Can the Adoption of Protected Cultivation Facilities Affect Farm Sustainability?

Abstract

Given the increasing threat of climate change to agriculture, determining how to achieve farm sustainability is important for researchers and policy makers. Among others, protected cultivation has been proposed as a possible adaptive solution at the farm level. This study contributes to this research topic by quantifying the effects of the use of protected cultivation facilities on farm sustainability. In contrast to previous studies that relied on small-scale random surveys, a population-based sample of fruit, flower and vegetable farms was drawn from the Agricultural Census Survey in Taiwan. Propensity score matching, inverse probability weighting and inverse probability weighting regression adjustment methods were applied. Empirical results show that the use of protected cultivation facilities increases farm profit by 68–73%, other things being equal. This finding is persistent when farms suffer from disaster shocks. Moreover, the changes in farm labor use can be seen as a mechanism behind the positive effect of the protected cultivation facility use on farm profit. Our findings suggest that agricultural authority can consider subsidizing farms to increase the adoption of protected cultivation facilities to mitigate the risks resulting from natural disaster shocks.

Recipientes e doses de adubo de liberação controlada na produção de rabanete em ambiente protegido

“…One way to increase productivity and contribute to the increase in the quality of vegetables is through the use of protected cultivation that helps in the management of climatic factors, maintaining the most suitable conditions for the full growth and development of crops (Pachiyappan et al, 2022;Paguiuca, 2014;Purquerio;Tivelli, 2006). For the small producer it can also be a viable alternative, because it can be designed according to the financial and climatic conditions of the region and the crop of interest, and besides the return in quality and production in adverse climatic conditions (Liao et al, 2020), the investment brings returns in protection against pests, weeds and diseases, more efficient use of production resources, improved quantity and increased income for farmers (Ummyiah et al, 2017).…”