Digital Transformation of the Agricultural Sector: Pathways, Drivers and Policy Implications

Author(s):  
Madhu Khanna
1973 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-437
Author(s):  
Sarfaraz Khan Qureshi

In the Summer 1973 issue of the Pakistan Development Review, Mr. Mohammad Ghaffar Chaudhry [1] has dealt with two very important issues relating to the intersectoral tax equity and the intrasectoral tax equity within the agricultural sector in Pakistan. Using a simple criterion for vertical tax equity that implies that the tax rate rises with per capita income such that the ratio of revenue to income rises at the same percentage rate as per capita income, Mr. Chaudhry found that the agricultural sector is overtaxed in Pakistan. Mr. Chaudhry further found that the land tax is a regressive levy with respect to the farm size. Both findings, if valid, have important policy implications. In this note we argue that the validity of the findings on intersectoral tax equity depends on the treatment of water rate as tax rather than the price of a service provided by the Government and on the shifting assumptions regard¬ing the indirect taxes on imports and domestic production levied by the Central Government. The relevance of the findings on the intrasectoral tax burden would have been more obvious if the tax liability was related to income from land per capita.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1797
Author(s):  
Amber Theeuwen ◽  
Valérie Duplat ◽  
Christopher Wickert ◽  
Brian Tjemkes

In Uganda, the agricultural sector contributes substantially to gross domestic product. Although the involvement of Ugandan women in this sector is extensive, female farmers face significant obstacles, caused by gendering that impedes their ability to expand their family business and to generate incomes. Gender refers to social or cultural categories by which women–men relationships are conceived. In this study, we aim to investigate how gendering influences the development of business relationships in the Ugandan agricultural sector. To do so, we employed a qualitative–inductive methodology to collect unique data on the rice and cassava sectors. Our findings reveal at first that, in the agricultural sector in Uganda, inter-organization business relationships (i.e., between non-family actors) are mostly developed by and between men, whereas intra-organization business relationships with family members are mostly developed by women. We learn that gendering impedes women from developing inter-organization business relationships. Impediments for female farmers include their restricted mobility, the lack of trust by men, their limited freedom in communication, household duties, and responsibilities for farming activities up until sales. Our findings also reveal that these impediments to developing inter-organization business relationships prevent female farmers from being empowered and from attainting economic benefits for the family business. In this context, the results of our study show that grouping in small-scale cooperatives offers female farmers an opportunity to overcome gender inequality and to become economically emancipated. Thanks to these cooperatives, women can develop inter-organization relationships with men and other women and gain easier access to financial resources. Small-scale cooperatives can alter gendering in the long run, in favor of more gender equality and less marginalization of women. Our study responds to calls for more research on the informal economy in developing countries and brings further understanding to the effect of gendering in the Ugandan agricultural sector. We propose a theoretical framework with eight propositions bridging gendering, business relationship development, and empowerment and economic benefits. Our framework serves as a springboard for policy implications aimed at fostering gender equality in informal sectors in developing countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
pp. 72-78
Author(s):  
T. V. GRISHINA ◽  
◽  
N. V. ZAMYATKINA ◽  
Yu. A. YUKHLINA ◽  
◽  
...  

The article highlights the theoretical approaches to the definition of the concepts of small and medium-sized businesses. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to solve the problem of the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the agricultural sector in the context of digital transformation, the development and justification of directions for improving its development. The scientific novelty of the study is the formation of a complex for assessing the development of small forms of agricultural production, which allows us to develop priority strategic directions of development, including aspects of modernization of agricultural production and innovative development. The indicators of the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the agricultural sector are studied. A new type of classification feature of small and medium-sized businesses in the agricultural sector is proposed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyun Han ◽  
Shu Wu

China’s agricultural structure has undergone significant changes for the past four decades, mainly presenting as the fall of sown proportion of grain crops and the rise of vegetables, as has its energy consumption. Employing the panel data on 30 provinces during 1991–2016, this paper empirically explores the impact of agricultural structure changes (ASC) on the energy intensity of agricultural production (EIAP), direct energy intensity of agricultural production (DEIAP) and indirect energy intensity of agricultural production (IEIAP) in China. Besides, the regional heterogeneity of such impact is examined. The results show that: (1) ASC increases EIAP and IEIAP significantly, while ASC decreases DEIAP, which is explained by the structural effect and different planting modes of different crops; (2) the impact in the three administrative regions is similar to national situation, except the impact of ASC on DEIAP in the West Region, which is explained by regional differences of vegetable mechanization; (3) the result of the six vegetable production regions reveals greater regional heterogeneity, and this is attributed to the scale economy effect and the incremental effect of vegetable mechanization; and (4) fuel price, income, agricultural labor, old dependency ratio, and fiscal expenditure have different but significant impacts on EIAP, DEIAP, and IEIAP. Finally, some policy implications are given.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Cremades ◽  
J. Wang ◽  
J. Morris

Abstract. The challenges China faces in terms of water availability in the agricultural sector are exacerbated by the sector's low irrigation efficiency. To increase irrigation efficiency, promoting modern irrigation technology has been emphasized by policy makers in the country. The overall goal of this paper is to understand the effect of governmental support and economic incentives on the adoption of modern irrigation technology in China, with a focus on household-based irrigation technology and community-based irrigation technology. Based on a unique data set collected at household and village levels from seven provinces, the results indicated that household-based irrigation technology has become noticeable in almost every Chinese village. In contrast, only about half of Chinese villages have adopted community-based irrigation technology. Despite the relatively high adoption level of household-based irrigation technology at the village level, its actual adoption in crop sown areas was not high, even lower for community-based irrigation technology. The econometric analysis results revealed that governmental support instruments like subsidies and extension services policies have played an important role in promoting the adoption of modern irrigation technology. Strikingly, the present irrigation pricing policy has played a significant but contradictory role in promoting the adoption of different types of modern irrigation technology. Irrigation pricing showed a positive impact on household-based irrigation technology, and a negative impact on community-based irrigation technology, possibly related to the substitution effect that is, the higher rate of adoption of household-based irrigation technology leads to lower incentives for investment in community-based irrigation technology. The paper finally concludes and discusses some policy implications.


2019 ◽  
pp. 63-82
Author(s):  
Rafael Morales-Lage ◽  
Aurelia Bengochea-Morancho ◽  
Immaculada Martínez-Zarzoso

This paper focuses on the process of convergence in per capita CO2 emissions that would occur if the measures taken by the European Union to meet the Kyoto Protocol commitments had been effective. We apply a time series and cross-sectional analysis to test for the existence of convergence among countries and for different economic sectors. The sample covers data for the 28 member countries from 1960 to 2012. The results show weak absolute convergence across countries but clear evidence of conditional convergence, with GDP, the weight of industrial sector and the use of renewable energies being the main drivers of divergence. Concerning sectors, there is an increase of emissions in the agricultural sector, but a reduction in the industrial and energy sectors. Different patterns arise in the energy subsectors where manufacturing and electricity notably reduced their emissions while the transport sector increased them in all countries.


Author(s):  
Houda Bassim

Starting from the beginning of the third millennium, firms around the world in various economic sectors have been powerfully affected by the evolution process of digital technology and associated internet developments. The use of Internet and new digital technologies has been considered as a great revolution that will allow companies to benefit from new opportunities, in order to extend their activities and profitability, specifically through decreases in costs. While some companies have been investing rapidly in this new filed with the aim to take advantages of new opportunities, others seem to fail in following such developmental pattern. The main research question in the present paper is to understand perceptions of a sample of Moroccan firms operating in Casablanca, regarding the currently observed process of communication-based digital transformation worldwide. In this sense, our study turns to be exploratory, that is based on open interviews, within a focus group of professionals in the digital sector, rather than on collected data and effective orientations. Such exploratory analysis will be followed by upcoming empirical studies for a more comprehensive understanding of the profession. Our research paper aspires thereby to better grasping the process of digitalization of communication channels among the firms’ professionals, as selected. The ultimate target is to know how well firms are evolving in utilizing newly integrated digital tools, with respect to innovation and trademarks. To address this issue in an exploratory perspective, we have resorted to a focus group-based enquiry with six professionals of firms operating in Casablanca. The methodological framework relies upon qualitative data, as collected through the conducted interviews.      The major research finding of the present paper is that the pattern of digital transformation and communication seems to follow the one observed worldwide. Nevertheless, in spite of strong customers’ expectations, some hesitations and inadequate fundraising allocations partially explain the relative slowness of the process. In terms of policy implications, a suitable public-private partnership is still needed so as Morocco can foster digital transformation for economic and social development as well as improvements in the population’s standards of life, especially through investment in human capital for better attractivity-generating progress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 941 (1) ◽  
pp. 012008
Author(s):  
Tatiana Sergeevna Kolmykova ◽  
Natalya Petrovna Kazarenkova ◽  
Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Merzlyakova ◽  
Oleg Valeryevich Aseev ◽  
Petr Petrovich Kovalev

Abstract The global process of digital transformation of the economic space currently involves all industries. The introduction of digital technologies and platform solutions into the activities of enterprises in the agricultural sector is a strategically important task to ensure the country’s food security, the solution of which is being carried out within the framework of the national project “Digital Agriculture.” The relevance and the need for digital transformation of agriculture and the food industry are due to the new capabilities of managing agro-industrial complexes, as well as the modern conditions for the formation and realization of their development potential. The research focuses on instruments of digitalization of agriculture as a way of innovative optimization of its development. The efficiency of introducing digital innovations and information technologies into agriculture is based on improving the efficiency of production processes, organizing and managing an agricultural enterprise, taking into account the elimination of targeted conflicts, while achieving a balance of productivity and environmental friendliness of technological processes. This approach to the digital transformation of the agricultural sector will contribute to the qualitative restructuring of all production and organizational processes, which will ultimately create the prerequisites for increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of agriculture as a whole.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwabunmi Oluwaseun Popoola ◽  
Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan Yusuf ◽  
Nomakhaya Monde

The South African National Climate Change Response Policy (NCCRP) was instituted in October 2011. Amongst the policy’s priorities is building capacity and resilience in the country’s agricultural sector, with the public agricultural extension system being a principal component for climate change sensitization, education, and capacity building. This study, therefore, investigated the level of the policy awareness amongst smallholder farmers in the study area and the sensitization and response implementation. A multistage sampling procedure was used in the selection of the study population, with a cross-sectional household survey conducted using semi-structured questionnaires. Findings revealed that there was an extremely low awareness of the policy, and a dearth of sensitization campaigns and capacity-building training by extension officers in the study area. The practical and policy implications outlined could aid an increase in the resilience of farmers, with support from extension advisers and other relevant stakeholders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Ilker Yahov ◽  
Andrey Elenkov

Despite the big and rapid growth of technologies during the 21st century, there is still an industry that is lagging behind with the optimization and launch of its digital transformation. In fact, this is the agricultural sector. Therefore, in recent years, many attempts have been made to develop and implement optimized processes and technologies, in order to increase production and reduce costs while maintaining product quality. The purpose of this publication is to summarize the current situation on the basis of existing researches and share facts.


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