The use of organic vs. chemical fertilizer with a mineral losses tax: The case of dutch arable farmers

Eli Feinerman*, Marinus H.C. Komen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The paper focuses on farm-level nitrogen fertilization strategies of Dutch arable farmers for analyzing the substitution of organic fertilizers (manure) with chemical fertilizers. The model developed investigates the impact of the major parameters affecting the inferiority of manure compared with chemical fertilizers, including the low availability and non-uniformity of the nitrogen in manure, and the low level and high non-uniformity of plant-available nitrogen supplied via manure. The sensitivity of the optimal fertilization decisions and its associated environmental impact to product price, manure cost, and environmental tax is also examined. The theoretical analysis is applied to a representative Dutch grower of ware potatoes in the northern part of the Netherlands. The results suggest that in the absence of a subsidy the representative farmer will prefer to apply nitrogen only via chemical fertilizers.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)367-388
Number of pages22
JournalEnvironmental and Resource Economics
Volume32
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2005

Keywords

  • Dutch growers
  • Environmental tax
  • Fertilization strategies
  • Manure inferiority
  • Non-used nitrogen
  • Ware potatoes

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