How Costly Is It for Poor Farmers to Lift Themselves Out of Subsistence?

Cadot, Olivier ; Dutoit, Laure ; Olarreaga, Marcelo

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ACREAGE;    ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE;    AGRICULTURAL MARKETS;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION;    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-3881
RP-ID  :  WPS3881

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The main objective of this paper is to provide estimates of the cost of moving out of subsistence for Madagascar's farmers. The analysis is based on a simple asset-return model of occupational choice. Estimates suggest that the entry (sunk) cost associated with moving out of subsistence can be quite large - somewhere between 124 and 153 percent of a subsistence farmer's annual production. Our results make it possible to identify farm characteristics likely to generate large gains, if moved out of subsistence, yielding useful information for the targeting of trade-adjustment assistance programs.