in the food and fiber system in the United States and the world. The book provides in-depth and up-to-date analysis of the crucial issues facing multinational enterprises involved in input and output supply activities, commodity investment, food manufacturing, and food distribution. An international panel of academics and researchers working in economics and agriculture presents strategic management and economic analysis of agribusinesses representing a variety of sizes and nationalities. Multinational Agribusinesses examines the key areas of concern to multinationals involved with food and drink processing and/or upstream industries, including recent trends, growth factors, innovations, product and geographic diversification, and intra-firm trade. The book presents updated statistics (total sales, agrifood sales, net income, employment figures, number of total businesses on overseas and home markets) on the world’s 100 largest food multinationals, and updated tables on sell-offs, divestitures, and plant closures. Multinational Agribusinesses looks at enterprises in the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Brazil, including Ajinomoto®, Coca-Cola®, Nestlé®, Ralston Purina®, Unilever®, Barilla®, and the Charoen Pokphan Group®. Multinational Agribusinesses provides managers with answers to the questions they consider every day, including: Why do some multinational agribusinesses grow faster than others? Is product or geographic diversification conducive to good performance? Are Japanese food multinationals a challenge to my business? What industrial and geographical strategies are my competitors using? Government officials in countries hosting multinationals can find answers to their questions, including: Is my food multinational taking its research and development facilities abroad? Will foreign direct investment outflows reduce my country’s export of food? Are multinational agribusinesses from new source countries viable? And Multinational Agribusinesses will supply academics with responses to theoretical inquiries, such as: Is the standard theory of the multinational enterprises applicable to food multinationals? What are the specificities of food multinationals compared to other multinationals? Multinational Agribusinesses is a unique resource for international business managers, officials from government or international organizations, and academics working in international business studies and agricultural economics.

This book showcases the power of economic principles to explain and predict issues and current events in the food, agricultural, agribusiness, international trade, natural resources and other sectors. The result is an agricultural economics textbook that provides students and instructors with a clear, up-to-date, and straightforward approach to learning how a market-based economy functions, and how to use simple economic principles for improved decision making. While the primary focus of the book is on microeconomic aspects, agricultural economics has expanded over recent decades to include issues of macroeconomics, international trade, agribusiness, environmental economics, natural resources, and international development. Hence, these topics are also provided with significant coverage.

For courses in Introduction to Agricultural or Applied Economics Introduction to Agricultural Economics provides students with a systematic introduction to the basic economic concepts and issues impacting the U.S. food and fiber industry and offers strong coverage of macroeconomic theory and international trade. Teaching and Learning Experience: Strong coverage of macroeconomics, the role of government, and international agricultural trade: The coverage of macroeconomics and agricultural programs and policies allows students to further understand the domestic market economy. Building block approach: Discusses individual consumer and producer decision-making, market equilibrium and economic welfare conditions, government intervention in agriculture, macroeconomic policy, and international trade. Extensive chapter review: Each chapter contains an extensive list of questions designed to test student comprehension of the material covered. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed.

Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Potential approaches presented to facilitating mechanization in Africa include prioritizing market-led hiring services, eliminating distortions, and developing appropriate technologies for the African context. The role of agricultural mechanization within overall agricultural and rural transformation strategies in Africa is also discussed. The book’s recommendations and insights should be useful to national policymakers and the development community, who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research.

Volume 3 of this series of the Handbooks in Economics follows on from the previous two volumes by focusing on the fundamental concepts of agricultural economics. The first part of the volume examines the developments in human resources and technology mastery. The second part follows on by considering the processes and impact of invention and innovation in this field. The effects of market forces are examined in the third part, and the volume concludes by analysing the economics of our changing natural resources, including the past effects of climate change.Overall this volume forms a comprehensive and accessible survey of the field of agricultural economics and is recommended reading for anyone with an interest, either academic or professional, in this area.*Part of the renown Handbooks in Economics series*Contributors are leaders of their areas*International in scope and comprehensive in coverage