Progress in Biotechnology (Gene Revolution) tends to be compared with that of the Green Revolution in the sixties and seventies. This process is developing in a context of increasing concern by the consumers for food safety and environmental conservation, stirring controversy in the scientific...

Successive CAP reforms have increased the exposure of European agriculture to market forces. As a result, farmers have become preoccupied with their competitiveness and have progressively adopted best practices. However, these long-run technological adjustments could be slowed down by eventual...

The World Health Organization has stated that obesity is spreading around the world like a “global epidemic”. In 2004 the percentage of obese people in the Italian population was 9%, but the trend s increasing in recent years. Focusing on this country, the purpose of the paper is to analyze...

The aim of this research was to study empirically what characterize farms and farmers that choose to develop the milk production at their farms. The background was that several farms have exited milk production, which threatens both goals about rural development and also the activities of the...

Nearly 72 per cent of India’s population and 75 per cent of the country’s poor are in rural areas. A large chunk of the Indian population still depends on agriculture for its livelihood. The level of agricultural research investment has serious implications on agricultural productivity in...

The paper analyzes the preferences of dairy farmers with respect to their work by the means of a Discrete Choice experiment, which was carried out in the Eastern part of Switzerland. 304 dairy farmers, who intend to produce milk beyond the abolishment of the milk quota in 2009, were asked to...

In Flanders glasshouse vegetables and ornamental plants are typically produced at family businesses. At this type of businesses the objectives and long-term firm developments are influenced by the so called ‘family-firm life cycle’. In many cases the firm shows a life cycle that corresponds...

Replaced with revised version of paper 11/18/08.

This paper identifies and assesses the efficiency of major modes for risk governance in Bulgarian dairy farming. Firstly, New Institutional Economics is incorporated and framework for analyzing governance of natural, market, private, and social (institutional) risks presented. Next, major types...