Search results for "Natural resource economics"
showing 10 items of 189 documents
Diversification is in the Detail: Accounting for Crop System Heterogeneity to Inform Diversification Policies in Malawi and Zambia
2020
Crop diversification is a common agricultural policy objective. However, the determinants and impacts of crop diversification are heterogeneous and depend on a range of crop-specific characteristics. Index-based measurements of crop diversification, common in the agriculture economics literature, are unable to account for this heterogeneity. Using two national panel surveys from Malawi and Zambia, we develop a multinomial treatment effects model to examine the determinants of adopting seven discreet cropping systems and their impacts on maize productivity and crop income stability. The results of this approach are compared to those obtained when using a Gini–Simpsons index. Differences betw…
The energy policy in Spain: the case of the sector of the electricity
2016
In this article the recent electricity policy in Spain is analysed. Firstly, the paper study how the goals were established, afterword it explains the design of the economic policy and finally their results are hi-ghlighted. The article concludes by evaluating the results obtained, with reference to the initially established objectives and also the costs of the policies implemented
Measuring the Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability of Short Food Supply Chains
2019
The production and distribution of food are among the hot topics debated in the context of sustainable development. Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are now widely believed to be more sustainable in comparison to mass food delivery systems. To date, very little quantitative evidence exists on the impacts of various types of food supply chains. Using a cross-sectional quantitative approach, this study assesses the sustainability of distribution channels in short and long food supply chains based on 208 food producers across seven countries: France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Ten distribution channel types are used in this study. To provide a comprehensiv…
Soil is brown gold in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy
2014
Soil is a natural resource essential to human welfare by virtue of its numerous crucial functions. In the past, soil has been taken for granted because of its widespread, albeit finite, availability. However, now that world's population is projected to exceed ten billion before the end of this century, soil is increasingly perceived as a precious commodity. Consequently, soil is increasingly under pressure by rich private investors and governments within the poorest countries to satisfy appetites for food production and biofuel. A case study is used to explore the plausibility of soil being considered as ‘brown gold’. Based on the comparison of land use maps, we estimated the value in terms…
Decomposition analysis of bioresources: Implementing a competitive and sustainable bioeconomy strategy in the Baltic Sea Region
2021
Bioeconomy development has become one of the new trends in policy design and research. This study looks at biotic resource extraction in the Baltic Sea region countries providing detailed country by country analyses of factors affecting changes in resource extraction. The study is based on the index decomposition analysis including factors related to bioeconomy strategies such as the population, share of people employed in bioeconomy, labour intensity, biotic resource extraction productivity, share of bioeconomy, export intensity, and share of bioresource export. The main factors increasing biotic resource extraction were the growth in labour material intensity, biotic extraction productivi…
Material flows, efficiency and decoupling: Latvia's case study
2019
Latvia with its growing economy and intensive use of biomass is one of the biggest per capita natural resource consumers in Europe. If current patterns of resource use are maintained, environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources will continue. This paper looks at the resource flows in Latvia (1995 to 2016) - the country that does not have fossil energy resource deposits and timber industry is an important economic sector contributing most to the direct material input. It analyses the main resource flows, its intensities and looks at the main drivers behind these changes. Results demonstrate that resource extraction and consumption is steadily increasing and are not decoupled…
Which firms benefit from investments in green energy technologies? : The effect of energy costs
2019
Abstract Firms will invest in green energy technologies only if these investments have an economic pay-off. Based on unique firm-level data from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, we find that the marginal effect of investments in green energy technologies on productivity is positive only for the 19% of firms with the highest energy costs. These results have major implications for companies and policy makers regarding the design of green energy policies and incentives.
Methodology for Calculating the Potential Maritime Wind Park Area by Taking into Account the Needs of Shipping Sector
2018
Renewable energy sources (wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectricity, ocean energy, geothermal energy, biomass and biofuels) are alternatives to fossil fuel that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, diversify energy supplies and reduce dependency on markets of unsustainable and volatile fossil fuels, particularly oil and gas. Wind energy is one of the renewable energy sources and is considered to be self-renewable as it is the result of the Sun’s activity. Using wind energy is a rapidly developing industry today, and more and more wind turbines are installed worldwide every year, land-based wind turbines being more widespread than offshore ones. In Latvia, spread of land-based wind par…
Imagining a “post-carbon” future? Climate change as represented by media and film industries
2020
This study explores current trends in representing and communicating climate change by media industries. It reviews the current literature on mainstream media narratives of climate change focusing on their naturalization of progress and their techno-optimism (e.g., as regards geoengineering). It provides insight on how the media industry’s commercial agenda is linked to the types of disseminated messages and dominant imaginaries. It compares respective codes inherent in news media and film/fictional representations of climate change on representative examples. It traces the evolution of disaster/dystopian genres that involve climate issues. It discusses the implications from such a comparat…
Increasing Sustainability of Growing Media Constituents and Stand-Alone Substrates in Soilless Culture Systems
2020
Peat-free growing media constituents and stand-alone substrates are the basis for the economic and ecological efficiency of the soilless culture system. Nevertheless, divergence between the model and practice still exists, coming from large gaps in the knowledge of alternative organic materials and of their effects on crop performance. A more detailed understanding of these topics is necessary to increase the soilless culture management capacity. In this respect, this critical review collects research outcomes concerning the sustainability of soilless culture and growing media constituents and their impact on the environment. In particular, the review covers designated articles stressing th…