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Poor but allocatively efficient - evidence from the Eastern Amazon

Sauer, Johannes, Mendoza-Escalante, Arisbe (2007) Poor but allocatively efficient - evidence from the Eastern Amazon. Agricultural Economics, 37 (1). pp. 113-126. ISSN 0169-5150. (doi:10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00229.x) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:3167)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00229.x

Abstract

This research empirically investigates the well-known "poor-but-efficient" hypothesis formulated by Schultz (1964) assuming that small-scale farmers in developing countries are reasonably efficient in allocating their scarce resources by responding positively to price incentives. Deviating from Schultz it is assumed here that scale effects explain a considerable proportion of small-scale farmers' relative efficiency. The theoretical underpinnings of the scale efficiency concept are briefly reviewed before a normalized generalized Leontief (GL) profit function is modeled by using its output supply and input demand system to capture the joint production of cassava flour and maize by a sample of small-scale farmers in the Bragantina region of the Eastern Amazon, Brazil. The discussion of theoretical consistency and functional flexibility is considered by imposing convexity on the GL profit framework. The empirical results confirm our revised hypothesis that small farmers in traditional development settings are "poor-but-allocatively efficient" by clearly suggesting considerable inefficiency with respect to the scale of operations.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00229.x
Uncontrolled keywords: efficiency; joint production; small scale farming; Schultz hypothesis
Subjects: S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Kent Business School (do not use)
Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Economics
Depositing User: Suzanne Duffy
Date Deposited: 14 May 2008 07:18 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:41 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/3167 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Sauer, Johannes.

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