The Size Distribution of Farms and International Productivity Differences

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Adamopoulos, Tasso; Restuccia, Diego
• 署名单位: York University - Canada; University of Toronto
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.104.6.1667
• 发表日期: 2014
• 页码: 1667-1697
• 关键词: Structural transformation; Aggregate productivity; institutions; agriculture; INEQUALITY; geography

摘要

We study the determinants of differences in farm size across countries and their impact on agricultural and aggregate productivity using a quantitative sectoral model featuring a distribution of farms. Measured aggregate factors (capital, land, economy-wide productivity) account for one-quarter of the observed differences in farm size and productivity. Policies and institutions that misallocate resources across farms have the potential to account for the remaining differences. Exploiting within-country variation in crop-specific price distortions and their correlation with farm size, we construct a cross-country measure of farm-size distortions which together with aggregate factors accounts for one-half of the cross-country differences in size and productivity.