Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability: Evidence from Low Input Farming in Argentina Jorge D. de Prada1, Boris Bravo-Ureta2 and Farhed Shah3 Paper prepared for presentation at the American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, July 27-30, 2003 1 Graduate Assistant, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs CT 06269- 4021, U.S.A. E-mail:
[email protected] 2 Executive Director Office of International Affairs, and Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut, 843 Bolton Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-1182, U.S.A. E-mail:
[email protected]. 3 Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs CT 06269- 4021, U.S.A. E-mail:
[email protected] Copyright 2003 by Jorge D. de Prada, Boris Bravo-Ureta and Farhed Shah. All rights reserved. Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided that this copyright notice appears on all such copies. Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability: Evidence from Low Input Farming in Argentina Jorge de Prada, Boris Bravo-Ureta and Farhed Shah University of Connecticut Abstract: The tradeoff between short-term agricultural productivity and sustainability is examined with a statistical analysis of evidence from low input agriculture in Argentina. Estimation results show that more intensive land use, corporate leasing of land, and larger farm size are likely to increase current revenues, but at the cost of sustainability. Keywords: Agricultural Productivity; Sustainable Agriculture; Low Input Farming; Developing Countries; Argentina. Acknowledgements: We appreciate the support given by the agreement between Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto and University of Connecticut and are especially grateful to Professors Alberto Cantero Gutierrez, Horacio Gil and Liliana Cristina Issaly for discussion of the initial idea.