Abstract
Agriculture faces a series of challenges, i.e. guaranteeing national food security, increasing farmer’s income and reducing the adverse effects on environment and human health associated with the use of fertilizers and biocides. At the same time, the availability of resources (e.g. agricultural land) decreases. The objective of this study in this article is to operationalize a methodology to assess the effectiveness of new crop and livestock technologies in attaining rural development goals. Cropping systems, quantified in terms of inputs and outputs, are used as the smallest unit of analysis in this study. A land use model, based on linear programming techniques, is used to assess the contribution of alternative cropping systems to rural development goals. Results of this study contribute to the formulation of agricultural policies and a research agenda aiming at stimulating rural development.
Highlights
IintroductionThe main aim of this study is to develop dynamic simulation models that can help to explore the consequences of various farm management strategies at the farm level and of agricultural policies at the regional level
We have identified models and factors of economic optimization, which allows us to analyze external and internal factors influencing the development of agriculture, based on quantitative indicators with structured qualitative characteristics
All assessed indicators are formally described by mathematical variables
Summary
The main aim of this study is to develop dynamic simulation models that can help to explore the consequences of various farm management strategies at the farm level and of agricultural policies at the regional level. People's actions are explained by their ecological as well as their political economic, social and institutional environment. This is still not sufficient for an operationalisation of the concept of sustainability as the question remains what the performance criteria and their target values are. In poor regions, where access to fertilizers is limited, it may be impossible to substitute loss of natural fertility by fertilizers [4] Under such conditions it may be more important to follow a policy that aims at strong sustainability than in rich countries e.g. by putting more emphasis on agroforestry, water harvesting techniques and socially relevant technology
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