Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers in Economics,
University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

No 334: Organic Farming Technologies and Agricultural Productivity: The case of Semi-Arid Ethiopia

Menale Kassie (), Precious Zikhali (), John Pender () and Gunnar Köhlin ()
Additional contact information
Menale Kassie: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG
Precious Zikhali: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG
John Pender: International Food Policy Research Institute, (IFPRI)
Gunnar Köhlin: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG

Abstract: Organic farming practices, in as far as they rely on local or farm renewable resources, present desirable options for enhancing agricultural productivity for resource-constrained farmers in developing countries. In this paper we use plot-level data from semi-arid area of Ethiopia to investigate the impact of organic farming practices on crop productivity, with a particular focus on conservation tillage. Specifically we seek to investigate whether conservation tillage results in more or less productivity gains than chemical fertilizer. Our results reveal a clear superiority of organic farming practices over chemical fertilizers in enhancing crop productivity. Thus our results underscore the importance of encouraging resource-constrained farmers in developing countries to adopt organic farming practices, especially since they enable farmers to reduce production costs, provide environmental benefits, and as our results confirm, enhance crop productivity.

Keywords: Conservation tillage; Chemical fertilizer; Crop productivity; Matched observations; Ethiopia

JEL-codes: C21; Q12; Q15; Q16; Q24

27 pages, December 16, 2008

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