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The Effect of Land Fragmentation on Risk and Technical Efficiency of Austrian Crop Farms

Andreas Eder

Journal of Agricultural Economics2025https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12626article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.46

Abstract

Using a 2007–2014 panel of Austrian crop farms, we analyse the effect of multiple dimensions of land fragmentation on farms' production efficiency and risk performance. We use data envelopment analysis (DEA), a non‐parametric linear programming approach, to estimate efficiencies. Technical efficiency is decomposed into (i) scale efficiency, (ii) pure technical efficiency and (iii) input‐mix efficiency. Risk efficiency, a concept borrowed from modern portfolio theory, measures the performance of a farm relative to a mean–variance frontier. A second‐stage DEA analysis reveals that farms with fewer plots and a shorter average farmstead to plot distance tend to be more technically efficient. Larger plots allow for better exploitation of returns to scale. The scattering of plots has no statistically significant effect on technical efficiency but provides benefits in terms of higher risk efficiency. Land consolidation projects should carefully weigh the costs and benefits associated with different dimensions of land fragmentation.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12626

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@article{andreas2025,
  title        = {{The Effect of Land Fragmentation on Risk and Technical Efficiency of Austrian Crop Farms}},
  author       = {Andreas Eder},
  journal      = {Journal of Agricultural Economics},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.12626},
}

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Evidence weight

0.46

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.37 × 0.4 = 0.15
M · momentum0.60 × 0.15 = 0.09
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.