OBJECTIVES

• Analyze various tools that help to achieve an increase in agricultural production

The study will focus on determining the optimal time of adoption of a new agricultural variety by the farmer with the aim of improving the dissemination of more productive technologies. It also analyzes ways to guide technology dissemination programs so that it takes into account the heterogeneity of farmers, and determines which additional packages (information programs, grants...) should accompany the introduction of new technologies. It also aims to determine the likelihood of farmers to participate in insurance programs as a measure to reduce the uncertainty and to increase agricultural productivity.

• Advance the study of the optimal management of two natural resources that are fundamental for agricultural production: water and soil, in order to promote collective actions that improve the efficiency of its management 

The growing urban and industrial competition for water resources and the progressive degradation of aquatic ecosystems requires to generate relevant information that facilitates decision-making in water policies related to agriculture, and to introduce sustainable elements for the use of these resources. The project focuses on the management of aquifers and their self-regulation based on the existence of user associations that promote the implementation of good management practices with the imposition of non-monetary sanctions in the form of social rejection or social exclusion. With respect to soil conservation, the project proposes to analyze whether cooperatives help to facilitate investment by farmers in soil conserving the same objective.

• Introduce two innovative elements that can contribute to a more sustainable agriculture

On the one hand it takes into account that production and investment decisions of farmers are affected by the decisions of farmers, and consequently affect agricultural sustainability. Therefore, it aims to measure the influence of a community and/or social network on individual decisions. The results of this line will form the basis for the analysis of the first two research lines, with the aim of designing new management tools. On the other hand, the project takes into account that agriculture competes with the urban and industrial sectors for the available water, and therefore, strategies for an integrated water management are of great interest to agriculture. In this way, the project intends to carry out an analysis of integrated water management that is complementary to the internal analysis of the agricultural sector.