Abstract
We used fluctuations in net income from alternative cropping systems to assess the financial risk associated with an agroforestry system. Mean-variance analysis was used to derive a set of minimum-risk farm plans for a 15-hectare farm in Costa Rica. Monocultural coffee production provided the highest expected net income, but also had the greatest economic risk. As risk was reduced, the optimal agroforestry system diversified to include other cropping systems in addition to the coffee monoculture. Risk aversion was, however, accompanied by significant reductions in expected net income for the cropping systems studied. The inclusion of additional cropping systems whose net incomes are negatively correlated with the systems considered here could help reduce the economic risk facing rural agriculturalists in this region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antle JM (1989) Nonstructural risk attitude estimation. Amer J Agr Econ 71:774–784
Binswanger HP (1980) Attitudes towards risk: experimental measurement in rural India. Amer J Agr Econ 62:395–407
Blandon P (1985) Agroforestry and portfolio theory. Agroforestry Systems 3:239–249
Dillon JL and Scandizzo PL (1978) Risk attitudes of subsistence farmers in northeast Brazil: a sampling approach. Amer J Agr Econ 60:425–435
Hazell PBR (1971) A linear alternative to quadratic and semivariance programming for farm planning under uncertainty. Amer J Agr Econ 53:53–62
Hazell PBR and Norton RD (1986) Mathematical Programming for Economic Analysis in Agriculture. Macmillan Publ Co, New York, 400 pp
Herrera W (1985) Clima de Costa Rica. Editorial Universidad Estatal a Distancia, San Jose, Costa Rica, 78 pp
Lilieholm RJ and Reeves LH (1990) Incorporating economic risk aversion in agroforestry planning. Agroforestry Systems 13:63–71
Low ARC (1974) Decision taking under uncertainty: a linear programming model of peasant farmer behavior. J Agr Econ 25:311–320
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322-4845. Approved as journal paper no. 4211.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reeves, L.H., Lilieholm, R.J. Reducing financial risk in agroforestry planning: a case study in Costa Rica. Agroforest Syst 21, 169–175 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705228
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705228