Agricultural Competitiveness Research Articles

IMPACT OF QUALITY CERTIFICATION ON THE VISIBILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF COFFEE PRODUCTION IN CERRADO MINEIRO

The demand for sustainable agricultural practices and products that meet ethical criteria has grown among consumers, making certifications such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ essential for producers seeking to stand out in the market. This study is justified by the need to understand how certifications can add value to coffee and influence the profitability of producers, in addition to promoting practices that guarantee the economic and social sustainability of rural communities. The general objective was to investigate the impact of certifications on the visibility and competitiveness of coffee from the Cerrado Mineiro region. The methodology adopted was qualitative, with documentary analysis and literature review, following ethical guidelines and without direct interaction with producers. Data were collected from reports, academic articles and statistics from relevant institutions. The results indicated that certified coffees tend to achieve prices up to 30% higher than non-certified coffees, reflecting the willingness of consumers to invest in products that meet quality and sustainability standards. In addition, certifications encouraged the adoption of more responsible agricultural practices, generating social and environmental benefits for producing communities. The study concludes that quality certifications are essential for the competitiveness of coffee farming in Cerrado Mineiro, recommending continued support for these practices to promote a sustainable and ethical production model.

Influencing factors and prospects of Chinese agricultural outward foreign direct investment

Against the backdrop of global economic and trade internationalization, China's outward foreign direct investment has exhibited consistent growth over the years. Notably, China has engaged in agricultural cooperation with over 100 countries, becoming the global leading donor of foreign direct investment in agriculture and the world's fifth-largest importer of agricultural products. This paper reveals the structure of Chinese agricultural outward foreign direct investment to summarize their developmental stages and influencing factors. The study utilizes relevant data on China's foreign direct investment from 2014 to 2023 to assess the investment stage and analyze the future development trends in China's agricultural trade. The research results indicate that currently, despite some decline in 2021 and 2022, China's agricultural foreign direct investment is in a stage of rapid development. It can be concluded that the levels of agricultural economic development, national policy support for agriculture, and agricultural technology have all improved. However, the structure is significantly influenced by global external factors, although the overall trend remains favorable, with significant potential for advancement. The results could also have important practical significance for further promoting the growth of the scale of agricultural foreign investment and enhancing the international competitiveness of China's agriculture.

AGRICULTURAL CONSULTING AS A TOOL TO ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

The article analyzes the current state of implementation of sustainable rural development in Ukraine. Ensuring sustainable rural development today is a priority for all of humanity, which is due to the desire of countries to ensure the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is noted that rural development is an important task aimed at ensuring food security, increasing the competitiveness of agriculture, stimulating economic growth and social development of rural areas in the system of European integration priorities. It is proved that the peculiarities of the functioning of the agro-industrial sector, the processes of digitalization and the consequences of full-scale military operations necessitate the need for highly qualified and multidisciplinary specialists. It is substantiated that the need of small agricultural enterprises for high-quality staffing will only increase in the future, due to the need to revitalize the de-occupied territories of Ukraine and the further rapid development of digital technologies. It is noted that the lion's share of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine is small. These agricultural enterprises are focused on the domestic market, and they ensure the country's food security and sustainable rural development. However, these agricultural enterprises face significant problems with logistics and human resources, high production costs, lack of markets, etc. In addition, most of them are geographically remote from the centers of civilization. All this, as well as the need to eliminate the negative consequences of full-scale military operations in rural areas, further revitalization of the de-occupied territories, and the introduction of digital technologies, make it expedient for small agricultural enterprises to use agro-consulting as a tool for ensuring the implementation of sustainable rural development. It is noted that agricultural consulting in Ukraine is mainly represented by agricultural advisory services. Prospect for further research is the problem of using consulting to optimize the development of rural tourism in Ukraine.

Cassava for thefuture: embryogenic liquid cultures suitable for new biotech techniques.

Cassava, a crop of importance for subsistence farming in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, has the potential to benefit from global economic integration as a versatile industrial resource. Enhancing cassava productivity is not just a matter of agricultural competitiveness but a crucial step toward ensuring many communities' food security and livelihoods. Given its high performance in marginal environments, where climate change poses threats, ensuring food security and livelihoods relies on rapidly adapting cassava. This study aimed to develop a protocol that swiftly transitions cassava embryogenic short-period liquid suspension cultures, facilitating the regeneration of genetically stable in vitro plants. The resulting protocol, with its potential to be a foundational component in future technologies employing various genome editing or genetic modification techniques, holds promise for the advancement of cassava biotechnology.

Enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in Spanish agriculture: The role of technological innovation and corporate social responsibility

Enhancing competitiveness and sustainability in Spanish agriculture: The role of technological innovation and corporate social responsibility

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ON THE EFFICIENCY OF MILK AND MEAT PRODUCTION IN SMALL BUSINESSES

The article raises the problem of the impact of digital technologies on the efficiency of milk and meat production in small businesses. The authors argue that the future of milk and meat production at small businesses in Kazakhstan will be determined by the introduction of innovative technologies, sustainable farming methods and the development of new markets. Small farms have the opportunity to use new technologies to increase efficiency, improve product quality and expand their market presence. Government support and investment also play a key role in the development of the sector. Innovations in meat production in Kazakhstan play a key role in increasing the competitiveness of local farms in the domestic and international markets. The introduction of modern technologies such as automation, digitalization and the use of biotechnologies makes it possible to improve product quality, reduce costs and minimize the negative impact on the environment. Government support and private investment in these technologies will also contribute to the development of the country's meat industry.

Can Agricultural Support and Protection Subsidy Policies Promote High-Quality Development of Grain Industry? A Case Study of China

The issue of grain quality has attracted increasing attention with the gradual growth and stabilization of grain output. We take the successive agricultural support and protection subsidy policies introduced in 2015 as a quasi-natural experiment and use a multi-period double-difference model to analyze a panel of data from 298 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2020. Our findings confirm that implementing agricultural support protection subsidy policies has had initial success regarding grain output growth and quality improvement at the point of contradiction. This success is also due to its scale and technology effects, which can ensure that grain output and quality have achieved growth. The level of agricultural machinery also plays a crucial positive role in the impact of the subsidy policy on food production and food security. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the impacts of agricultural support and protection subsidy policies on food quality and yield security differ significantly across different geographic regions, food crop production, and pollutant type levels. Therefore, the positive impact of subsidy policies on the food industry should be better promoted to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture.

Research on the Brand Spillover Effect and Regional Differences of Geographical Indication Agricultural Products in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan Regions of China under the Background of Rural Revitalization

[Purpose]This study aims to evaluate the role of the brand strategy for geographical indication(GI) agricultural products in rural revitalization, particularly through an empirical analysis of the brand spillover effects of GI agricultural products in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan provinces, thereby providing a scientific basis for agricultural high-quality development and rural revitalization strategy formulation. [Methodology]A quantitative analysis approach was employed, involving the collection and analysis of market data on GI agricultural products from the three provinces. This analysis assessed their market performance, brand effects, and their impact on agricultural economics and farmers' incomes. Furthermore, the specific role of regional disparities in shaping the brand spillover effects was explored. [Results]The study found that the overall performance of the GI agricultural product markets in the three provinces was positive, with notable brand spillover effects that significantly contributed to the promotion of agricultural economics. However, regional variations in brand development emerged, with cities like Xi'an, Datong, and Zhengzhou exhibiting particularly prominent brand effects, whereas other cities demonstrated less evident brand impacts, indicating a regionalized trend. [Conclusion] The study concludes that the brand spillover effects of GI agricultural products are positively correlated with rural revitalization development, serving as a crucial factor in enhancing agricultural competitiveness and promoting farmers' income. It is recommended that, in light of regional disparities, differentiated brand development strategies be adopted, accompanied by strengthened regional cooperation, to fully leverage the brand advantages of GI agricultural products and facilitate the in-depth implementation of rural revitalization strategies.

Resources Availability And Income Achievement: A Driving Force For Competitiveness Of Rice Farming Products In Tidal Land, South Sumatera, Indonesia

The land conversion of rice farming could only be prevented by increasing farming competitiveness. The first step is to map the resource availability supporting paddy farming and income achievement. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze resource availability and income achievement to increase paddy business competitiveness. It used a survey method and observed two populations of farmers producing paddy seed and rice in Tanjung Lago and Rambutan Districts, Banyuasin Regency. Simple random sampling was adopted to determine 130 respondents from two populations, each with 65 rice and paddy seed farmers. The findings showed that resource availability supports farming in tidal land, though it is significantly higher for paddy seed than rice farmers. Regarding income achievements, paddy seed farmers also have higher R/C and B/C values than rice farmers. Income for rice farmers mainly comes from corn, rubber, and oil palm, while paddy seed farmers earn from their farming. This implies that the chance of land conversion into plantations and corn farming is greater for rice than for paddy seed farmers. When this happens on a large scale and in the long term, it impacts national rice production. Therefore, improved resource availability and better integration in production could sustainably increase paddy farming production in tidal land.

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODELS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ADAPTATION OPPORTUNITIES IN UKRAINE

In today's globalization and acceleration of technological changes, the agricultural sector is becoming an important platform for implementing innovative business models. Innovation is a key factor in increasing production efficiency, improving product quality, and reducing the negative impact on the environment. International experience, particularly the experience of the United States of America (hereinafter—the USA) and the European Union (hereinafter—the EU), demonstrates significant success in using innovations in the agro-industrial complex. However, the issue of adapting these models to Ukraine's conditions remains open and requires a thorough analysis. The article is devoted to considering the international experience of innovative business models in the agricultural sector and the possibility of its adaptation in Ukraine. It was determined that adapting innovative business models in Ukraine's agricultural sector is a critically important step toward increasing Ukrainian agriculture's competitiveness on the world stage. Business models in the agrarian sector of successful innovative international practices of the EU and the USA were analyzed to adapt them to Ukrainian conditions. It has been established that Ukraine has significant potential for implementing innovative business models thanks to its natural resources and agricultural traditions. However, certain factors must be considered for their successful adaptation, such as infrastructural challenges, financial support and investments, human resources, legal regulation and policy, and circular economy. It's been demonstrated that the introduction of international experience and technologies can optimize production, reduce costs, and enhance resilience to economic challenges. However, to successfully implement these models, it's crucial to address several internal barriers, such as imperfect infrastructure, insufficient investment, and a shortage of qualified personnel. Overcoming these barriers is a key step towards the successful adoption of innovative business models in the agricultural sector. Attention was focused on the broad prospects for introducing innovations. Ukraine has every chance to become a leader in the region by using modern business models in the agricultural sector.

Moving towards a Global Agricultural Competitiveness Index (GACI): A conceptual model

Moving towards a Global Agricultural Competitiveness Index (GACI): A conceptual model

The Impact of EU Subsidies on the Competitiveness of Slovak Farms from the Perspective of Legal Form

Supporting the competitiveness of farms is one of the main priorities of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy. Therefore, the analysis of transfer efficiency is an important element in the policy evaluation process. The primary aim of this partial research was to evaluate the development of farms’ competitiveness in Slovakia, considering the financial support from the European Union and focusing on the legal form perspective. We assessed farm competitiveness using the Recourse Cost Ratio coefficient, which compares costs and revenues of entities in Slovakia’s agricultural sector from 2004 to 2019. The analysis revealed statistically significant differences in competitiveness among farms based on their legal forms. From these findings, it is recommended that effective farm management is crucial for enhancing competitiveness, productivity, and profitability across all farms. Despite the specifics of individual legal forms of business, it is important to clarify that it is often the skills and abilities of the management of each enterprise that contribute to better acquisition of financial resources and also strengthen the competitive position of the farm in the market.

Agricultural economic security under the model of integrated agricultural industry development

As globalization and technological advancements progress, the integrated agricultural industry development model has become crucial for agricultural modernization. This model fosters inter-industry integration, enhancing agricultural competitiveness and sustainability. However, it also introduces new challenges, such as increased risk spillover and outdated regulatory mechanisms. This study employs a vector autoregression (VAR) model and a directed weighted risk spillover network for a quantitative analysis of risk dynamics within agricultural markets, identifying pathways and influencers of risk transmission across industry segments. A blockchain-based regulatory framework is proposed to improve traceability, regulatory efficiency, and data security in agricultural product management. This includes the development of registration processes, smart contracts, consensus mechanisms, and data upload protocols. The research expands the theoretical base of agricultural economic security and offers practical policy guidance, with substantial academic and practical implications. It highlights how blockchain can address market trust issues, mitigate information asymmetry, and reduce potential risks, contributing to the healthier development of agricultural economy.

The web of conflict-related interactions in Colombia: exploring causal linkages between ecological and social variables by the qualitative loop analysis.

In Colombia, the long-lasting internal conflict heavily shaped the socio-ecological context and imposed relationships that persisted after the peace agreement was signed in 2016. One question of interest is whether policies or interventions conceived to attain desirable goals for the post-conflict society may be effective or, rather, if the constraints imposed by the conflict scenario might produce unintended effects, either on the environmental or the social side. To explore this issue, we envisaged the socio-ecological system as a parsimonious set of characteristic ecological and social variables within the conflict-related framework and reconstructed their interactions, exploiting elicitation-based information and the literature. We visualized the resulting interactive networks as signed digraphs. Applying the qualitative technique of loop analysis combined with numerical simulations, we predicted the response of the system to policies as drivers of change, such as subsidized credit to capital-intensive activities or policies that increase small farming competitiveness and access to markets. Highlighting causal linkages reveals that the persistence of conflict factors may produce unexpected interdependencies between licit and illicit activities and that, only in a few cases, the persistence of these mechanisms allows synergies between desirable goals.This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.

Polish Dairy Farm Transformations and Competitiveness 20 Years after Poland's Accession to the European Union.

Poland is one of the leading milk producers in the EU, being the fifth largest after countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. From Poland's accession to the European Union in 2004 up to 2022, Polish milk production experienced dynamic development. In this, there occurred a strong decline in the number of dairy farms (by -78%) and the number of cows (by -21%), an increase in dairy herd size (3.5 times) and increase in milk production (+60%) and milk yield per cow (by +62%). These were among the highest growth dynamics among the analysed countries. As a result of this significant transformation, Poland maintained an important position in milk exports, with a 31% export share in production in 2022. The scale of milk production was the basic factor determining the efficiency and competitiveness of dairy farms in Poland. Milk yield, farmland productivity, labour productivity, milk price, and the Corrected Competitiveness Index (based on labour and land opportunity costs) all showed a positive relationship with cow herd size on the farm. Milk production is highly uncompetitive for smaller farms (<15 cows). Despite substantial public support, the smaller farms, where subsidies equal up to 47% of total production value, could not earn sufficient income to cover the cost of capital, risk, and management in 2008, and even more so in 2021. This is because the farm income is too small to cover the extremely high opportunity cost of labour. The larger farms (with 30 cows and more) are competitive and responsible for the majority (~60-70%) of milk produced and delivered to the market. The most challenging from the sectoral policy point of view are medium farms (10-29 cows), whose share in production and deliveries is still important. To survive as economically viable units, these farms have to increase in scale and improve productivity. Otherwise, they will be gradually supplanted by larger farms.

Farmer Group Information System at the Jombang Regency Agriculture Service

The Jombang Regency Agriculture Service is one of the Regional Government Apparatus. The Agriculture Service has the task of assisting the Regent in government affairs and the Regional Government's authority in agriculture. In this case study, the following problems were found: the existence of agricultural extension workers whose performance was poor due to the lack of systematic monitoring. This study aimed to build an Information System for Agricultural Development Patterns in Jombang Regency. The results obtained were in the form of increased agricultural competitiveness in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. With the sipotan system, the agriculture service can track, monitor, and identify regional potential by agricultural extension workers. With the sipotan system, it can be seen which extension workers are performing well and which are not.

농지제도의 개선을 통한 농업경쟁력 강화 방안

1. CONTENTS (1) RESEARCH OBJECTIVES In order to strengthen agricultural competitiveness, the average production cost of agricultural products should be lowered by expanding the arable area per farm, and for this, the farmland ownership system needs to be reorganized. (2) RESEARCH METHOD This study has been mainly studied in the literature study. It analyzes using various statistics and articles related to farmland ownership system. (3) RESEARCH FINDINGS It seems reasonable to regularize the survey on farmland use, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation should have an organization of farmland bank managers along with the farmland bank system to oversee the survey. 2. RESULTS It is necessary to revitalize the farmland banking system that manages farmland transactions, leases, and farmland information as improvement measures and policy tasks for farmland acquisition qualifications and farmland ownership limits. In addition, farmland in agricultural promotion areas and agricultural protection areas should be suppressed for other purposes as much as possible, and the principle of cultivation should be maintained in a declarative sense, but more prospective farmland ownership and lease policies are required to expand the size of farming.

PROFITABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF CORN FARMING IN GOWA REGENCY, SOUTH SULAWESI PROVINCE, INDONESIA

Corn is a multifunctional crop that is useful for food, feed, fertilizer, and biofuel. The increasing demand for corn commodities requires an increase in profitability and competitiveness, so that corn farming will be sustainable. The purpose of this research was to examine the profitability and competitiveness of corn farming in Bontonompo District, Gowa Regency. The survey method was employed in this investigation. Data collection methods include observation and interviews. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling, namely deliberately selecting farmers who were trying to plant corn in paddy fields in the second planting season (MT2), and farmers who were active in farmer group activities, so that a sample of 45 respondents was obtained. There are two types of research data: primary data and secondary data. Profitability analysis and PAM (Policy Analysis Matrix) are two data analysis methodologies. According to the findings of this study, the private profit or financial profit of corn farming in Bontonompo District, Gowa Regency, is Rp 7,731,314.10 per hectare, while the social profit or economic profit is Rp 8,924,460.07 per hectare. Corn farming has a financial feasibility ratio of 2,531, whereas it has an economic feasibility ratio of 2,453. Corn growing in Gowa Regency has a reasonably high level of competitiveness, as evidenced by a private cost ratio (PCR) of 0.333 and a domestic resource cost ratio (DRCR) of 0.293.

COMPETITION AS A KEY PROPERTY OF THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS MARKET

Competition in the agricultural sector results from the unity of conflicting factors: the maximum freedom of activity of market forces and the significant influence of the state on the processes taking place in the industry, which ensures the overall efficiency of social production. Regulation of competition in the agricultural market in developed countries is a developed and expensive system. Currently, it is impossible to provide the same robust support to the agricultural sector in the country, but the principles and methods used for this can be taken into account. Different types of competition are developing in the agri-food market. Intra-industry competition is possible only if production and sales costs are reduced and weak, technically backward enterprises are pushed out of the market. Interindustry competition leads to the redistribution of capital and other resources between industries, taking into account the rate of return. Participation in agriculture in this competition is only possible with state support due to the low speed of capital turnover and high capital intensity in this field. Intra-industry competition initiates technical progress, and inter-industry competition contributes to the structural development of the agricultural industry. To a certain extent, agricultural product markets are characterized by perfect competition, and food markets are characterized by monopolistic competition. It is emphasized that competition covers all spheres of commodity production, distribution, market exchange, and consumption. It manifests differently in each branch of the economy, which is determined by the specifics of their activity. Conducted studies of competition in the market of agricultural raw materials and food indicate the need to strengthen the competitiveness of domestic agricultural products and ensure consumer, quality, and price characteristics of agricultural products, raw materials, and food that are comparable to the world level, regardless of orientation to domestic or foreign markets. It is noted that competition in agriculture is characterized by many competitors on the market and obstacles in the production and sale of agricultural products.

&lt;p&gt;Assessing the Effect of Monetary Policy on the Competitiveness of Agricultural Enterprises&lt;/p&gt;

There are many scientific works the effects of monetary policy on the competitiveness of enterprises. However, no research has yet been conducted on agricultural enterprises. Therefore, the aim of this article is to indicate the effects of monetary policy on the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. Regression analysis is a suitable econometric method to determine the strength of the effects of monetary policy on competitiveness. In our model, a multiple regression method was used, where interest rates, inflation and exchange rate were defined as exogenous (independent) variables, while revenues of agricultural enterprises were defined as an endogenous (dependent) variable. The findings reveal that the monetary policy significantly affects agricultural competitiveness. Specifically, higher interest rates are shown to have a negative impact on the performance of agricultural enterprises. Economic theory states that higher interest rates have a negative impact on competitiveness, and the results of calculations show that interest rates do have a dominant impact on the agricultural enterprise performance. Monetary policymakers, especially the central bank, should focus on keeping interest rates low in order to increase the availability of operating and investment capital. A market environment with low interest rates could stimulate the introduction of innovations, the implementation of new technologies and the development of robotization in agricultural enterprises. Lower financing costs due to low interest rates could boost business activities and economic growth, which could have a positive impact on the competitiveness of agricultural businesses. The conclusions of our research confirm that in the Czech Republic monetary policy remains a key tool for supporting the development of agricultural enterprises and their competitiveness.