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This paper bridges the gap between theory and practice in the application of the Income Stabilisation Tool (IST). With an application to the dairy sector, the purpose of this paper is to propose methodology for the quantification of reference income when farm structural change occurs and estimate the role of farm attributes on the probability of income loss, offering an ex ante evaluation of farm resilience to risk.

Based on a balanced Farm Accountancy Network farm-level panel ranging from 2008 to 2014, three hypotheses of reference income calculation are tested to assess whether farms structural changes over the years significantly affect the level of IST indemnification. The role of farm characteristics on the probability of an income reduction is then evaluated by estimating a multinomial logit model.

Results show that farms’ structural changes significantly affect IST indemnities and need to be considered in calculating the reference income. The estimated model suggests that farm characteristics significantly affect the probability of a severe income drop and hence risk resilience. Extensive livestock systems seem to reduce the probability of an income drop, while farms in upland areas managed by young farmers seem to experience increased risk exposure.

The research provides one of the first attempts to define risk profile of dairy farms by modelling the probability of an income reduction on observable attributes. Indeed, among different sectors, dairy farms emerge as the main candidates for the application of the IST.

Based on farm diversification's conventional and unconventional nature, the study intends to discriminate different profiles of farm diversification businesses. Furthermore, this study analyses the links between farm diversification efforts, (open) innovation networks as well as the environmental performance (EP) and financial performance (FP) of farms.

A questionnaire was administered through personal interviews with 160 fresh fruit farmers in an inland Portuguese region. Linear regression, latent class analysis (LCA) and multinomial logistic regression were used.

There are significant differences between the levels of diversification, performance and participation in (open) innovation networks of the three classes of farmers discriminated. Different types of diversification efforts and (open) innovation networks influence EP and FP, while FP and R&D projects are associated with the likelihood of being part of a farm diversification class. Moreover, this study shows that innovation networks, promoted by specialized agricultural advisors and R&D projects, are important forms of open innovation in the agricultural sector.

The study contributes to understanding the agricultural sector's diversification efforts and (open) innovation networks and their association with EP and FP. The conventional or unconventional nature of farm diversification was self-reported.

European and local institutions are advised to develop more R&D programs directed to farmers, including environmental and financial issues, besides comprising agricultural and non-agricultural diversification.

This study provides new insights to understand the association between diversification efforts, (open) innovation networks and agricultural businesses' performance.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between grain farm and farmer profiles and their respective choices to use forward pricing techniques and revenue protection crop insurance to manage risk.

An e-mail survey of Midwestern grain farmers elicited farmer demographic information, farm profile, risk attitudes and farmer use of forward pricing and revenue protection insurance. Responses regarding use of risk management tools were compiled as choices to use possible bundles of tools to account for simultaneous nature of the decision. Choices to use bundles of tools were used as the independent variable categories in a multinomial logit regression. Regressors were relevant data collected from the survey.

Farm size, using a market advisory service, and being a technology adopter are the most important factors in predicting risk management tool use by grain farmers. Farmers tend to use forward pricing and revenue protection insurance in combination. Large farms are more likely to use forward pricing tools.

Results provide researchers, extension professionals and risk management specialists with a current understanding of how farm and farmer characteristics relate to use of risk management tools. The authors also elaborate on findings to provide guidance for future risk management research.

The survey covered 9 Midwestern states and 648 grain farmers. The survey results update understanding of grain farmers’ risk management practices. The empirical approach treats risk management decisions to use available tools as simultaneous, which recent literature suggests is more appropriate than earlier approaches.

The persistence of different farm types in Italian agriculture shows that productivism is not the only possible development path that farms can follow, and that farms can successfully adopt strategies based on diversification rather than standardization of production.The aim of this work is to provide evidence about the diffusion of different diversification and differentiation strategies in Italian agriculture, and to compare the characteristics associated with the targeted groups of farms, as well as their structural and economic evolution over time.The analysis is performed on a panel of data built on the basis of information collected by the Italian FADN over the 2003–2009 period. For the purpose of the analysis we divided the population of Italian commercial farms into a fivefold innovative farm typology based on the extent of diversification and differentiation strategies adopted by farms.The findings show that conventional farms are still by far the largest category within the population of Italian commercial farms, while only 13% of total commercial farms is classified as differentiated and/or diversified. Conventional farms are also the best off in terms of economic results. As for the differentiated and/or diversified farms, their structures are still changing, their profitability is improving and they follow a more sustained income growth path than conventional ones.The analysis highlights that diversification and differentiation are not necessarily a viable solution to the low-income problem faced by many farms. Future research is needed to better understand the relationship between diversification strategies and policies.

The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion on the idea of “policy rationing”. Policy rationing refers to constraining impacts on farm credit through policy action or inaction. To present the ideas the author discusses ten themes in policy rationing, ranging from macro‐finance policies to smart lending and financial inclusion.

The paper is developed as a narrative on agricultural credit policies based largely on existing literature.

This paper argues that the various critiques of rural credit policy in favor of free market principles have generally not worked in developing economies. Large numbers of farmers do not have access to formal credit. It is argued that there is a role for government and credit programs.

The opinions expressed in this paper are based on existing literature and not all ideas hold with general agreement across researchers and practitioners. The discussion is not exhaustive and in some cases the ideas might have been parsed further.

In this paper the author discusses ten themes that he thinks are relevant for a balanced discussion of farm credit in a development context. These themes illustrate a variety of complexities with respect to rural credit policy. The author ends by restating the themes in the form of ten questions that should be asked in whole, or in part, before any farm credit policy is field‐implemented.

This paper deals with a broad range of issues on rural credit policy. It is directed towards a reformation of ideas about credit policy, especially in developing economies. It is argued that, all things considered, on balance there is a role for government in rural credit policy.

There is much discourse amongst development economist about the role of government and credit policy in agricultural development. By thinking of government action or inaction as a form of policy rationing, some clarification is brought to the policy debate.

The COVID-19 outbreak has imposed extensive shocks embracing all stages of the food supply chain (FSC). Although the magnitude is still unfolding, the FSC responds with remarkable speed, to mitigate the disruptive consequences and sustain operations. This paper aims to investigate how operationalising supply chain agility (SCA) practices has occurred amid the COVID-19 crisis and expectations for how those practices could transform the supply chain in the post-COVID-19 era.

Following an exploratory case-based design, this paper examines the various agile responses that three supply chains (meat, fresh vegetables and bread) adopted and elaborate using the dynamic capability (DC) theoretical lens.

First, the findings demonstrate how, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, each affected case pursued various agile responses through sensing and seizing capabilities. Sensing includes identifying and assessing the relevant opportunities and threats associated with the specific supply chain context. Seizing involves acquiring, combining and modifying the tangible and intangible resources at the firm and supply chain levels. Second, supply chain transformation is likely if firms and their supply chain develop the sustaining capability to ensure that the desirable changes outlast the crisis.

This study provides an actionable guide for practitioners to develop agile responses to systemic changes in times of crisis and to sustain favourable changes so as to enable their outlasting of the crisis.

This study provides a novel and unique perspective on the role of SCA in crisis – in this case, the pandemic. This paper synthesises the empirical stories of the agile responses in the FSC and elaborates on the DC framework, to identify theoretical and practical implications. This paper establishes the sustaining capability as the missing DC capability for enabling transformation in the post-COVID-19 era.

This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of demand and supply in relation to the real-world supply chain strategies of local urban fresh food supply chains (FFSC). It generates insights into how a range of strategies is adopted by urban retailer businesses in attempting to cater for the particular requirements of food-literate urban consumers and small-scale local growers.

Using a multiple case study method, 12 urban local fresh food retailers in Sydney were studied and interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Local fresh produce has characteristics of both functional and innovative products. Retailers with strong upstream and downstream collaborations adopt hybrid strategies for increased time efficiency and product variety. The dominance of strategies for time efficiency in downstream activities is aimed at maximising the product’s freshness and taste, while product range improvement strategies mean innovative retailers are working with growers to introduce new product types and offering new recipes to consumers that encourage a wider use of products. Urban retailers of local fresh produce leverage on their relationships with upstream and downstream supply chain entities in implementing hybrid strategies.

Policymakers will make use of the new knowledge generated about the real enablers of contemporary urban food systems in designing developmental policies; findings will inform urban FFSC retailers about how harmonious relationships can be leveraged for sustainability.

The study generates new knowledge on the implementation of a leagile approach by studying the adoption of innovative hybrid strategies by urban local FFSCs in relations to demand and supply characteristics and the utilization of strong vertical relationships in a short supply chain.

The aim of the study is to propose certain agricultural policy measures for the financing and development of Greek farms, established by young farmers, based on the results of a clustering method suitable for handling socio‐economic categorical data.

The clustering method was applied to categorical data collected from 110 randomly selected investment plans of Greek agricultural farms. The investment plans were submitted to the “Region of Central Macedonia” administrative office, in the framework of the Operational Programme “Agricultural Development – Reform of the Countryside 2000‐2006” and refer to agricultural investments by “Young Farmers”, according to the terms and conditions of Priority Axis III: “Improvement of the Age Composition of the Agricultural Population”. The input variables for the analyses were the farmers' gender, age class, education level and permanent place of residence, the farms' agricultural activity, Human Labour Units (HLU) and farms' viability level. All these variables were measured on nominal or ordinal scales. The available data were analyzed by means of a hierarchical cluster analysis method applied on the rows of an appropriate matrix of a complete disjunctive form with a dummy coding 0 or 1. The similarities were measured through the Benzécri'sχ²distance (metric), while the Ward's method was used as a criterion for cluster formation.

Five clusters of farms emerged, with statistically significant diverse socio‐economic profiles. The most important impact on the formation of the groups of farms was found to be related to the number of HLU, the farmers' level of education and gender. This derived typology allows for the determination of a flexible development and funding policy for the agricultural farms, based on the socio‐economic profile of the formulated clusters.

One of the limitations of the current study derives from the fact that the clustering method used is suitable only for categorical, non‐metric data. Another limitation comes from the fact that a relative small number of investment plans were used in the analysis. A larger sample covering and other geographical regions is needed in order to confirm the current results and make nation‐wide comparisons and “tailor‐made” proposals for financing and development. Finally, it is interesting to contact longitudinal surveys in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the funding policy of the corresponding programme.

The study's results could be useful to practitioners and academics because certain agricultural policy measures for the financing and development of Greek farms established by young farmers are proposed. Additionally, the data analysis method used in this study offers an alternative way for clustering categorical data.

Even though farm crime in the UK has been identified by the National Farmers Union as a serious issue for the economy (Pexton, 2005) and by the Scottish Office (George Street Research Limited, 1999) as raising particular problems of policing such widespread and isolated areas, it remains a neglected area of research by criminologists. Those studies that have been conducted are mainly located in the US and Australia and thus have little direct relevance to the demographic, geographic and agricultural profiles of farming in the UK. The aim of this exploratory paper is to draw together pertinent issues and make tentative suggestions from the findings in order to render farm crime (more) visible on the agendas of researchers, policy‐makers and practitioners. The paper begins by locating farm crime as a specific dimension of rural crime before drawing on a range of extant literature and reports of farm crime and the findings of a small research study conducted by the author during 2007/2008 on farm crime in North Wales (Jones 2008a; 2008b).

This study aims to gain insights into the relevance and market potential of fish origin (farmed or wild) among consumers in Belgium, Norway and Spain.

Cross‐sectional data were collected through a consumer survey (n=1,319), conducted in November‐December 2007 in three European countries: Belgium, Norway and Spain. The study describes personal and food characteristics, as well as consumer attitudes and knowledge related to fish origin. Further, these characteristics were analysed in terms of their impact on the choice of either farmed or wild fish, using bivariate analyses.

In general, European consumers have little knowledge or awareness regarding the origin of fish. This results in uncertainty in consumers' perception of farmed fish in particular. The study is in line with previous ones suggesting that perceptions of aquaculture and farmed fish are based more on emotions than on rational considerations. Still, the perception of farmed fish is positive in general. Consumers do not prioritise fish origin as an information cue, although variation is present between different consumer groups. Consumers of predominantly farmed versus wild fish did not have a very distinct profile, which corroborates with the only modest significance of fish origin as a product‐specific information cue during the fish purchase and consumption decision process.

The strength of the paper pertains to its international scope, and to the diversity of countries selected in terms of relevant variables. Also, the growing relevance of aquaculture as a fish production method and farmed fish as a food product makes results and findings of the study topical and of practical relevance.