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An Economic Analysis of the Efficiency and Sustainability of Fertilization Programmes at the Level of Operational Systems, with Case Studies on Table Tomato, Carrot and Potato in Central Italy

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Advances in Research on Fertilization Management of Vegetable Crops

Part of the book series: Advances in Olericulture ((ADOL))

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Abstract

The objective of the study is to address an economic problematic area in the field of fertilization management: how the characteristics of the production system for a given vegetable crop influence the fertilization strateg y effect of farm efficiency. The analysis is conducted at the farm level and framed into a conceptualization of the relationship between the decisional and operational systems. The conceptual framework emphasizes the importance of the response function approach, of sustainability principles and of organizational dimensions. Data on Table tomato, carrot and potato were collected from the European Union Farm Accounting Data Network system. Data Envelopment Analysis indicates the importance of operational systems organizational factors in determining crop efficiency. The evidence suggests considering the objectives of the fertilization programme in the context of the organizational dimensions of the operational system.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The production frontier is a common conceptual tool in the Theory of Production, indicating the combinations of the maximum amount of two outputs that can be produced with a given amount of resources.

  2. 2.

    A simpler case – not presented in detail – concerns 14 DMUs engaged in carrot production in Celano (Abruzzi, south Italy). In the case of constant returns to scale, the distribution of the efficiency levels is more concentrated towards the largest values. Actually, the distance between the first and the second quartile is small (0.028) compared with the distance between the second and the third quartile (0.214). In the case of the variable returns to scale, the results indicate a concentration of efficiency in the largest value areas. Because of the small number of units available, it was impossible to examine the effects of the contextual variables.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Gaetano Martino

  2. Department of Economics, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Paolo Polinori

  3. Council for the Research and the Analysis of the Agricultural Economy, Rome and Perugia, Italy

    Luca Turchetti

Authors
  1. Gaetano Martino
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  2. Paolo Polinori
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  3. Luca Turchetti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gaetano Martino .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Vegetable Crops & Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, VEGMAP, University of Turin, Grugliasco (Turin), Italy

    Francesco Tei

  2. Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Vegetable Crops & Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, VEGMAP, University of Turin, Grugliasco (Turin), Italy

    Silvana Nicola

  3. Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Vegetable Crops & Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, VEGMAP, University of Turin, Grugliasco (Turin), Italy

    Paolo Benincasa

Glossary

CAP

Common Agricultural Policy

DEA

Data Envelopment Analysis

DMU

Decision Making Units

EEC

European Economic Commission

EU

European Union

FADN

Farm Accounting Database Network

LRP

Linear Response Plateau

UAA

Utilized Agricultural Area

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Martino, G., Polinori, P., Turchetti, L. (2017). An Economic Analysis of the Efficiency and Sustainability of Fertilization Programmes at the Level of Operational Systems, with Case Studies on Table Tomato, Carrot and Potato in Central Italy. In: Tei, F., Nicola, S., Benincasa, P. (eds) Advances in Research on Fertilization Management of Vegetable Crops . Advances in Olericulture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53626-2_10

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