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How labour organization may affect technology adoption: an analytical framework analysing the case of integrated pest management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 June 2003

Volker Beckmann
Affiliation:
Humboldt University of Berlin, Institute of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences.
Justus Wesseler
Affiliation:
Wageningen University, Social Sciences Department, Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 317 482300. Fax: +31 317 484833. E-mail: justus.wesseler@alg.shhk.wag-ur.nl

Abstract

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an important component of sustainable agriculture. Farmers who switch from a more capital-intensive pesticide-based pest management strategy to IPM have to substitute capital with labour. The adoption of IPM will therefore depend, among other things, on the opportunity costs of labour. A simple model analyses the trade-off between IPM and current farmers' best practice in developing countries. Modifications of the model include different forms of labour organization in pest management, such as owner operated and short- and long-term labour contracts. The implications are that agricultural policies, environmental policies, and labour market policies can go hand in hand. Unfortunately, this will be more likely at a higher level of original pesticide use and hence a higher level of environmental costs.

Type
Theory and Applications
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

The authors are grateful to Ekko van Ierland, one of the associate editors and the anonymous reviewers of this journal for helpful comments.