A cost function analysis of trade-offs within climate smart agriculture: does mulching save the cost of crop production among smallholder farmers in Uganda?

Kelvin M. Shikuku, Peter Laderach, Leigh Winowiecki and Caroline Mwongera

No 212238, 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy from International Association of Agricultural Economists

Abstract: Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is increasingly being promoted among scientists, policy makers and donors as an approach towards sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, building and increasing resilience of farming systems to climate change, and reduction of greenhouse gases. Successful implementation of CSA, however, depends on the ability to identify and quantify the trade-offs involved in its adoption. This study investigates the trade-offs involved in the adoption of mulching among smallholder farmers in Rakai district of Uganda. It specifically examines the effect of mulching on the expenditure shares of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizer, and labour. A translog cost function is estimated jointly with expenditure shares on these inputs using seemingly unrelated regression analysis. Results indicate a negative relationship between mulching and expenditure share on herbicides on one hand, and a positive relationship between mulching and expenditure share on pesticides, fertilizer, and labour on the other hand. The paper discusses the policy implications.

Keywords: Farm Management; International Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 16
Date: 2015
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-eff and nep-env
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:iaae15:212238

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.212238

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