Knowledge about productivity and efficiency differences between conventional and organic farms has important implications for the evaluation of the economic viability of these two agricultural practices. The main purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency ratings of organic and conventional grape farms in Catalonia. To do so, we fit a stochastic production frontier to cross sectional, farm-level data collected from a sample of 141 Catalan farms that specialize in grape growing. Results show that organic farmers, on average, are more efficient than their conventional counterparts (efficiency ratings are on the order of 0.80 and 0.64, respectively). Apart from adoption of organic practices, experience is also found to improve technical efficiency. Conversely, technical efficiency tends to decrease with the relevance of unpaid family labor, farm location in less favored areas, and farmers' strong environmental preservation preferences.Additional key words: Spain; stochastic production frontier; technical efficiency. ResumenLa eficiencia productiva de la agricultura ecológica: el caso del sector de la uva en CataluñaConocer las diferencias de productividad y eficiencia entre la agricultura convencional y la ecológica tiene implicaciones importantes para la evaluación de la viabilidad económica de estas dos prácticas agrícolas. El principal objetivo de este estudio fue comparar la eficiencia técnica de las explotaciones de uva ecológicas y convencionales en Cataluña. Para ello utilizamos el modelo de la frontera de producción estocástica. El análisis se basó en datos de corte transversal de una muestra de 141 explotaciones catalanas especializadas en la producción de uva. Los agricultores ecológicos fueron, de promedio, técnicamente más eficientes que los convencionales (los ratios de eficiencia fueron 0,80 y 0,64, respectivamente). Además de la adopción de técnicas ecológicas, la experiencia también incrementa la eficiencia técnica. En cambio, las explotaciones con una mayor proporción de trabajo no remunerado, que se encuentran en una zona desfavorecida y/o que tienden a tener fuertes preferencias por preservar el medio ambiente, son generalmente menos eficientes.Palabras clave adicionales: eficiencia técnica; España; frontera estocástica.

The environmental impacts of economic activities have become an important aspect in the evaluation of their overall performance. Consistently, traditional measures of technical efficiency have been extended to assess both the economic and environmental performance of firms. This study aims to use these measures to analyze the performance of a sample of Catalan arable crop farms. Specifically, we apply the methodology recently developed by Coelli et al. (2007) and Murty et al. (2012), and extend it to a consideration of the stochastic conditions under which production takes place as proposed by Chambers and Quiggin (1998 and 2000). Results suggest that efficiency ratings depend on model specification. Also, ignoring the stochastic nature of production yields downward‐biased efficiency scores. Empirical findings suggest that environmental and technical efficiency are strongly interrelated indicating that an efficient use of chemical inputs improves both environmental and technical performance of farms.

Due to the climate change and increased attention toward environmental management issues, the agri-food sector has been extensively relying on research, development, and innovation (RDi) to transform conventional agricultural production into a sustainable and eco-friendly industry. While the academic contribution of research has been relatively easily identified in the literature, the assessment of its societal impact remains underdeveloped. Accordingly, this study employs mixed-method evaluation approaches, mainly ASIRPA framework and Impact Oriented Monitoring (IOM) model to better understand and measure the multidimensional impacts of RDi in the agri-food sector in Spain. The objective of this analysis is to identify the impact of research on the society and the ecosystem. An in-depth case study analysis is conducted to examine the "best practices" program to promote sustainable techniques in the rice cultivation. Empirical findings suggest a standardized index to measure the economic, socio-territorial, health, political, capacity building, and environmental impacts, involving the stakeholder-network evaluation. The study highlights important implications for firm management decisions monitoring research uptake and policy design in the agri-food sector.

Aim of study: To investigate the impact of adopting new feeding precision technology on pig production.Area of study: Four EU countries (Germany, France, Poland and Spain) during the period 2010–2015.Material and methods: The Färe-Primont index was used to estimate total factor productivity change and its components, technological change and efficiency change.Main results: German, French and Spanish farms experienced total factor productivity (TFP) progress, while Polish farms did not for both feeding strategies. Our empirical findings suggest a high impact on the productivity of ad libitum feeding technique compared to the restricted one for all countries.Research highlights: Precision feeding strategies provide another avenue to more sustainable livestock production and further evidence that implementing individual ad libitum feeding systems for pigs could enhance farm’s productivity.

Research Highlights: Recently, there has been a growing interest in the contribution of Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs) to livelihoods and food security among local populations in Tunisia. NWFPs have gained special attention given the relevance of this forest heritage to alleviate poverty and improve household economies. Background and Objectives: This study focuses on determining the contribution of Aleppo pine production to local household livelihood and food security in Tunisia (Siliana province). The relevance of this region as a leading Tunisian Aleppo pine producer makes the analysis especially interesting. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained using structured surveys distributed among rural household heads during the collection season. A logistic regression as well as food security indicators were calculated to evaluate the contribution of NWFPs to household livelihood. Results: Empirical findings support evidence that there is a significant difference between the alternative sources of revenues. The collection of Aleppo pine was significantly affected by gender, attending extension days and agricultural training program, distance to market, household size and livestock activity. Conclusions: Aleppo pine plays an important role in supporting rural livelihoods and provides an important safety net for the local population throughout the year.