Resource Economics

The economic impact of contaminated fertilizer on pineapple growers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

by Gavin Fraser

Co-authored with Gary Hill. Submitted to African Journal of Agricultural Research.

A framework has been established to determine the impact of contaminated fertilizer on pineapple growers in the... more A framework has been established to determine the impact of contaminated fertilizer on pineapple growers in the Eastern Cape. Farmers in the region unwittingly made use of contaminated fertilizer which infected pineapples with higher than permissible levels of the heavy metal toxin cadmium. The fruit was deemed unfit for use, translating into large financial losses for growers and influencing all participants in the industry. The pineapple trade was devastated. Pineapple production costs and revenues are adapted from previous studies as much of the necessary data was sub judice because of the pending legal action. Despite the problems with data, it was established that the farming operations were severely compromised because of the contamination.

Multinomial logit analysis of household cooking fuel choice in rural Kenya: The case of Kisumu district

by Gavin Fraser

Published in Agrekon 45 (1): 24 - 37. Co-authored with Moses Pundo.

The study uses multinomial logit model to investigate the factors that determine household cooking fuel choice between... more The study uses multinomial logit model to investigate the factors that determine household cooking fuel choice between firewood, charcoal, and kerosene in Kisumu, Kenya. Empirical results indicate that level of education of wife, the level of education of husband, type of food mostly cooked, whether or not the household owns the dwelling unit, and whether or not the dwelling unit is traditional or modern type are important factors that determine household cooking fuel choice. Implications for
regional and national fuel policies are discussed.

The Effects of Fee Imposition on the Efficiency of Resource Utilization: An Experimental Study

by Jon Thor Sturluson

Integrated Ecological-Economic Modelling as an Estuarine Management Tool: A Case Study of the East Kleinemonde Estuary

by Matthew F. Child