Innovation and total factor productivity in organic farming

Abstract

This article measures the contribution of innovations to Total Factor Productivity (TFP) of organic olive farmers. By constructing an innovation variable instead of using a time trend, technical change is replaced by technical difference and TFP growth becomes TFP difference. Primary cross-section data on organic olive enterprises from a Greek region is used in the application of the stochastic frontier profit function. Farmers are classified into groups according to their innovative ‘profile’. TFP difference among consecutive innovation groups is decomposed into technical difference and adjustment in innovativeness effects. Results indicate that more innovative farmers perform better than less innovative ones regarding TFP scores. The rate of technical difference is always positive to the formation of TFP difference, whereas the adjustment in innovativeness effects varies among the innovation groups. Nevertheless, high-tech capital is to a different extent under-utilized, regardless of the innovation group.