Agricultural Economics, 2014 (vol. 60), issue 2
The role of the economic crisis on the competitiveness of the agri-food sector in the main Mediterranean countriesOriginal Paper
Maria CRESCIMANNO, Antonino GALATI, Tufan BAL
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2014, 60(2):49-64 | DOI: 10.17221/59/2013-AGRICECON 
The world economic crisis that, since 2008 has also struck the real economy, cannot be attributed only to the United States bubble which in 2007 involved the mortgage credit market, but it is the result of a series of factors among which the imbalance of the financial market, of the public accounts of the main economies and the real sector. Also agriculture, which has always been considered an anti-cyclic sector, has seen a strong slowdown with a plunge in the trade flows. This paper analyses the changes which happened to the competitive position in the world market of some Mediterranean countries and of France, Italy, Spain and Turkey in particular...
Least developed countries - characteristicsOriginal Paper
Vladimír JENÍČEK, Šárka GRÓFOVÁ
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2014, 60(2):65-73 | DOI: 10.17221/67/2013-AGRICECON
Despite some progresses in the political situation, the effects of the economic crisis and widespread food insecurity are expected to persist. Humanitarian assistance is now needed to support the needs of the most vulnerable. In the longer term, countries have the significant goal of consolidating peace and security and strengthening the overall governance, while at the same time, reconstructing and rehabilitating their economy.
The use of economic instruments in environmental policies to mitigate diffuse pollution from agricultureOriginal Paper
Kwadjo AHODO, Tereza SVATONOVA
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2014, 60(2):74-81 | DOI: 10.17221/43/2013-AGRICECON
The study focuses on the environmental problem of diffuse pollution from agriculture (DPA) as a result of the land use and the policy intervention that can be used to mitigate the problem. Attention is paid to the use of economic instruments (EIs) in policies concerning the DPA. Also, policy options, the advantages and disadvantages of the EIs and their assessment are looked at.
Development of competitiveness and its determinants in Slovak dairy farmsOriginal Paper
Monika MICHALIČKOVÁ, Zuzana KRUPOVÁ, Peter POLÁK, Ladislav HETÉNYI, Emil KRUPA
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2014, 60(2):82-88 | DOI: 10.17221/76/2013-AGRICECON
The competitiveness and its determinants for Slovak dairy cattle farms during the years 2007 to 2011 was analysed. The economic database of the Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra was used as the basis. The profit in milk production with including the direct subsidies was assumed as the main parameter of the dairy farm competitiveness. The influence of the individual cost items and milk yield on the competitiveness was quantified using the multivariable linear regression model. Our results indicate that the farms were competitive in milk production only in 2007 and 2008. The highest profit (0.026 € per 1 kg of milk) was reached in 2007....
Wine consumption in the Czech Republic and the prices of alcoholOriginal Paper
Pavel SYROVÁTKA, Helena CHLÁDKOVÁ, Pavel ŽUFAN
Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2014, 60(2):89-98 | DOI: 10.17221/114/2013-AGRICECON
Consumption of wine in the Czech Republic has a growing tendency, representing 15.4 litres per capita in 1995 and 20.0 litres per capita in 2012. The goal of this paper is an analysis of the development of consumer demand for wine in the Czech Republic based on the estimation of elasticity coefficients derived from the constructed dynamic model. The overall development in the period 1948-2012 is demonstrated through the linear trend: QCWT = -340.77 + 0.1788×T + uT. The growing consumption of wine was examined in relation to the development of the prices of wine, beer, and rum in the period 1991-2012....