## Crop Selection and International Differences in Aggregate Agricultural Productivity

_IMF Working Papers, August 16, 2019_

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**Canonical URL:** [Crop Selection and International Differences in Aggregate Agricultural Productivity](https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/08/16/crop-selection-and-international-differences-in-aggregate-agricultural-productivity-47118)

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## Bibliographic details
- Authors: Jorge A Alvarez, Claudia Berg
- Published: August 16, 2019
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498326636.001

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### Summary and main findings
- A large share of cross-country differences in productivity is explained by differences in agricultural productivity.
- Using a combination of sub-national agricultural statistics and geospatial datasets on crop-specific potential yields, the authors study the main drivers of this variation from a macroeconomic perspective.
- Differences in geographically-induced crop-specific comparative advantages can explain a substantial share of the variation in yields across the world.
- Data reveal substantial gaps between potential and observed yields in most countries.
- When decomposing these within-country gaps, crop selection gaps are on average larger than those induced by input usage alone.
- The results highlight the importance of understanding the interaction of geography and crop selection drivers in assessing aggregate agricultural productivity differences.

### Methods and data
- Data sources: sub-national agricultural statistics and geospatial datasets on crop-specific potential yields.
- Analytical perspective: macroeconomic decomposition of yield variation into geographically-induced comparative advantages, crop selection, and input usage.

### Policy implications and interpretation
- Assessments of aggregate agricultural productivity differences should account for both geography-induced crop-specific comparative advantages and domestic crop selection decisions.
- Narrowing gaps between potential and observed yields requires addressing both crop selection choices and input usage; crop selection gaps are on average larger than input-usage-induced gaps.

### Publication and metadata
- Title: Crop Selection and International Differences in Aggregate Agricultural Productivity
- Authors: Jorge A Alvarez, Claudia Berg
- Date: August 16, 2019
- Series: Working Paper No. 2019/179
- Issue: 179
- Volume: 2019
- Pages: 35
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498326636.001
- Stock No: WPIEA2019179
- ISBN: 9781498326636
- ISSN: 1018-5941
- Subject keywords: Agricultural commodities; Agricultural sector; Agroindustries; Commodities; Economic sectors; Income; Labor; National accounts; Personal income
- Topic keywords: Agricultural commodities; Agricultural sector; Agriculture; Agroindustries; Asia and Pacific; Central Asia; crop selection; crop selection gap; East Asia; fertilizer use; Geography; Income; North Africa; observed yield; potential yield; Productivity; productivity gap; Sub-Saharan Africa; WP; yield potential; yield variation

*IMF Working Papers — Crop Selection and International Differences in Aggregate Agricultural Productivity, Jorge A Alvarez and Claudia Berg, August 16, 2019.*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2019/08/16/crop-selection-and-international-differences-in-aggregate-agricultural-productivity-47118_