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DRIVERS FOR EFFICIENT WATER USE IN AGRICULTURE: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF FAMILY FARMS IN ALMERÍA, SPAIN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2016

LAURA PIEDRA-MUÑOZ ,
LAURA L. VEGA-LÓPEZ ,
EMILIO GALDEANO-GÓMEZ  and
JOSÉ A. ZEPEDA-ZEPEDA
LAURA PIEDRA-MUÑOZ*
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Business, University of Almería, Ctra. de Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
LAURA L. VEGA-LÓPEZ
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km. 38.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, 56227, Texcoco de Mora, México
EMILIO GALDEANO-GÓMEZ
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Business, University of Almería, Ctra. de Sacramento, s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
JOSÉ A. ZEPEDA-ZEPEDA
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km. 38.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, 56227, Texcoco de Mora, México
*
§Corresponding author. Email: lapiedra@ual.es
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Summary

This paper aims to determine the influence of family farming features on efficient use of water. The analysis focusses on a random sample of family farms in the province of Almería, southeast Spain. A hierarchical regression model was conducted to determine how the water efficiency is related to environmental awareness and certain characteristics of farmers, decision-makers and the family farm itself. The results show that these family farms strive to be more efficient in their use of water when they are going to be inherited, when there are younger decision-makers who have received a better education, and also when women are involved. Moreover, this efficiency is positively related to more ecological production and to the farmer's habitual behaviour with respect to water economy. The study provides evidence regarding the influences of socio-economic and environmental features of family farming on water use efficiency that may prove useful for other analyses and policy makers on water management in agriculture.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 31 - 44
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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References

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