Browsing by Author "Zilberman, David"
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- Agricultural mitigation of greenhouse gases: Science and policy optionsPaustian, Keith; Babcock, Bruce; Hatfield, Jerry L.; Lal, Rattan; McCarl, Bruce A.; McLaughlin, Sandy; Mosier, A.rvin; Rice, Charles; Roberton, G.Philip; Rosenberg, Norman J.; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Schlesinger, William H.; Zilberman, David (Washington, D.C.: Conference on Carbon Sequestration, 2001)The focus of a forthcoming Council on Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) report is to summarize and synthesize the most recent research on the potential to mitigate GHG emissions through improvements in agricultural and land management practices. The report is designed to inform policy and decision makers in government and industry, agricultural producers, environmental and other nongovernmental organizations, and the general public. A major objective of the report has been to bring together biophysical and ecological information with economics and policy analysis, to provide a clearer picture of the potential role of agriculture in GHG mitigation strategies. In addition, a major aim has been to address all three major greenhouse gases and to consider the potential tradeoffs and/or synergisms between practices aimed at carbon sequestration and mitigation of N2O and CH4 emissions, in order to understand the net effect of all three gases (CO2, N2O and CH4), which can be expressed as an aggregate global warming potential (GWP) value. It is hoped that this synthesis will inform the debate on GHG mitigation in ongoing national and international efforts to deal with global climate change. This paper presents a brief synopsis of some of the findings of the CAST report.
- When are payments for environmental services beneficial to the poor?Zilberman, David; Lipper, L.; McCarthy, N. (Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA), 2006)The impact of payment for environmental services (PES) on poverty varies. Generally, PES is good for landowners and may negatively affect consumers if food demand is inelastic. Impacts also depend on the correlation between poverty and environmental amenities. If the richer farmers also provide the best environmental services (ES), then the poor farmers may lose. If there is negative correlation between ES and productivity, then the poorer landowners may gain from ES. The distribution of land matters. If smallholders depend on earnings from work on larger farms, then PES may affect them negatively. Program specifications also matter. Working land programs may have better distributional effects then PES for land diversion.
- Who makes pesticide use decisions: Implications for policymakersZilberman, David; Sunding, David; Dobler, Michael; Campbell, Mark; Manale, Andrew (Oak Brook, Ill.: Farm Foundation, 1994)This paper presents the findings of a recent survey investigating the contributions of various agents at different stages in the food production chain to decisions on pest management and pesticide use. It identifies those links that affect pest management practices and describes the types of impacts they have. It also investigates how the patter of pesticide decision making varies across agricultural industries and regions. The analysis is mostly limited to California fruits and vegetables. Since California is the largest agricultural state and the major producer of many of the fruits and vegetables sold nationally, pest management choices in California have significant impact outside the state. Furthermore, we postulate that some of the generalizations derived from California data apply to other regions.
- Yield effects of genetically modified crops in developing countriesQaim, M.; Zilberman, David (2003)Onfarm field trials carried out with Basillus thuringenesis (Bt) cotton in different states of India show that the technology substantially reduces pest damage and increases yields. The yield gains are much higher than what has been reported for other countries where genetically modified crops were used mostly to replace and enhance chemical pest control. In many developing countries, small-scale farmers especially suffer big pest-related yield losses because of technical and economic constraints. Pest-resistant genetically modified crops can contribute to increased yields and agricultural growth in those situations, as the case of Bt cotton in India demonstrates.